• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.149-162
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• 2024

This study is a longitudinal study of female older adults living alone, one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, to determine how their depression changes over time and what factors affect their depression. At the same time, considering that there is a large difference in age among the same older adults, this study divided the female older adults into the young-old and the old-old to see how the predictors of depression in each group differ from each other. The main findings are as follows First, depression among female older adults living alone appears to have a declining pattern over time. In the conditional model, factors affecting the initial level of the depression trajectory among women living alone were found to be associated with lower initial depression values among those living in metropolitan areas rather than non-metropolitan areas, better subjective health, and those who did not exercise. Next, we examined the factors affecting rate of change (slope) in depression among female living alone older adults and found that the higher the age, the larger the metropolitan area, the better the subjective health, the less socializing, and the more socializing, the greater the decrease in depression level. Finally, there were some differences in the pathways affecting the initial value and slope of depression among female older adults living alone between the early and late older adults. Specifically, the higher the initial level of participation in social activities, the greater the change in depression among the late older adults, while there was no significant relationship among the early older adults. In the early older adults, better initial subjective health was associated with a larger change in depression than in the late older adults. Only in the late older adults did those who regularly exercised in the early years have higher initial depression values than those who did not. Based on the results of the above analyses, suggestions were made to reduce depression among female older adults living alone.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.66-74
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• 2007

The aim of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in stepping behavior in response to sensory perturbations of postural balance. The participants for this study were 2 healthy elderly adults (mean age=76.0) and 2 younger adults (mean age=25.5). Subjects were asked to step over a 10 cm high obstacle at self-paced speed with the right limb to land on the primary target (normal step length) that is 10 cm in diameter. However, if, during movement, the light was illuminated, then the subject had to step on the secondary target (long step length). It was planned that the onset of the light would be prior to peak Fx of swing limb, between swing peak Fx and swing toe-off, and after swing toe-off. In the younger adults these secondary visual cues were provided at mean times of 240 ms (standard deviation (SD)=11), 402 ms (SD=13), and 476 ms (SD=88) following the movement onset. Corresponding mean times for the healthy elderly were 150 ms (SD=67), 352 ms (SD=39), and 562 ms (SD=115). Results showed great changes in both group and visual cue condition in Fx ground reaction forces and temporal events following the swing toe-off. Swing limb acceleration force (Fx) and stance peak Fx1 was much greater in the young adults compared to the older adults. Both young and older adults increased stance peak Fx2 in the visual cue condition compared to normal stepping. There was no difference in stance peak Fx2 between the visual cue conditions in both groups. Similarly, the time to stance peak Fx2 was much longer for the visual cue condition than for the normal stepping. It was not different between the visual cue conditions in the young adults, but in the elderly mid and late cue was much greater than early cue. In addition, time to stance peak Fx2 and swing and stance time were much longer in the older adults compared to the young adults for the visual cue conditions. These results suggest that unlike young adults, elderly adults did not flexibly modify their responses to unexpected changes in step length while stepping over obstacles.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.443-458
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• 2020

Aim: This study investigated the association between leisure activities and cognitive impairment in Korean community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Among participants of the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans, 10,055 (male=4,277, female=5,778) were included in this cross-sectional study. To better identify the association between late-life cognition and leisure activities, individual leisure activities were categorized into 3 types including productive, consumptive, and unclassified activities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between participation in leisure activities and cognitive impairment when controlling for possible covariates evidenced by previous studies. Results: Male participants were more likely to be cognitively impaired than female ones with significant differences in all the covariates. After controlling for confounding variables, involvement in productive leisure activities was found to be associated with cognitive function in both male and female groups, along with age, educational level, depressive symptoms, subjective hearing problems, and occupational status. Conclusion: Involvement in productive leisure activities might be associated with decreased risk of cognitive impairment in later life. Appropriate strategies to encourage older adults to participate in productive leisure activities should be established to help them maintain their cognitive function.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the relationship between diabetes and oral health in Korean adults. Methods: We analyzed 5,319 adults who were included in the 9th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The data were analyzed for demographic characteristics, daily health care, and oral health care according to diabetic conditions using a complex sample analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the factors influencing the oral health of patients with diabetes. Results: The factors influencing the oral health of patients with diabetes varied according to life cycle. In late middle-aged adults, statistically significant differences were observed in sex (p<0.001), educational level (p=0.030), economic activity (p=0.018), aerobic exercise (p=0.034), smoking (p=0.004), periodontal therapy (p=0.011), and prosthesis production/repair (p=0.025). In younger elderly individuals, statistically significant differences were found in terms of whether they lived together (p=0.027) and educational level (p=0.032). Conversely, no statistically significant differences were observed in the older elderly group. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the level of oral health of patients with diabetes is already determined in middle and old age; therefore, a system should be prepared to ensure that health care can be systematically performed in late middle-aged adults.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.669-686
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate types of neighborhood environments and to verify whether the types of neighborhood environments are directly related to life satisfaction of older adults. To achieve this goal, I used'2014 National Survey on Older Koreans' data which surveyed the older adults aged 65 and over living in the community and a total of 10,281 respondents were analyzed. To determine the types of neighborhood environment, the time taken by walking from community organizations or places such as grocery stores, medical centers, administrative agencies, welfare centers, public transportation was used as an neighborhood environment indicators. As a results, there were six types of neighborhood environment: a leisure-welfare walk-limited type(20.3%), a leisure-welfare long-distance type(15.5%), a balanced proximity type(7.8%), a store-traffic type(35.8%), a traffic proximity type(10.1%), and a marginalized area type(11.3%). Compared to the balanced proximity type, older adults living in a store-traffic type and a marginalized area type were more likely to have negative life satisfaction. older adults who have higher life satisfaction were more likely to be female, more educated, get higher household income, and have a spouses or partner. Moreover, the better the health conditions, the higher the frequency of contact with children, siblings, friends and neighbors, the higher the satisfaction of life. Finding from the study highlight the importance of neighborhood environment in late life and provide implications for building age-friendly community.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the elderly generation's understanding of game information and for recognition of computer based games as a recreation activity for the mid-to late adults. This study investigated game use and personal thoughts about the influences of computer games on each generation. The study was conducted by survey with the subjects being 242 adults aged 40 to 72 living in Busan and Kyung-nam area. Findings indicated that 43.5% of adults used computers to access games. The purposes for computer use were: business, searching portal sites, and games. 44.8% of adults knew about game information education. 67.4% of adults who had someone as a game information resource reported that their children provided the game information. Most adults used arcade games and recognized the influences of game information as positive to adults and the elderly but negative to children and adolescents. Finally, the adults aged "after mid-life" who knew about game information education showed higher ego-integrity and psychological well-being. These findings have implications for the development of elderly education programs aimed at promoting quality of life for older adults.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.437-444
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• 2008

