• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.530-535
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• 2008

Evidence for the effects of different health behaviors, including diet, in elderly diabetes is currently limited. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of diet and health behaviors in Korean elderly T2DM patients, using a glycemic control. T2DM elders(>65 yr, n=48) were recruited and categorized by the concentration of glycated-hemoglobin HbA1c; subjects with HbA1c<7% were the good control(GC) group, and subjects with $HbA1c{\geq}8%$ constituted the poor control(PC) group. General characteristics, self-management behavior questionnaires, and 3-d diet records were all collected and assessed. No significant differences in general characteristics between GC and PC were detected, with the exception of a higher level of education in GC(p<0.05). A twofold longer duration of diabetes was observed in PC as compared to GC(p<0.01). The GC group did exercise for a longer time(p<0.001), and had an earlier beginning of diabetes self-management education (DSME) by healthcare practitioners using a team teach as compared with the PC group(p<0.05). The total dietary quality index(p<0.001) and individual index for carbohydrate(p<0.001) or vegetables and fruit(p<0.05) were better in GC than in PC. Therefore, the earlier DSME including intensive exercise and balanced diet selection should be expected to improve glycemic control in diabetic Korean elders.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.31-46
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• 2004

Owing to continuous economic growth, an increased standard of living, and improvements to health care in Korea, the life expectancy of Koreans rose from 69.0years in 1985 to 71.3 years in 1990 It continued to rise throughout the 1990s, and, by2002, had reached 76.5 years for the general population and 80.0 years for Korean females. Similarly, the percentage of the Korean population that is 65 years of age or older Increased from 3.1 In 1970 to 7.1 In 2000, and is expected to reach approximately14.0 in 2019. Thus, according to this estimate, Korea will have evolved from an 'aging society 'to an "aged society" in only 19 years. In the case of other countries, this same transformation has generally taken 2 to 5 times longer. One of the major issues related to Korea's rapid1y aging population relates to the health problems of the elderly According to the 2002 National Health Survey Report,87.6 percent of the elderly were reported to have at least one chronic disease. In other words, almost 9 out of evert 10 elderly persons in Korea were suffering from a chronic illness. This, clearly, places a significant economic burden on Korean society in the form of increased health care costs. This paper examines the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases within Korea's rapidly aging population and offers some possible short- and long-term solutions to cope with the increased burden being placed on Korea's health care system. These Include the basic services at local health centers for the elderly and the national life-long health promotion programs that aim to correct unhealthy behavior, such as smoking, the excessive use of alcohol, and poor eating and exercise habits.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.376-386
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• 2001

I. Background The problem of discharging patients from hospital have been well documented in the literature over the last 20 years. They included poor communication between hospital and community, inadequate notice of discharge, over-reliance on informal support and lack of statutory support, inattention to patients needs before leaving hospital, and wasted or duplicated visits by community nurses. Most patients discharged from hospital are able to return home with little or no support, while others will require a 'package of care' to support them back to good health. Patient with complex care needs, including the frail elderly and those with mental health problems, may require continuing care in special housing, residential, or nursing homes. With this population,effective discharge arrangement is needed and the study on this problem is urgent in Korea because the Medical Reform Project is on suspension of success. II. Results of the Study: 1. Discharge service needs assessed on 360 elderly patients who were hospitalized during the survey period at four university hospitals. Patients want to know the information on disease management after discharge. Follow-up telephone service is the most frequently checked service. 2. Multidisciplinary Discharge Planning is recommended at the hospital level to reduce the readmission and decrease the length of stay. 3. Further research is needed to validate and test the assumption of the solution which is developed in this research.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.329-333
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• 2011

Objective : As medical advances have increased life expectancy, it has become imperative to develop specific treatment strategies for intracranial aneurysms in the elderly. We therefore analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in patients older than 70 years. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and results of neuroimaging modalities on 54 aneurysms of 48 consecutive patients with un ruptured intracranial aneurysms. ($mean{\pm}SD$ age, $72.11{\pm}1.96$ years; range, 70-78 years) who underwent surgical clipping over 10 years (May 1999 to June 2010). Results : Of the 54 aneurysms, 22 were located in the internal carotid artery, 19 in the middle cerebral artery, 12 in the anterior cerebral artery, and 1 in the superior cerebellar artery. Six patients had multiple aneurysms. Aneurysm size ranged from 3 mm to 17 mm ($mean{\pm}SD$, $6.82{\pm}3.07$ mm). Fifty of the 54 aneurysms (92.6%) were completely clipped. Three-month outcomes were excellent in 50 (92.6%) aneurysms and good and poor in 2 each (3.7%), with 1 death (2.0%). Procedure-related complications occurred in 7 aneurysms (13.0%), with 2 (3.7%) resulting in permanent neurological deficits, including death. No postoperative subarachnoid hemorrhage occurred during follow-up. The cumulative rates of stroke- or death-free survival at 5 and 10 years were 100% and 78%, respectively. Conclusion : Surgical clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in elderly group could get it as a favorable outcome in well selected cases.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.26-40
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• 2000

