• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.257-267
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• 2016

The research subject is 8 mothers who put their physical/mentally impaired children in a group home, as the research method, this study conducted an in-depth interview survey. The participants of this study collected data from the in-depth interview on 8 mothers who put their disabled children to the group home. In the result of open coding, total 34 concepts, 28 subcategories and 13 categories were derived. The core category in the selective coding was 'establishing restorative relationship through entering a group home after encountering the limit of nurture.' Practical Strategies include the following; first, it's necessary to provide psychology counselling consequent on a mother's nurturing phase, and this study proposes a program for a father having a child with disability; in addition, there is the necessity of having to arrange the differentiated facility for physically/mentally impaired people, which meets the needs of the relevant people. At a level of policy, this study suggested the necessity of having to take into account the minimization of poverty problem facing a family having a disable child through the caring card, necessity of the use of good-natured card, and medical-social-welfare-based intervention, expansion of facility-touring class installation, and use of adult guardianship system, and differential payment of disabled child nurturing allowance consequent on income quantile, etc.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7021-7027
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• 2014

Background: The problem of cancer, especially lung cancer, is very acute in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted to evaluate the risk of lung cancer among Bangladeshi people based on hereditary, socio-economic and demographic factors. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in 208 people (patients-104, controls-104) from January 2012 to September 2013 using a structured questionnaire containing details of lung cancer risk factors including smoking, secondhand smoke, tobacco leaf intake, age, gender, family history, chronic lung diseases, radiotherapy in the chest area, diet, obesity, physical activity, alcohol consumption, occupation, education, and income. Descriptive statistics and testing of hypotheses were used for the analysis using SPSS software (version 20). Results: According to this study, lung cancer was more prevalent in males than females. Smoking was the highest risk factor (OR=9.707; RR=3.924; sensitivity=0.8872 and P<0.0001) followed by previous lung disease (asthma, tuberculosis etc.) (OR=7.095; RR=1.508; sensitivity=0.316 and P<0.0001)) for male patients. Highly cooked food (OR=2.485; RR=1.126; sensitivity=0.418 and P=0.004)) and also genetic inheritance (OR=1.93; RR=1.335; sensitivity=0.163 and P=0.138) demonstrated significant correlation with lung cancer as risk factors after these two and alcohol consumption was not prevalent. On the other hand, for female patients, tobacco leaf intake represented the highest risk (OR=2.00; RR=1.429; sensitivity= 0.667 and P=0.5603) while genetic inheritance and highly cooked food also correlate with lung cancer but not so significantly. Socioeconomic status and education level also play important roles in causing lung cancer. Some 78.5% male and 83.3% of female cancer patients were rural residents, while 58.2% lived at the margin or below the poverty line. Most male (39.8%) and female (50.0%) patients had completed only primary level education, and 27.6% male and 33.3% female patients were illiterate. Smoking was found to be more prevalent among the less educated persons. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study indicate the importance of creating awareness about lung cancer risk factors among Bangladeshi people and making appropriate access to health services for the illiterate, poor, rural people.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.7-7
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• 2017

