• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-67
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• 2008

The study analyzes divorce rates in Korea and makes suggestions for the future research of divorce rates. Based on the data from Korea Statistical Information System (KOSIS) of the National Statistics Organization, trends for divorce rates change and the relations between divorce rates and macro environmental factors are analyzed. Macro environmental factors include socioeconomic factors such as, Korean War, Vietnam War, oil shock, IMP economic crisis and gross national income (GNI), whereas demographical factors include population structure, rates of female labor participation, and geographical location. The principle characteristics of divorce rates are as follows: 1) the Crude divorce rates (CDR) and the number of divorced had been increased from 1970 to 2004, then the trend changed to a decrease; 2) the slope of the change were the highest during 1998 to 2004 after the IMP economic crisis. The relations between socioeconomic factors are as follows: 1) during the war there was a small increase of CDR for a short period of time; 2) the economic crisis of the nation tend to increase the CDR, while the IMP economic crisis had a strong impact on an increase of CDR because of the interaction effect among the population structure, women's sex role changes as well as the level of standard of living. The increase in CDR from 1990 to 2000 can be explained partly by the population of baby Boomers passing through their marriage and divorce process. The number of population residing in the rural area and the middle class households, and the mobility of population also had an impact on the divorce rates changes. The recommendations for the future research were as follows: 1) the need to develop new divorce statistics that are based on a marriage cohort or a birth cohort because family behavior is a mixture of personal, social and political responses, and because CDR is not an accurate measure of divorce rate since it was influenced by population structure; 2) the need to include micro personal factors as well as macro social factors in a model to find an interaction effect between those variables.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-17
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• 2015

This study is aimed to discover the deciding factors in senior employment programs for improving the quality of life for the elderly. The dependent variable used in this study was the quality of elderly persons. Personal and familial characteristics, and the community involvement of the elderly were used as independent variables in a Multiple Regression analysis. First, the most influential factor encouraging the elderly to participate in a senior employment promotion program was previous experience of senior employment programs. Second, health condition, residence in city areas, experience of volunteer work, and knowledge of senior employment programs had positive effects on the continuous participation of the elderly men and women. However, living arrangements had an effect solely on elderly men, and home ownership and participation in economic activities had effects solely on elderly women. Third, the life quality of the elderly was affected differently by sex. Health condition had the greatest effect on male elderly persons, whereas, the effective variable, the composition of the family had the most effect on female elderly persons. Thus, active campaigns through various mass media and information sessions are needed to promote participation in senior employment programs, according to the above mentioned deciding factors. In particular infrastructure providing the elderly with more volunteer work opportunity needs to be built for baby boomers to improve their quality of life. In addition, diversified senior employment programs are needed. Because the elderly living in city areas are more willing to participate in senior employment programs, specialized programs suitable for the elderly in city areas are needed. The government should also prepare programs that help the elderly stay healthy while they are working.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.73-93
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• 2022

Background: Appropriate physician workforce projection through reasonable discussions and decisions with a broad view on supply and demand of the workforce, thus, is very important for high-quality healthcare services. The study expects to provide preliminary research data on the workforce diagnosis standard model for Korean physician workforce policy decision through more flexible and objective physician workforce projection in reflection of diverse changes in healthcare policy and sociodemographic environments. Methods: A low flow rate through the causal map was developed, and an objective workforce demand projection from 2019 to 2040 was conducted. In addition, projections by scenarios under various situations were conducted with the low flow rate developed in the study. Lastly, the demand projection of the physician workforce by region of 17 cities and provinces was conducted. Results: First, demand of physicians in 2019 was 110,665, 113,450 in 2020, 129,496 in 2025, 146,837 in 2030, 163,719 in 2035, and 179,288 in 2040. Second, the scenario for the retirement of baby boomers led to a decrease in the growth rate due to time delay. Third, Seoul and Gyeonggi-do account for a high percentage of demand, a very high upward trend was identified in Gyeonggi-do, and as a result, the projection showed that the demand of the physician workforce in Gyeonggi-do would worsen over time. Conclusion: This study is meaningful in that rational and collective physician workforce supply and demand and its imbalance in workforce distribution were verified through various projections by scenarios and regions of Korea with System Dynamics.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.300-308
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to classify determinants of cost increases into two categories, negotiable factors and non-negotiable factors, in order to identify the determinants of health care expenditure increases and to clarify the contribution of associated factors selected based on a literature review. Methods: The data in this analysis was from the statistical yearbooks of National Health Insurance Service, the Economic Index from Statistics Korea and regional statistical yearbooks. The unit of analysis was the annual growth rate of variables of 16 cities and provinces from 2003 to 2010. First, multiple regression was used to identify the determinants of health care expenditures. We then used hierarchical multiple regression to calculate the contribution of associated factors. The changes of coefficients ($R^2$) of predictors, which were entered into this analysis step by step based on the empirical evidence of the investigator could explain the contribution of predictors to increased medical cost. Results: Health spending was mainly associated with the proportion of the elderly population, but the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) showed an inverse association. The contribution of predictors was as follows: the proportion of elderly in the population (22.4%), gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (4.5%), MEI (-12%), and other predictors (less than 1%). Conclusions: As Baby Boomers enter retirement, an increasing proportion of the population aged 65 and over and the GDP will continue to increase, thus accelerating the inflation of health care expenditures and precipitating a crisis in the health insurance system. Policy makers should consider providing comprehensive health services by an accountable care organization to achieve cost savings while ensuring high-quality care.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.6 s.84
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• pp.177-193
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• 2006