This study was conducted to find out residential environment, mood states, ADL(Activity Daily Living) and nursing need of the elderly who live alone. The questionnaire survey was conducted on 154 single household elderly over 65years who live n D-city, Kangwon Province. The data were collected between September 1. 1999 and October 17, 1999 and analyzed by means of SPSS package. The results were as follows; 1. The percentage of the subjects who owned their house was no were than $13\%$., which showed that they still belonged to the economically vulnerable class. As for their residential environment, the average indoor temperature and humidity level were $16.45^{\circ}C\;and\;44.62\%$ respectively during the daytime between September and October, which proved to range within the standard scope. The average indoor illumination level was, however, 43.61 Lux, which showed that their illumination environment was very poor. 2. The average score of their mood states was 3.31. which turned out to be rather low. 3. The mean score of ADL was 1.69, which showed that they didn't have any serious inconveniences in their ordinary lives. 4. The mean score of their nursing need was 275, which proved to be close to the normal level. 5. The higher the room humidity was, the higher their nursing need increased. The higher the degree of illumination level was, the lower the degree of their nursing need was and the higher the level of ADL was. 6. The major factors influencing their moon status were the frequency of their contact with children and room humidity. These two factors could account for $22\%$ of the total mood status. These results suggest that the residential environment should be necessarily considered in the psychological nursing intervention for the elderly who live alone and they should be urgently supported in terms of health policy so that they can maintain the optimum level of illumination during the daytime.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2005

Nutrition factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between nutritional status and bone mineral density of elderly women. Three hundred thirty five elderly women (over 65 years) in Asan were divided into three age groups (group 1, less than 70 y ; group 2, from 70 to 75 y ; group 3, 75 y or more). Total alkaline phosphatase and serum calcium (Ca) were analyzed using spectrophotometric procedure. Data for food and nutrient intakes were obtained by a 24-hour recall method. Bone density was measured by broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) using QUS-2. Age differences were tested with the X 2 test for categorical variables and with ANOVA and Tukey's test for continuous variables. Correlation was conducted to test the association between bone density and nutrient intake. The subjects in age groups 1,2 and 3 were $36.7\%$, $32.8\%$ and $30.4\%$, respectively. Height and body weight of the subjects were significantly decreased with age. Average bone density of the subjects in group 3 was lower than the other age groups. Osteoporosis determined by t-score is $17.9\%$ for group 1, $24.5\%$ for group 2 and $55.9\%$ for group 3 (p < 0.001). The serum Ca level of the subjects in group 2 was significantly lower than that of group 1 although mean values in all age groups are within the normal range. Dietary Ca intake, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and index of nutrient quality (INQ) were decreased with age. Bone density was negatively correlated with age (p < 0.001), while body mass index (p < 0.01) was positively related with bone density. Although partial correlation did not reveal the significant correlation of BMD and dietary calcium after controlling for age, since calcium intake was very poor compared to sodium and phosphorous intakes, recommendation of more calcium intake for elderly women especially those over 75 years must be continuously emphasized.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.410-415
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• 2005

Objective: The aim of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of unilateral hemilaminectomy for bilateral decompression in elderly patients with degenerative spinal stenosis. For this purpose, we studied the co-morbid condition and clinical outcome of patients who underwent decompressive surgery using the unilateral approach technique. Methods: Thirty-four patients over 65years of age who underwent unilateral partial laminectomy for bilateral decompression from January 2000 to October 2003 were analyzed. These patients were studied for preoperative co-morbid condition and physical status according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) classification, postoperative morphometrical change, and clinical outcomes, including visual analogue scale(VAS) score. The mean follow-up was 23months (range 6 - 48months). Results: A patient's physical status was recorded as class I, II, or III by ASA classification, which correlated to 41.2%, 44.1%, and 14.7% of patients, respectively. The cross-sectional area of the pre- and postoperative dural sac at the level of the stenosis was $52.5{\pm}19.9mm^2$ and $110.6{\pm}18.2mm^2$, respectively. The outcome was excellent in 8.8%, good in 58.8%, fair in 23.6%, and poor in 8.8% of the patients. The VAS was changed postoperatively to $3.1{\pm}1.2$. There was no operation-related transfusion yet there was no evidence of postoperative instability at the follow-up examination. Conclusion: Unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression, in spite of the limited exposure, can result in satisfactory decompression of the lumbar spinal stenosis and tolerable clinical outcome. This approach is thought to be appropriate for elderly patients who have a greater surgical burden.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.311-324
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• 2011