Unfavorable weather and soil conditions reduce rice yield and land and water productivity, aggravating existing encounters of poverty and food insecurity. These conditions are foreseen to worsen with climate change and with the unceasing irrational human practices that progressively debilitate productivity despite global appeals for more food. Our understanding of plant responses to abiotic stresses is advancing and is complex, involving numerous critical processes - each controlled by several genetic factors. Knowledge of the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in signaling, response and adaptation, and in some cases the genes involved, is advancing. Moreover, the genetic diversity being unveiled within cultivated rice and its wild relatives is providing ample resources for trait and gene discovery, and this is being scouted for rice improvement using modern genomics and molecular tools. Development of stress tolerant varieties is now being fast-tracked through the use of DNA markers and advanced breeding strategies. Large numbers of drought, submergence and salt tolerant varieties were commercialized over recent years in South and Southeast Asia and more recently in Africa. These varieties are making significant changes in less favorable areas, transforming lives of smallholder farmers - progress considered incredulous in the past. The stress tolerant varieties are providing assurance to farmers to invest in better management of their crops and the ability to adjust their cropping systems for even higher productivity and more income, sparking changes analogous to that of the first green revolution, which previously benefited only favorable irrigated and rainfed areas. New breeding tools using markers for multiple stresses made it possible to develop more resilient, higher yielding varieties to replace the aging and obsolete varieties still dominating these areas. Varieties with multiple stress tolerances are now becoming available, providing even better security for farmers and lessening their production risks even in areas affected by complex and overlapping stresses. The progress made in these less favorable areas triggered numerous favorable changes at the national and regional levels in several countries in Asia, including adjusting breeding and dissemination strategies to accelerate outreach and enabling changes at higher policy levels, creating a positive environment for faster progress. Exploiting the potential of these less productive areas for food production is inevitable, to meet the escalating global needs for more food and sustained production systems, at times when national resources are shrinking while demand for food is mounting. However, the success in these areas requires concerted efforts to make use of existing genetic resources for crop improvement and establishing effective evaluation networks, seed production systems, and seed delivery systems to ensure faster outreach and transformation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: The changes in the climatic conditions have brought potentially significant new challenges, most critical are likely to be its impact on local livelihoods, agriculture, biodiversity and environments. Water induced disasters such as landslides, floods, erratic rain etc., are very common in developing countries which lead to changes in biological, geophysical and socioeconomic elements. The extent of damages caused by natural disasters is more sever in least developing countries. However, disasters affect women and men differently. In most of the cases women have to carry more burden as compared to their male counterpart during the period of disasters. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study examines the impact of disasters on the local livelihood especially agriculture and income generating activities of women in three districts of Nepal. The study uses the primary data collected following an exploratory approach, based on an intensive field study. The general findings of the study revealed that women had to experience hard time as compared to their male counterpart both during and after the disaster happen. Women are responsible for caring their children, collecting firewood, fetching water, collecting grass for livestock and performing household chores. Whereas, men are mainly involved in out-migration and remained out-side home most of the time. After the disaster occurred, most of the women had to struggle to support their lives as well as had to work longer hours than men during reconstruction period. Nepal follows patriarchal system and men can afford more leisure time as compared to women. During the disaster period, some of the households lost their agricultural lands, livestock and other properties. These losses created some additional workload to women respondent, however at the same time; they learn to build confidence, self-respect, self-esteem, and self-dependency.Although Nepal is predominantly agriculture, majority of the farmers are at subsistence level. In addition, men and women have different roles which differ with the variation in agro-production systems. Moreover women are extensively involved in agricultural activities though their importances were not recognized. Denial of land ownership and denial of access to resources as well as migration of male counterparts are some of the major reasons for affecting the agricultural environments for women in Nepal. CONCLUSION: The shelter reconstruction program has definitely brought positive change in women's access to decision making. The gradual increase in number of women respondent in access to decision making in different areas is a positive change and this has also provided them with a unique opportunity to change their gendered status in society.Furthermore, the exodus out-flow of male counterparts accelerated the additional burden and workload on women.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.513-522
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• 2019

Background: South Korea operates a Medical Aid (MA) program targeting selected low-income individuals to ensure medical service delivery to the disadvantaged while enhancing self-sufficiency of work-capable beneficiaries. However, as reasons behind welfare exits are diverse and do not always infer poverty relief or the provision of appropriate levels of health care services, this study aimed to investigate the association between changes in MA status and health care utilization. Methods: This study used the 2006 to 2015 National Health Insurance claims data. The impact of changes in annual MA status on health care utilization (yearly number of outpatient visits, inpatient visits, length of stay, and emergency department [ED] visits) was investigated using the generalized estimating equation model. Results: In 117,943 adult subjects aged 20 to 64, compared to the 'MA to MA' group, the 'MA to MA exit' group showed general decreases in utilization (outpatient visits: β=-3.93, p<0.0001; hospital admissions: relative risk [RR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.91; length of stay: β=-3.64, p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.77-0.90). Similar patterns were found in the 'MA exit to MA exit' group (outpatient visits: β=-5.72, p<0.0001; admissions: RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.94; length of stay: β=-5.87; p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.88). Likewise, in 74,747 older adult subjects aged 65 or above, the 'MA to MA exit' group showed reduced levels of utilization (outpatient visits: β=-1.51; p=0.0020), as well as the 'MA exit to MA exit' group (admissions: RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.95; length of stay: β, -5.45; p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.97). Conclusion: MA exit was associated with general decreases in health care utilization. Utilization patterns of individuals with experiences of receiving MA benefits should be monitored to promote the ideal use of health care services while preventing potential financial barriers present in accessing medical care.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.89-211
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• 1993