This study analyzes marriage and fertility rates in Korea and makes recommendations for family policy. Based on the 'The Report of Marriage & Divorce Statistics in 2005' and data from the Korea Statistical Information System (KOSIS) of the National Statistics Organization, the trends, reasons for marriage rates changes, and future expectations were critically reviewed. In addition, the relationship between marriage and fertility rates was analyzed. The principle characteristics of marriage rates are as follows: 1) the M-shape of the longitudinal crude marriage rates; 2) the increased age of individuals entering their the first marriage; 3) the increase in remarriage rates; 4) the changes in the patterns of remarriage; 5) the increased in the age at which individuals remarry and; 6) the increase in marriage to non-Koreans. The marriage and fertility rates changes are a permanent normative shift because of 1) later marriage because of women's increased education and labor force participation 2) rational choices about birth control 3) reduced population because of the aging of baby boomers 4) structural changes in the marriage market and 5) egalitarian changes in women's attitudes toward marriage and family. The recommendations for future family policy were as follows: 1) the need for a realistic, long-term family policy because the current marriage patterns will continue; 2) the need to develop new statistics such as fertility rates that are based on marriage cohort or birth cohort because family behavior is a mixture of personal, social and political responses; 3) the need for impact analysis of current family policy about increasing fertility rates; 4) the need for a new family perspective that encompasses diverse marriage and family patterns; 5) the need to focus on men's role in families because of women's changing roles and family interaction patterns and; 6) the need for preventive family policies such as family life education.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.38-56
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• 2021

The New Silver Generation, which includes retired baby boomers, is eschewing traditional lifestyles, remaining socially and economically active, and striving to enjoy their lives. It is necessary to understand the preferences, sensibilities, and fashion propensities of such individuals. Thus, this study analyzed the New Silver Generation's fashion color preferences and proposed fashion color scheme guidelines that could be used in the fashion industry. First, surveys were conducted in people of the New Silver Generation aged from 55 to 65 years. The survey questions included the following: fashion color preferences, fashion sensibility and taste preferences, fashion interests, lifestyle, and demographic background. Second, the survey was conducted to identify differences in color preferences based on respondents' fashion interests and lifestyles. Next, to compose color palettes for the survey, 45 colors from the Munsell color system were chosen at random. The major research results were as follows: It was shown that socializing- and health-preferring individuals wore achromatic color, leisure-preferring individuals wore P color, and self-preferring individuals wore B color. The commonly worn colors were achromatic colors. After the age of 55 years, health- and leisure-preferring individuals often wore R color and RP color, respectively. Thus, this study proposed a color scheme arrangement that used achromatic colors, such as black and white, as the main colors list for the four lifestyle types.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.95-123
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• 2016

