• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.476-482
• /
• 2023

Introduction: There is a growing global interest in the issue of precarious employment. We aimed to analyze the characteristics and socio-demographic distribution of precarious employment using a summative score approach. Methods: To operationalize precarious employment, we utilized data from the Korean Working Conditions Survey and focused on three distinct dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and a lack of rights and protections. By constructing a summative scale ranging from -16 to 2, with lower scores indicating higher precariousness, we measured employment precariousness among Korean wage workers. To compare employment precariousness according to survey participant characteristics, we employed the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test. Results: We analyzed a weighted number of 38,432 workers. The overall sample showed a median (Q1, Q3) summative scale score of -3 (-6, -1). The median summative score was lower for women compared to men (men: -2; women: -5; p < 0.001), as well as for young or older workers compared to middle-aged workers (young: -4; middle-aged: -2; older: -5; p < 0.001). Similarly, workers with lower educational levels (middle school or below: -8; high school: -5; college or above: -2; p < 0.001) and non-white collar workers (blue collar: -5; service/sales worker: -6; white collar: -2; p < 0.001) experienced higher levels of employment precariousness. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that certain vulnerable groups, such as women, young or older adults, workers with low educational attainment, and caregiving or low-skilled elementary workers, are disproportionately exposed to high employment precariousness. Active policy interventions are needed to improve the employment quality of vulnerable groups.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2022

Background: Nasal bone fractures are the most common type of facial bone fracture, but are under-studied in adults above 65 years of age. Therefore, we investigated the epidemiology and patterns of nasal bone fractures among older adults in comparison to different age groups. Methods: This retrospective study included 2,321 nasal bone fracture patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from January 2010 to December 2017. The patients were classified by age as preschoolers, school-age children, young and middle-aged adults, and the elderly. We performed pairwise comparisons between elderly patients and each other age group in terms of sex, cause of injury, and fracture type. Results: The 2,321 nasal bone fracture patients included 76 elderly patients (50 men [65.8%] and 26 women [34.2%]). In these patients, the two most common injury causes were falling or slipping down (n= 39; 51.3%) and road traffic accidents (n= 19; 25.0%). According to the Stranc and Robertson classification, the most common force vector was lateral, and plane 2 fractures with lateral forces predominated. Conclusion: The elderly showed similar patterns of nasal bone fractures to those observed in young and middle-aged adults, but significant differences from preschoolers (in the injury vector and plane of fracture) and from school-age children (in the sex ratio and plane of fracture). However, elderly patients presented significantly different epidemiological characteristics compared to the other three groups. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the quality of life of the elderly and prepare for the upcoming super-aged society by taking steps to reduce the incidence and severity of fractures. Possible options for doing so include strengthening individual-level safety factors and expanding the social safety net for the elderly.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.15-32
• /
• 2007

This study is to assess the level or consumer's attitude or food safety and their effects on the purchase or environment friendly agricultural products. For these purposes, the survey was implemented to 550 adults who resided in Seoul and metropolitan area. As a results, a lot of respondents perceived the five food hazards, pesticides, food additives, BSE, chemical materials, GMOs as the severest food risks. Results revealed that women, the most educated, married, and the older respondents were more likely to be negative about food safely. And Also, consumer's knowledge of environment friendly agricultural products was lower than the median. The respondents who have bought environment friendly agricultural products were 80.5% of the entire respondents. Also, the educated and the consumers who had the knowledge of the environment friendly agricultural products started to purchase them. The consumers who had higher income, perceived the food hazards(BSE), assessed agricultural products safety negatively, had willingness to pay them and more knowledge of environment friendly agricultural products were likely to purchase them usually.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.379-392
• /
• 2010

The purposes of this study were to investigate recipients' handling and consumption of home-delivered meals at home and to assess their perceptions on home-delivered meal services for older adults. A total of 312 elderly people who received home-delivered foodservice were surveyed using an individual interview technique. A statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS (ver. 14.0). It was found that 90.2% (n = 166) of the lunch box recipients received services for six days per week, and 76.6% (n = 95) of the side-dish recipients got services once per week. More than half of the clients reported that they cooked meals by themselves on days when meals were not delivered. The two hundred thirty-two (75.3%) ate their meals as soon as they were delivered. It was found that 66.8% of the lunch box recipients and 7.3% of the side-dish recipients left delivered meals on the counter (at room temperatures) before eating. Only 11.4% of the lunch box recipients and 48.4% of the side-dish recipients kept delivered meals in the refrigerator before eating. Less than half of the lunch box recipients consumed all foods they were served at once. The reasons the recipients did not eat their all meals delivered at once were "saving for next meals" and "big portion size" Of those clients who left delivered meals, 19% of the lunch box recipients and 9.7% of the side-dish recipients ate leftovers without reheating. An average score of quality of delivered meal services was 3.5 out of 5 points. The results suggest that the clients of the home-delivered meal service should be provided information on proper handling and consumption practices with delivered meals at home. The findings of the study will be used to develop nutrition and food safety management guidelines for senior foodservice.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.108-114
• /
• 2018