The Korean government embarked upon ambitious economic development plans in the 1960's the goals of development policy at that time were the elimination of absolute poverty and the alleviation of unemployment. With scant natural resources, the government had to push for industrialization based upon borrowed foreign raw materials with surplus local labor. Preoccupation with the economic goals of industrialization and export expansion left little room for considering environmental protection. It is evident that Korea's exported industrialization strategy of the past three decades has been a success in terms of income, production, and other macroeconomic indicators, but it cannot be denied that a host of undesirable side-effects have been created. These include environmental problems. congestion in several large cities, poor wealth distribution, and regional disparities. The environmental problems were recognized even in the early stage of development, but preoccupation with the pending economic goals of industrialization and export expansion left little room for considering environment protection. The perceived and actual seriousness of the problems, however, has reached such a level that further negligence may imperil political stability and developmental problems facing the world arise from a world economic order characterized by ever expanding consumption and production, which exhausts and contaminates natural resources and creates and perpetuates gross inequalities between and within nations. It will be necessary to develop new culture and ethical values, transform economic structures, and reorient, our lifestyles. Changing lifestyles can not be promoted by government policy initiative alone but through self=generated educational efforts and mutual training by people themselves. The citizens group for environment (NGOs) should assume these educational and training responsibilities starting from grass-root level of people. It must be reawakened to the reality that the environmental preservation for better quality of life is based on the development of human relationships, creativity, spirituality, reverance for the natural world and celebration of life, and is not dependent upon increased consumption of non-basic material goods. To carry on such environment education social movements and NGOs should (1) provides educational methodologies, which focus on values clarification and moving beyond clarification and moving beyond blame to constructive action. (2) provide training for leaders of business and industry, government, union and others on consumption and production. (3) initiate and support the training and work of environmental counselor who encourage responsible consumption. (4) cooperative with media to initiate and strengthen educational programs on the social environmental programs on the social environmental impacts of consumption and production and to build awareness of consumer responsibility and potential. Economic and social development can be compatible with environment protection : both can be achieved simultaneously. Effective environmental management depends on the various factors : political will, institutional arrangements, appropriate legislation, and availability of the requistite financial and technological resources, which is possible with a strong public awareness of the importance of environmental preservation.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.143-169
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the implications of the integrated support through the 'health - medical - welfare' network and the specific context of the operation through the experiences of the users who participated in the 301 network project of Seoul northern municipal hospital. To do this, In-depth interviews were carried out with 10 research participants. The data was analyzed by general qualitative research methods. As a result of analysis, users lost their willingness because of living in a vicious cycle of poverty and illness before participating in 301 network services, but through the participation of the service, they were able to receive the integrated support of 'cure-care-life stability'. These experiences ultimately led to the regeneration of the will of their lives. At the basis of this experience were operating strategies and conditions such as the formation of a diverse professional team, the establishment of a linkage system within and outside the hospital, the establishment of a treatment linkage system through the acquisition of treatment subsidies, and the linkage of resources at mediation level. As the attempt to integrate 'health, medical and welfare' with well-coordinated strategies and conditions showed the possibility of complementing the limitation of the health welfare support system in Korea, the extension of the related business was suggested. For this, it suggested the more stable stabilization of the linkage system and the improvement of the institutional aspect.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.527-556
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• 2019

In Korea, nearly 100 billion won is spent annually under the name of energy voucher on 600,000 households for the last five years, and this is a unique case and hard to monitor worldwide. Therefore, no studies have been conducted to assess impacts of the energy voucher on energy consumption and cost burden alleviation for beneficiaries. This paper aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of energy vouchers in terms of energy expense. The propensity score matching was conducted on samples of low-income households based on the Korea Welfare Panel. Then, simple Difference-In-Differences and Fixed-Effect Difference-In-Differences models were applied to estimate the effect of energy vouchers. In results, the beneficiaries of energy vouchers would spend an additional 4,371~4,870 won per month on energy consumption. The ratio is equivalent to 51.9~57.7 percent of the aid, which is also the highest when compared with 23~56 percent of U.S. Food Stamp. In terms of energy welfare, voucher payment could become one of the best management practices. However, identifying the blind spots as non-reciprocal households and expanding the differential support mechanism that reflects the energy consumption environment should be solved in the future.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-26
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• 2008

This research examines the effect of area level characteristics on individual health, particularly focusing on the vulnerable populations in Seoul. We consider adult individuals whose family income is under 1.5 million won, who are aged 65 and over, or who have neither spouse nor job but aged 40 and over as vulnerable populations. Using the 2005 Seoul Citizens' Health Interview Survey, we conducted multilevel analyses to simultaneously investigate the effect of area and individual level characteristics on health. Between-area variance of self-rated health status was greater for the elderly population than for all populations. Area material deprivation index and happiness index were associated with the self-rated health of economically disadvantaged populations. Vulnerable populations showed greater between-area variances in emotional health than the same for all populations. Area happiness index, material deprivation index, the proportion of households below poverty line and street safety showed statistically significant association with emotional health. The effect of area characteristics were particularly salient for the emotional health of elderly population and its between area variance was also notable.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.271-290
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• 2018

The study aims to analyze the effects of socio-economic deprivation on suicidal ideation. The analysis data were used as a guide for Korea Welfare Panel Study 9. the frequency analysis, mean difference analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regression were performed by SPSS programs. The results of analysis are as follows. First, The results of frequency analysis by deprivation type showed a high frequency of deprivation in the following order. Experience of not receiving a public pension, experience of being able to work but unemployed, experience of not being able to eat a balanced diet due to financial difficulties, and experience where you had nothing to eat but no more money to buy. Second, the average difference analysis shows that when a person does not have a spouse, the lower the academic background and the income level, the higher the likelihood of suicide. Third, regression analysis shows that the following deprivation patterns have a statistically significant effect on older adults' thoughts of suicide. Experience in which the respondents or their family could not go to hospital because they had no money, experience that move house because is back rent more than 2 months or can not pay rent, experience that they could not afford to buy food and eat well-balanced meals, experience of failing to pay your bills on time, experience of being able to work but not having a job, and experience in which financial difficulties left them short of food and no money to live. Based on such research results, some policy measures, such as the expanding management of medical care benefits cases, the improvement of elderly housing, residential conditions and the diet survey for the elderly, and the expansion of measures to support elderly people's tax rates, were proposed.