• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.659-668
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• 2016

Purpose: This study utilized secondary data and investigated the factors associated with life satisfaction by living arrangements among community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older in Korea. Methods: A total of 2,134 participants were selected from the 2014 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: The significant factors associated with life satisfaction in older adults living with others were education level (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41~2.11), place of residence in medium-size city (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.25~1.97), place of residence in rural town(OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19~1.95), depression (OR 2.99, 95% CI 2.43~3.68), frequency of contact with neighbors (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10~1.76), and social participation (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14~1.93). In contrast, factors associated with life satisfaction among older adults living alone were education level (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.15~3.24) and depression (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.48~4.19). Conclusion: These findings indicated that nursing interventions for improving life satisfaction among older adults should take into account their specific living arrangements.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.77-93
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• 2011

This study investigates the association between chronic health conditions (CHD) and depression with a focus on the mediating effect of financial strain. We tested if age makes any difference in the effect of CHD and financial strain on depression. The data comes from the 2006 Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) collected by the Institute of Korean Labor Research. The sample consisted of information from 8,961 individuals ages 45-79. Separate analyses were done for middle-age (45-64) and older-adult groups (65-79). There were significant financial portfolio differences among CHD patients and non-CHD, for both age groups, that may constitute the impact of a health event on financial wellbeing; in addition, the associations of CHD on depressive symptoms were different by age groups. The mediating effect of financial wellbeing on the association between CHD and depressive symptoms was verified; in addition, the role of financial wellbeing on the association was especially strong for the older-adult group. The effect of CHD on depression was contingent on the amount of net assets and annual personal income. Implications are discussed based on the findings.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.549-567
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• 2019

The present study examined whether the relation between relative handgrip strength and cognitive function varied by paid employment status and participation of social activities among Korean older adults. A total of 3,376 Korean adults aged 65 or older were drawn from the 2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). Weighted hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine moderating effects of paid employment status and social activities on the relation between relative handgrip strength and cognitive function. After adjusting for covariates, results show that relative handgrip strength has a positive association with cognitive function. Both paid employment status and social activities have positive associations with cognitive function and moderate the relationship between relative handgrip strength and cognitive function. These significant moderating effects show that participating in paid employment and social activities buffer against the effect of lower handgrip strength on cognitive function. Findings from the present study highlight the significant role of active aging in older adults'cognitive function. Implications are discussed in a cultural context.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.81-93
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a model for comprehensively evaluating the risk of sarcopenia in Korean adults and to generate the sarcopenia risk scorecard model based on the results. Methods: The participants of the study were 7,118 adults without sarcopenia in the first basic survey, and a longitudinal analysis was conducted using data from the 1st to 8th survey (2006-2020) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). The data were analyzed using Rao-Scott chi-square test and weighted Cox proportional hazards regression of complex sampling design. The sarcopenia risk scorecard model was developed by Cox proportional hazards regression using points to double the odds (PDO) method. Results: The findings show that the risk factors for sarcopenia in Korean adults were gender, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), regular exercise, diabetes and arthritis diagnosis. In the scorecard results, the case of exposure to the highest risk level was 100 points. The highest score range were given in the order of age over 65, low BMI, and low socioeconomic status. Conclusions: The significance of this study is that the causal relationship between various factors and the occurrence of sarcopenia in Korean adults was identified. Also, the model developed in this study is expected to be useful in detecting participants with risk of sarcopenia in the community early and preventing and managing sarcopenia through appropriate health education.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-64
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• 2012

With the burden of chronic diseases mounting among the population as a result of its aging, the importance of health examination is being stressed in order to identify and manage diseases in the early stage. Health examination in Korea is divided largely into periodic health examination provided as a national health screening program and individual physical checkups. The advantages of the former include little economic burden on the examined and those of the latter include the freedom of the individual to select various examination headings depending on the individual's characteristics and preferences. With both examinations now being expanded, empirical analyses from various standpoints are needed. This study proposes to analyze traits of the examined and non-examined as shown in the facts and figures of the 1st and 2nd Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), thereby make the determinant factors clear leading to the acceptance of the examinations, and analyze the effects of the examinations upon maintaining or moving to healthy lifestyle. It was confirmed that demographic features such as gender and age, socioeconomic features such as the level of education, place of residence and household income, physical and mental state of health such as chronic disease and dementia, and daily living habits are significantly related with whether to accept physical examination. It is also confirmed that physical examination leads to non-smoking, regular physical exercises and regular dietary habits. It is suggested that, to enhance effects of health examinations, follow-up management programs making use of results of health examinations be further expanded, and the national health screening program be more actively put into operation for the bracket lying in the blind spot of the program.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the differences in the reciprocal causal relationship between cognitive function and depressive symptoms depending on whether older adults lived with others or alone. Methods: We used panel data retrieved from the sixth (Time 1) and seventh (Time 2) waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). The study sample included 2,638 older adults living with others and 628 older adults living alone. We conducted cross-lagged panel analyses (CLPA) to identify the bidirectional causal relationship between cognitive function and depressive symptoms in the groups of older adults living with others and those living alone. Results: In the group of older adults living with others, cognitive function and depressive symptoms showed significant reciprocal relationships. In the group of older adults living alone, although the CLPA confirmed that higher levels of depressive symptoms at Time 1 influenced lower levels of cognitive function at Time 2, cognitive function at Time 1 was not associated with depressive symptoms at Time 2. Conclusion: The results suggest that the strategies for preventing cognitive decline and depressive symptoms should be developed according to whether the older adults live alone. Moreover, further studies should identify factors influencing depressive symptoms among older adults living alone, which will ultimately enable the management of depressive symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1031-1044
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• 2010

