• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.679-690
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Concerns about regional disparities in heathy eating and nutritional status among South Korean adults are increasing. This study aims to identify the magnitude of regional disparities in diet and nutritional status among Korean adults who completed the 2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: The participants were a nationally representative sample of Korean adults aged 19 years and older from the 2017 KNHANES (n = 6,126). We employed the svy commands in STATA to accommodate the complex survey design. The relative concentration index (RCI), absolute concentration index (ACI) and index of disparity were used to measure regional nutritional inequalities. RESULTS: Overweight and obese adults were more prevalent among the poor than among the rich in urban areas (RCI = -0.041; P < 0.05), while overweight and obese adults were more prevalent among the rich than among the poor in rural areas of South Korea (RCI = 0.084; P < 0.05). Economic inequality in fruit and vegetable intake ≥ 500 g per day was greater in rural areas than in urban areas in both relative size (RCI = 0.228 vs. 0.091, difference in equality = 0.137; P < 0.05) and absolute size (ACI = 0.055 vs. 0.023, difference in equality = 0.032; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides useful information identifying opposite directions in the relative concentration curves between urban and rural areas. Adult overweight/obesity was more prevalent among the poor in urban areas, while adult overweight/obesity was more prevalent among the rich in rural areas. Public health nutrition systems should be implemented to identify nutritional inequalities that should be targeted across regions in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.199-214
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• 2021

This study was conducted with the aim of identifying the current state and improvements of the public library services for older adult in Korea. According to the online survey of public libraries in urban areas across the country, a total of 172 libraries responded. Research shows that public libraries generally recognize the importance of elderly users, but there are limitations in active efforts. The priority area for library collection and space/facilities was to be strengthened by the expansion of large type and voice books/periodical books, as well as the need to ask librarians for help to find books in high bookshelves. In the case of library services/programs, the areas that need to be strengthened first were analyzed as social participation programs and humanities programs. The librarians in charge of information services expressed their opinions that more specialized services and programs should be planned and subdivided for the elderly generation in order to provide older adults' services unique to other older adults' service institutions.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2007

Inadequate dietary intakes and poor health behaviors are of concern among rural residents in Korea. This study is conducted to compare dietary intakes, dietary diversity score (DDS), mean nutrient adequacy ratio (MAR) and health related behaviors by rural, factory and urban areas in Asan. A total of 930 adults (351 men and 579 women) were interviewed to assess social economic status (SES), health related behaviors and food intakes by a 24-hour recall method. Mean age was 61.5 years with men being older (64.8 years) than women (59.3 years, p<0.001). Men in the factory area were older than rural or urban men while urban women were the youngest. Education and income of urban residents were higher than other area residents. There were more current drinkers in urban area while smoking status was not different by regions. Physical activity was significantly higher in rural or factory areas, whilst urban residents exercised more often (p<0.05). Rural or factory area residents considered themselves less healthy than others while perceived stress was lower than urban residents. Energy intakes were higher in urban residents or in men, however, after SES was controlled, energy intake did not show any differences. Energy-adjusted nutrient intakes were significantly higher in the urban area (p<0.05) for most nutrients except for carbohydrate, niacin, folic acid, vitamin $B_6$, iron and fiber. Sodium intake was higher in factory area than in other areas after SES was controlled. DDS of rural men and MAR of both men and women in the rural area were significantly lower when SES was controlled. In conclusion, dietary intakes, diversity, adequacy and perceived health were poor in the rural area, although other health behaviors such as drinking and perceived stress were better than in the urban area. In order to improve perceived health of rural residents, good nutrition and exercise education programs are recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.113-130
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• 2015

This study is to identify urban characteristics affecting obesity of elementary, middle and high school students. Most of previous studies in Korea discussed healthy city focusing on adults. We list up possible urban characteristic factors that are considered to affect adolescent obesity from previous studies, and then conduct regression analysis to find policy implications in urban planning. Based on the physical examination data of adolescent students in Seoul from the Ministry of Education, we set the rate of obese students by school as a dependent variable. Urban characteristic variables are set as explanatory variables, and measured by buffer analysis within 500m, 1000m and 1500m. The result of regression analysis shows that the obese rate of students increases with adults' lower education level, higher rate of non-apartment houses, older age of houses and more homogeneous land use. However, the result does not indicate that population density, accessibility to public transportation and the urban park are significant factors for adolescent obesity. Based on this result, urban planning policy for promoting adolescent health should be discussed further.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2006