This study was performed to assess the nutritional status of low income elderly women aged ${\geq}$65 years residing in Gyeongnam Masan (n=124). Nutrition intakes, food intake frequency, and health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise were investigated. Nutrition intake was calculated by the 24-hour recall method using CAN-pro (ver. 3.0). Average daily intakes of energy were $1,142.3{\pm}39$ kcal (71.4% of EER) in subjects aged 65~74 years and $1,071.0{\pm}41.7$ kcal (66.9% of EER) in subjects aged ${\geq}$75 years and the subjects consumed energy less than both 75% of estimated energy requirement (EER). The proportions of energy derived from protein, fat, and carbohydrate were 15.4:15.5:70.6 (aged 65~74 years), and 15.3:13.4:70.8 (aged ${\geq}$75). Nutrients consumed at less than estimated average requirements (EARs) were Ca (60.4%), P (98.4%), Zn (91%), vitamin E (48% of adequate intake, AI), vitamin $B_1$ (63.3%), vitamin $B_2$ (54%), niacin (87.7%), vitamin C (62.5%), and folate (50.5%). Especially, the intakes of Ca (58%), vitamin E (41% of AI), vitamin $B_1$ (60%), vitamin $B_2$ (50%), folate (46.5%), and vitamin C (54%) were 75% less than the EAR for people aged ${\geq}$75 years. According to the food intake frequency survey, the intakes of calcium, milk, fruits, and vegetables were very poor. In conclusion, this study suggests that a nutritional support program for elderly women of low socioeconomic class must be provided by the government to improve the quality of remaining life.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.135-147
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• 2002

It is essential to improve the quality of life of the elderly in aging society. Regular exercise as nursing intervention is needed to prevent diseases, maintain and promote their health, and thus promote the quality of life for the elderly, especially who generally had poor cognition for their health maintenance and promotion in a low class community. Subjects consisted of 30 women. over 65 years old in a community welfare center, who lived in the low class apartments financially supported by the local government in G city, Gangwon Province, Korea. The program consisted of dancing on music for approximately 50 minutes, 3 times a week for 10 weeks. Experimental data were analyzed with $x^2-test$, t-test, mean values, standard deviation, percentage of change and paired t-test using SAS program. After the recreation dance, the mean value of the experimental group was decreased from 7.62 to 7.44 (t=-0.258, P=0.799), and that of the control group was also decreased from 7.00 to 6.58 (t=-0.971, P=0.349) in depression. However, there were no statistically significant differences in scores of depression between two groups. In life satisfaction, the mean value of the experimental group was increased from 19.07 to 26.50 (t=2.392, P=0.030), but that of the control group was decreased from 15.92 to 13.71 (t=-1.060, P=0.305). Thus it shows that there was a statistically significant improvement on life satisfaction after the recreation dance.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.187-197
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• 2004

Owing to continuous economic growth, an increased standard of living, and improvements to health care in Korea, the life expectancy of Koreans rose from 69.0 years in 1985 to 71.3years in 1990. It continued to rise throughout the 1990s, and, by 2002, had reached 76.5years for the general population and 80.0 years for Korean females. Similarly, the percentage of the Korean population that is 65 years of age or older increased from 3.1 in 1970 to 7.1in 2000, and is expected to reach approximately 14,0 in 2019. Thus, according to this estimate, Korea will have evolved from an "aging society" to an "aged society" in only 19years. In the case of other countries, this same transformation has generally taken 2 to 5times longer. One of the major issues related to Korea's rapidly aging population relates to the health problems of the elderly. According to the 2002 National Health Survey Report, 87,6 percent of the elderly were reported to Have at least one chronic disease. In other words, almost 9out of every 10 elderly persons in Korea were suffering from a chronic illness, This, clearly, places a significant economic burden on Korean society in the form of increased health care Costs. This paper examines the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases within Korea's rapidlv aging population and offers some possible short- and long-term solutions to cope with the increased burden being placed on Korea's health care system. These include the basic services at local health centers for the elderly and the national life-long health promotion programs that aim to correct unhealthy behavior, such as smoking, the excessive use of alcohol, and poor eating and exercise habits.