One of the most performed action in daily life is standing up from sitting position. As the population of the world is aging at the high rates, people may face problems with reduced muscle strength as well as psychological changes. This can lead elderly people having difficulties with standing up from chair. Now, with the aging trend worldwide, products are being developed that can support the lives of the elderly. This study examines the distribution of hip pressure in relation to the seating positions of the standing assistance seats under development to prevent standing up accidents in older adults. The currently developing standing assistant chair designed to tilt to a maximum angle of 25 degrees. At over $25^{\circ}$, design considers that older people are at risk of thrown back out of that force and that the forces exerted on their arms and legs can be a significant burden to older people. By considering danger of higher than $25^{\circ}$ for older people which is experimented in the basis of static capturing approach in previous papers, it is experimented people with age group of 20~60 on $0^{\circ}$ to $25^{\circ}$ tilting angle on the basis of dynamic capturing method in order to pick convenient angle of inclination. Moreover, tried to find the optimum angle by comparing the hip pressure distribution when seated at the edge of the seat and at the center of the seat with the pressure distribution sensor.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.7-19
• /
• 2006

Falls are a major sources of death and injury in elderly people. Aged-related changes in the physiological systems which contribute to the maintenance of balance are well documented in older adults. These changes coupled with age-related changes in muscle and bone are likely to contribute to an increased risk of falls in this population. Regular exercise may be one way of preventing falls and fall-related fractures. However, the optimal exercise prescription to prevent falls has not yet been defined. On the literature review of exercise intervention for fall prevention in the elderly, exercise appeared to be a useful tool in fall prevention by improving fall risk factors. The optimum exercise prescription; moderate intensity frequency of 3-4 times per week, duration of 30-60minutes can contribute to decreased hazards and number of fall. Fall prevention protocol should include safety, falling effect, enjoyment, and easiness to follow for older people. Effective exercise programs suggested for fall prevention were such as weight-bearing exercise, resistance exercise, lower muscle strength with elastic band, swiss ball exercise walking, tai chi, and yoga.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.669-679
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the reported good service experiences from the perspective of elderly residents of long-term care facilities. Methods: Of those residents who are 65 years old or older, 14 residents whose length of stay were one month or longer and scores of the K-Mini Mental State Examination were 15 or higher were interviewed. The interview data formed the basis for the empirical statements about the reported nature of patients' experiences as residents of long-term care facilities. These data were used in concept mapping. Results: Through multidimensional scaling analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, 62 core statements, two dimensions, and six clusters of good service experiences were derived. The two dimensions were classified as 'care centered-participation centered services' and as 'physical-emotional services.' Six cluster themes emerged as good service experiences: 'safety of care and treatment', 'responsible and supportive staff', 'comfort of living environment', 'mental well-being', and 'respect and communication'. Conclusion: The result of the study provides information about what experiences are important to older adults with cognitive impairment. The concept map can be used to develop a patient experience index for the elderly residents of long-term care facilities.

• KIEAE Journal
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.69-75
• /
• 2012

Developing reliable measures of the environment is important to increase our understanding of the environmental effects on walking among seniors. As a preliminary study for developing an instrument for measuring walkability of seniors' environment, the purpose of this study are to identify important assessment indicators associated with seniors' walking and to test their reliability using inter-rater and intra-rater reliability methods. A set of assessment indicators was identified through literature review, and field studies by trained raters were conducted in three senior centers located in Seongnam area in order to test reliability of the audit tool. The results indicated high percent agreement for most indicators and overall 91.6% and 86.1% of items assessed had good or medium inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, respectively. The reliable assessment indicators would provide reliable data for use in community-based audits of built environment in relation to walking among older adults. The findings showed that the indicators of aesthetics had lower reliability compare to safety, convenience, and access. Rater training with various images would improve rater agreement while reduce rater bias.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.409-418
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usability of the care robots to prevent pressure injury and to present directions for improvement. Thirty-two caregivers of severely disabled people and older adults with mobility difficulties participated in this study. They used the care robot in a real care environment for 2 weeks and conducted pre and post-care interviews. Based on the interview results, improvements were derived through the technical modeling method of care robots. Considering the circumstances in which caregivers take care of a large number of patients in nursing homes and hospitals, it is necessary to ensure the convenience and safety of remote control and side rail operation of the care robots to prevent pressure injury. We expect that the results of this study will be used as basic data for development of care robots to prevent pressure injury.

• Korean Circulation Journal
• /
• v.52 no.7
• /
• pp.496-512
• /
• 2022

For almost 20 years, data regarding the effect of rhythm control therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) on cardiovascular prognosis in comparison with rate control therapy has not been conclusive. The safety of rhythm control and anticoagulation therapy has generally improved. Recently, it was revealed that a rhythm-control strategy reduced the risk of adverse cardiovascular events than usual rate control in patients with recent AF (diagnosed within 1 year). Within 1 year after the AF diagnosis, early initiation of rhythm control led to more favorable cardiovascular outcomes than rate control. Early rhythm control reduced the risks of stroke and heart failure-related admission than rate control. Moreover, rhythm control was associated with lower dementia risk than rate control. Finally, early rhythm control treatment was also effective in patients with asymptomatic AF but less effective in older adults. Therefore, in patients with AF, rhythm control should be considered at earlier stages, regardless of symptom.