• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2002

This study is to reveal the overall level of loneliness, depression and social supports of the elderly in rural area of Korea. The interview survey was performed in February 2001 with structured questionnaires to 486 respondents of 65 years or more of age who lived in Muan-gun area. The questionnaire was the revised translation of Japanese Elderly Study Which was composed of general characteristics, Japanese Loneliness Scale, abridged General Depression Scale(GDS) and Duke University social support Inventory. The following analyses adopted the analysis of covariate, t-test, and Chi- squire were used for some of the cross- sectional analyses. Average age of 486 respondents was 73.9 years old. 58.0% of the respondents noticed their partner or son as the primary consultant for the stressful situation. 56.2% of the respondents experienced the loss of their marital partner, health and/or friends. Average score of loneliness, GDS and social supports of the respondents that was each $35.54{\pm}8.38$, $7.23{\pm}2.21$ and $26.01{\pm}.90$. The overall level of depression seemed to be low as the 'pleasure to be alive' and 'happiness' scored high while the 'state of anger' and 'ominous presentiment' scored low. The level of loneliness and depression was positively correlated while the relationships were negative between loneliness and support and between depression and social support. These results suggested that social and health promotional programmes be necessary for the elderly of rural area. Further research would be required to specify the necessities.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 2000

Objective：This study was performed in order to develop a measuring instrument for assessing and predicting delinquent behavior of the adolescents in Korea. Methods：This study was methodological research for developing a questionnaire for measuring delinquent behavior. Through the relevant literature review and personal interview using open-ended question with 12 adolescents in schools, outpatient basis and the juvenile corrective institutions, the author developed a pre-questionnaire with 31 items for assessing delinquent behavior among delinquentprone adolescents. Statistical method employed were test-retest reliability and Cronbach's alpha coefficient for testing reliability and factor analysis for testing validity of this questionnaire, and t-test for mean difference between student adolescents and delinquent adolescents, using SAS program. Subject served for this study consisted of 2,177 adolescents including 1,206 students and 971 delinquent adolescents by proportional stratified random sampling method. Results：1) Three stable factors were emerged and these contributed 52.2% of the variance in the total score. All 31 items loaded above .40 on each factor. 2) Factor I was named as antisocial delinquent behavior(17 items), factor II was named as aggressive delinquent behavior(8 items), and factor III was named as psychopathic delinquent behavior(6 items). 3) Comparison of these 3 factors between student adolescents and delinquent adolescents showed that there was a significant difference in factor Ⅰ(t=-42.91(student), -41.71(delinquent), p=.0001), factor II(t=-34.10(student), -35.72(delinquent), p=.0001), factor III(t=-14.24(student), -14.26 (delinquent), p=.0000), and total score(t=37.02(student), -36.38(delinquent), p=.0001). 4) Internal consistency reliability was tested by Cronbach's ${\alpha}$. Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ was .952 for total 31 items and .950, .866 and .721 for each 3 factors related to delinquent behavior. Conclusions：The author confirmed that this scale can use for measuring delinquent behavior, and hope to make a contribution to screening test and prevention of juvenile delinquency in Korea.