As Korean society grows rapidly older, a systematic analysis of the determinants of labor supply behavior among the elderly becomes a prerequisite for designing more effective senior employment policies and income security regime for the elderly. Literatures review shows that a majority of previous researches have been ignoring the problem of "endogenous predictor" especially when it comes to the estimation of the effects of the two key variables, education and non-labor income, on labor supply decisions among older people. They have failed to take into consideration the unobserved heterogeneities which might affect both labor supply decisions of the elderly and their levels of education and non-labor income, which means, according to some econometric literatures, that the estimated coefficients of the two predictors can be inconsistent. The paper tries to redress the endogeneity problem by employing a panel logit model with data from the 1st. to 4th. wave of the KLoSA(Korean Longitudinal Survey of Ageing) to estimate the effects of key predictors on the probability of getting jobs among older people(ages of 60 or older). Both a random effects and a fixed effects model reaffirms that non-labor income has a negative effect on the chances of being employed. And a random effects model shows that the effect of education is also negative, as has frequently been reported by previous studies. That means the effects of education and non-labor income on elderly employment remain negative after the effect of unobserved heterogeneities is controled for and the problem of endogenous predictors is redressed through an appropriate panel data analysis. These findings mean, in turn, that when Korean baby-boomers, who had acquired an unprecedentedly higher level of education and were expected to enjoy ever-larger amount of non-labor income than their preceding generations, retires in near future, their incentives to work will become much weaker and the lack of labor-force and the burden of financing increased public pension expenditure will become more troublesome. The paper concludes with recommending some policy initiatives helpful to solve these expected problems.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.71-94
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to propose measures for social work practice to enhance the happiness of middle-aged married men and women by identifying the effects of family stress and social support resources (formal and informal support resources) on marital satisfaction among mid-life married couples. Subjects were selected through purposive sampling among married men and women aged between 40 and 59 and living in Seoul City and Gyeonggi province. The study results are follows. First, the average score of family stress was 3.06 points (SD=.56), slightly higher than the median value of 3 points. Of all subscales of family stress, the subjects experienced the most stress from family relationships, followed by financial problems, health and loss of families, and work-family compatibility. In regard to social support resources, the mean value of all social support resources categories was greater than the median. Among the subscales, informal support (family support and support from other people) was found to be higher than formal support. The level of marital satisfaction was higher than the median, and the score was 3.21 points (SD=.78). Second, in order to explore differences in marital satisfaction according to family stress and social support, differences in marital satisfaction were analyzed by grouping subjects who scored high, middle, and low levels of marital satisfaction. According to the results, marital satisfaction was statistically significantly higher in the group that experienced less family stress (F=6.25, p<.01). With respect to social support, marital satisfaction was statistically significantly higher in the group that received high social support (F=29.68, p<.001). Third, according to the analysis of factors affecting marital satisfaction in middle-aged married men and women, subjective economic status, family relationship stress, economic stress, and family support showed statistical significance. The higher the subjective economic status and the lower the family relationship stress and economic stress levels, the higher the marital satisfaction among middle-aged married men and women. In addition, the greater the family support, the higher the marital satisfaction. The results of this study underscore the need to improve family relationships in middle-aged married couples and to distribute family life education programs that can strengthen family support resources. For example, family relationship enhancement programs are currently performed, including "Family School for Middle-Aged Baby Boomers" and others as part of the Healthy Family Support Work regarding the promotion of marital satisfaction of middle-aged couples. In addition, continuing effort is warranted to include content on strengthening family support resources, maximizing the effectiveness of programs, and promoting service accessibility.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.113-141
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• 2000

The aim of this paper is to project the state of the labor farce and employment in Korea from 2000 to 2005. The labor market in Korea is experiencing significant changes with the rapid development of Information and Telecommunication Technology (ICT) and the transition of the Korean economy into a knowledge-based economy. On the labor supply side, it is expected that the growth of the labor force will be sluggish; baby boomers will become the middle-aged, while the proportion of senior citizens, the highly educated and the female labor force will grow fast. These changes will alter the human resources management system in business sectors. Moreover, the permanent employment relationship, the hierarchy system and the seniority-based wage system are all expected to change. On the labor demand side, the employment share in highly skilled. knowledge-intensive industries will grow faster than the rest of the economy in tandem with the quickly growing output share of these industries. Especially, more jobs will be created in the ICT industries. The proportion of labor in highly skilled and professional occupations will also grow faster than in other occupations. At the same time, the employment share of female workers will grow more quickly than that of the male workers. These changes, however, may worsen income inequalities and/or increase the unemployment rate when workers do not have the suitable skills or knowledge required by the knowledge-based economy. To avoid this, it is necessary for the government to build up a lifetime learning system for workers.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.56-70
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• 2014

Background: Korea shows rapid population aging and increase in healthcare service use and expenditure. Also, this would be accelerated because of the baby boomers who will be 65 years old and more in 2020. Chronic disease is another reason that increases the use of healthcare service and expenditure of the middle- and old-aged households. Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) is the index which can indicate the households' burden of health spending. Despite the importance, there are few studies on CHE of middle- and old-aged households and especially no panel study yet. This is the reason that this study is carried out. Methods: This study used 3-year data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study conducted from 2009 to 2011. We defined CHE if a household's health expenditure is equal or greater than the threshold value if income remaining after subsistence needs has been met. We used 4 different threshold values which are 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. In order to look at the households which experienced CHE, we conducted panel logit analysis after correspondence analysis and conditional transition probability analysis. Results: This study showed three notable results. First, there has been a difference among age groups, which implies that the older people are, the more easily they can experience CHE. Second, the households with no private insurance are shown to have a higher CHE occurrence rate. Lastly, there has been a significant difference among the kinds of chronic diseases. The households which have cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and heart disease have a higher CHE occurrence rate. However, the households with diabetes have no significant effects to CHE occurrence. Also, hypertension has a negative effect to the occurrence. Conclusion: With the results, it can be implied that elderly people with chronic disease are more needed in medical coverage and healthcare. Also, private insurance can play its role in protecting households from CHE. Therefore, it needs to conduct studies on CHE especially about different age groups, private insurance, and chronic disease.