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the relationships among physical symptoms, activities of daily living, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A stratified random sampling method was conducted to recruit participants from May 10 to August 17, 2007. Physical symptoms were measured using the Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ), activities of daily living using the Late-Life Functional and Disability Instrument (LLFDI), and HRQoL using the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) in 242 community-dwelling elderly Korean people. Results: The HRQoL correlates with the physical symptoms (r=-.31) and the function component (r=.59). Of the two disability parts of the LLFDI, the limitation dimension correlates higher (r=.57) with HRQoL than the frequency dimension (r=.42). The HRQoL is significantly associated with the function component, and disability limitation in capability which explained 44.4% of variance in physical health. Conclusion: These results may contribute to a better understanding of physical symptoms, activities of daily living, and HRQoL in community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, health programs for prompting older adult's health should be planned based on results of the study.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 1997

Seasonal variation of the population structure and the reproductive pattern of the Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, were investigated. High capture ratios in juveniles, young adult, and old adult mice were found during the period from October to November, from November to March, and from May to September, respectively, and extremely low capture ratios of old adults during the period from November to February were characteristic. It seemed that the young adults that survived during the winter might become older by summer and have been counted as the old adults. The breeding in the mice began earlier in males (from mid February or early March to late October) than in females (from mid March to late October), having a peak in August and September, and both the male and female mice weighing more than 20 g generally reached sexual maturation in general. In the breeding season, both young and old adult males had large testes with enlarged seminiferous tubules filled with numerous germ and Sertoli cells, and expanded caudal epididymides with a vast number of spermatozoa; the females had many Graafian follicles and corpora lutea in large ovaries, and developed uterine glands in the thick endometria. The lower ratios of the testis weight to the body weight in July and August in 1994 compared to 1995 seemed due to the extreme drought and considerably higher temperature in 1994, but the decrease in the ratio in mid-summer, only in the old mice, in both years might be explained partially by aging.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.147-161
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• 2020

The purpose of this research is to investigates 10-year trajectories of cognitive functions among older adults in their 70s to understand changes in cognitive functions as a continuum until very late life. This study also examines differences in trajectories of cognitive functions by gender and by changes in marital status, especially widowhood. Among participants of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA), the sample of this study includes 800 older adults in their 70s during the first study wave (2006) and those who reported their cognitive functions for six consecutive study waves (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016). The analyses were conducted in two steps. First, we conducted Latent Class Growth Analyses(LCGA) to investigated heterogeneous trajectories of cognitive functions in 10 years. Then, we performed multinomial logistic regression. Three heterogeneous trajectories of cognitive functions were identified. One group of 48.7% of older adults showed high cognitive function at baseline and maintained it over 10 years. Second group of 14.7% of older adults reported low cognitive function scores at baseline and showed continuous decline over time. Third group of 36.6% were showed mid-level cognitive functions and maintained their functions over time. We also found significant gender differences but not significant differences in marital status when we consider both in our model; however, the we found significant differences in changes in marital status when we did not consider gender in the model. The results suggest that the importance of considering dynamics of gender and changes in marital status to understand changes in cognitive functions in later life.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.594-603
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of health promotion program on healthy aging preparation for late middle aged women. Methods: The research design was a non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental study. Participants were recruited from K and Y cities in Gyeong-nam Province from October, 2013 to January, 2014. They were 26 for the experimental group and 31 for the control group. The experimental group participated in a health promotion program for healthy aging preparation. The program consisted of education, exercise, and small group discussion over 8 weeks. Data were analyzed by Chi-square, t-test and ANCOVA, using the PASW 18.0 program. Results: There were significant improvements in aging anxiety and general self-efficacy, health promoting behaviors in the experimental group compared to those of the control group. However, there was no significant differences in attitude toward older adults between the two groups. Conclusion: The health promotion program on healthy aging preparation for late middle aged women was found to be effective in enhancing aging anxiety and self-efficacy, and health promoting behavior. Thus, the developed program is recommended for use in clinical practice as an effective nursing intervention for late middle aged women in order to keep up with their health in later life.