• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.361-374
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• 2023

This study was conducted using data from the '2020 National Survey of Older Koreans' to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, health management practices, and caregiving needs that influence cognitive impairment in early and late-stage elderly individuals. The research targeted 9,885 individuals aged 65 and above. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, t-tests, and logistic regression. The study found that cognitive decline in elderly individuals was influenced by age, education, income, location, health status, and depressive symptoms. Those with cognitive decline showed lower health management practices, functional status, and overall health and social satisfaction. There was a high demand for home residency services and assistance with daily activities among cognitively impaired individuals, indicating the need for diverse support and policies within local communities for safe caregiving in the future.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.136-145
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• 2011

Oral cavity cancer accounts for approximately 3-4% of all malignancies and is a significant worldwide health problem. The Korea Central Cancer Registry estimates that there will be approximately 1500 new cases of oral cancer in Korea. Oral cancer occurs most commonly in middle-aged and elderly individuals. The majority of oral malignancies occur as squamous cell carcinomas and despite remarkable advances in treatment modalities, the 5-year survival rate has not significantly improved over the past several decades, hovering at about 50% to 60%. The unfavorable 5-year survival rate may be attributable to several factors. First, oral cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage, with late stage 5-year survival rates as low as 22%. Additionally, the development of secondary primary tumors in patients with early stage disease has a major impact on survival. The early detection of oral cancer and premalignant lesions offers the promise to cure chance of oral cancer. The major diagnostics moddalities for oral cancer include oral cavity examination, supravital staining, oral cytology, and optical detection systems. But the clinical finding of oral mucosa is the most important key to confirm the oral cancer until now. The traditional clinical examination of oral cavity can be performed quickly, is without additional diagnostic expense to patients, and may be performed by health care professionals. Therefore, clinicians must be well-acquainted with clinical characteristics of oral cancer and practice routine screening for oral cancer in dental clinic to decrease the morbidity and mortality of disease.