Corresponding to the rapid growth of the aging population without an adequate social safety net for the elderly, older people face great disadvantages due to sudden illness or poor health and a lack of support from the younger generation. Furthermore, older women are suffering from a drastic deterioration of their economic status because of insufficient retirement savings. Examining the impact of labor force participation and living arrangement on health status and life satisfaction in later life, it is important to consider gender differences in context of social policies for the elderly. Using data based on a stratified national sample of the elderly by the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), multiple regression model were used to estimate the relationships between labor force participation and health status and subjective life satisfaction concerning the quality of their later life. The result indicates that good health status and high level of life satisfaction are associated with the type of paid work status for the elderly men, but those are associated with the type of non paid work, such as family businesses employees for the elderly women. Significant differences in chronic health condition and subjective life satisfaction by employment characteristics are found among the elderly. In addition, older women's high level of life satisfaction was associated with the participation of the social activity. The major conclusion from these results should help us understand gender differences in the elderly and acknowledge further exploration of gender variations in these people's later life.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.211-238
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• 2012

Using data from Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (KLoSA), this study examines how continuity and change of marital status is associated with health over time among older women, focusing on the moderating effects of age and parent-child relationships. KLoSA data set has two waves of interviews, and for this study, 2046 women aged 65 and over were selected. To analyze data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The major findings are as follows. First, there was no statistically significant difference in health between continuously married older women and continuously single older women. However, older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower physical health than continuously married and continuously single older women. Second, there were statistically significant differences in the effect of marital status on mental health according to the age of older women. Older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower mental health than continuously married elders when older women were younger. Third, contact with children moderated the effect of marital status on physical health. Older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower physical health than continuously single and continuously married older women when older women had less contact with their children. The findings imply after the loss of marital role, older women's relationship with adult children plays a significant role in promoting health. In conclusion, the findings of this study show the different pathways through which marital status is associated with health for 3 different groups of older women, being continuously single, being continuously married, and making transition from being married to being single.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.31-48
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the trajectories of multidimensional health among older adults, including depression, chronic diseases, and cognitive function. Data were drawn from the 1-6 waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA), and a sample of 2,059 respondents aged 65 and older at baseline was used for the analyses. Latent growth curve models and growth mixture models were used to explore the changes in depression, chronic diseases, cognitive function, and heterogeneous trajectories among them. One-way ANOVAs with Scheffé post-hoc analysis and chi-square tests were used to find differences in sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and life satisfaction across the latent trajectory classes. Latent growth curve models revealed that depressive symptoms and the number of chronic diseases increased over time, while cognitive function showed gradual decreases. Three heterogeneous patterns of multidimensional health trajectories were identified: normal aging, increase in chronic diseases, and chronic deterioration. Significant differences were observed in sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and life satisfaction across the three latent classes. In particular, low educational attainment, household income, and life satisfaction were associated with the chronic deterioration class. Based on the findings, we discussed suggestions for health promotion education targeting older adults. This study also emphasizes the importance of home economics education in promoting health literacy across the life course.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.699-721
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare factors affecting the subjective life expectancy among the elderly, and to suggest health practice and social welfare service implications for later life. A total of 4,483 seniors from the 6th wave(2016) of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (KLoSA) were used for analysis. The subjects were divided into three age groups: the young-old (n=2,106, 65~74 years), middle-old (n=1,803, 75~84 years), and oldest-old (n=574, 85 years and older). Control variables were sociodemographic factors and health status factors. Independent variables were health promotion behavior, cognition of public care, participating social activity, economic activity, and receiving basic pension. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. The main results were as follows. Health promotion behavior was associated with the young-old. Social activities and economic activity were associated with the young-old and middle-old. Receiving basic pension had a significant impact on all age groups. In the middle-old, significant results were focused on socio-demographic and health status factors compared to other groups. The results of this study will provide basic data for the elderly policy and welfare service and will help to find and improve the important factors for the life of the elderly.