The objective of this study were to explore rural adults' awareness of marriage. The data were collected from 369 adults 20 aged and over living in the rural and analysed by marital status and sex, using SPSS/win program. The major finding of this study were as follows; 1) In the mate selection, rural adults valued personality(41.9%) above everything else without difference in sex or marital status. However, while most of unmarried women preferred white collar worker, educated in the college and over, and $1{\sim}4$ older than them, most of married and unmarried men preferred housewives, educated in the high school, and $3{\sim}4$ younger than them. Also, women wanted to live in the urban after the marriage. 2) In connection with wedding ceremony, most of rural adults preferred modern wedding ceremony, appropriately within their circumstance, and general ceremony hall except the unmarried women. 3) Only 45.9% of unmarried women agreed to marriage compared to 74.5% of unmarried men. The unmarried, especially unmarried women, liked more than the married to love marriage. 4) Rural women have more modern attitude toward the marriage than rural men.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between a experience of falling, fear of falling, depression, and perceived health status in urban areas. Methods: After obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, a one-time, face-to-face, and private interview was conducted with each participant who was eligible and agreed to participate in this study from May 2007 to August 2007 by trained graduate-level nursing students. The questionnaires consisted of Fall Efficacy Scale, K-GDS, and SF-36. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS/PC 12.0 program, which was used for frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and hierarchical regression. Results: The major findings of this study were as follows; 1) approximately 9% of participants had fallen within one year. Study participants reported moderate fear of falling(M=43.80); moderate physical health (M=42.31) and mental health(M=46.05); and low depression status(M=10.38). 2) there were significant differences in fear of falling according to gender, experience of falling, exercise, and depression. 3) significant factors influencing on fear of falling were experience of falling and physical health status. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that nurses working closely with older adults should be taught the impact of previous falls and physical health status on fear of falling and need to reinforce exercise behavior for older adults who are vulnerable to fear of falling.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.275-286
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• 2013

To identify the prevalence and its influencing factors on depression among elderly vulnerable people in one urban community. This study used data from 381 of elderly vulnerable people in the community. The prevalence of depression was found to be 51.97%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that depression was more prevalent as people in female gender; people with lower self-esteem compared to those with higher self-esteem; in elderly who perceived lower social support compared to those who perceived higher social support; and in the older adults with limitation in instrumental activity of daily living. The finding of a significant association between gender difference; self-esteem; perceived social support, and limitation in instrumental activity of daily living and occurrence of depression expected to promote the screening strategy for elderly at risk of depression in Korean community.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.145-167
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the solidarity types between parents-children and to verify whether the types of solidarity relationships are directly related to life satisfaction of older adults. To achieve this, 2,072 Korean elderlies from proportional stratified sample were participated, and the data was divided into urban and rural area where respondents live in. The Latent Profile Analysis(LPA), multiple regression analysis were mainly used for data analysis. The results of the study were as follows: The major findings are following. Patterns of parental bond among urban and rural elderly were classified into three(urban) and two(rural) patterns. For the effect of each parental bonding pattern on life satisfaction, positive effect of parental bond was found only in urban dwellers. In other words, for older people in rural areas, parental bond did not significantly affected on life satisfaction. However, elderly in rural area showed non-familial factor based relationship, such as social capital(community trust, social cohesion, and social support), was influenced their life satisfaction rather than relationship with children. Finding from the study highlight political and practical implications for improving life satisfaction for the elderly.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.554-566
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Urban-rural inequities in health and mortality exist in Korea, a highly centralized developed country. The potential impact of multiple health-related lifestyle behaviors on mortality and difference between urban and rural areas is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of high-risk health behaviors on all-cause mortality among residents living in urban and rural in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on 8,298 adults aged 40 yrs and older from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2015. High-risk behaviors were defined as having poor diet quality, current smoking, high-risk drinking, or insufficient physical activity. Mortality status was linked to the Cause of Death data followed up to December 31, 2019. The associations between all-cause mortality and high-risk behaviors were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, income, and survey year. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated, and effect modification analysis was conducted. Participants were stratified by residential area (urban or rural). RESULTS: During the follow-up (median: 5.4 yrs), 313 deaths occurred. A higher proportion of rural residents than urban residents engaged in multiple high-risk behaviors (28.9% vs. 22.6%; P < 0.0001). As individual factors, a greater risk of mortality was associated with poor diet quality, current smoking, and inadequate physical activity, and these tendencies persisted in rural residents, especially for diet quality. Multiple high-risk behaviors were positively associated with a higher risk of mortality in Koreans living in urban and rural areas. PAF (95% confidence interval) was 18.5% (7.35-27.9%) and 29.8% (16.1-40.2%) in urban and rural residents, respectively. No additive or multiplicative effect of the region was observed. CONCLUSION: The higher prevalence of multiple high-risk lifestyle behaviors in rural residents may explain the higher mortality in rural areas compared to urban areas. Comprehensive public health policies to improve health-related behaviors in rural populations may be needed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2024

Background: The population of Gangneung City in South Korea has shown a gradual increase in the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and older, and the most frequently reported diseases for several years have consistently been periodontal diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis. The regional imbalance in the distribution of dental personnel and resources has emerged as a problem of inequality in the use of dental care. It has been advocated to identify areas with disadvantages in dental care and develop public dental policies based on that. This study aimed to develop a customized oral healthcare program for local seniors based on a Public-Private-Academic Partnership, and to evaluate the oral health status of older adults in Gangneung City. Methods: The participants were residents aged 60 years and above in Gangneung City. A questionnaire including general information, systemic health status, and oral health status was administered to the participants. In addition, oral healthcare and education tailored to each individual's health status were provided once or twice based on their oral health status. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 for descriptive statistical analysis. Results: Among the older adults in Gangneung City, 75% had at least one prosthesis and exhibited symptoms of gingivitis or periodontitis. Additionally, the modified sulcus bleeding index decreased among participants who underwent the program twice. Over 90% of the participants expressed satisfaction with the program. Conclusion: The program appeared to contribute positively to the oral health promotion among local seniors. Further oral healthcare programs should focus on seniors in rural and old urban areas to reduce disparities in oral health across regions.