• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.23-36
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aims to define the relationships between the sensory, cognitive and physical functions of young-old and old-old individuals. Methods: Participants were 10,451 elderly individuals aged 65 and above, raw data of a 2014 National Survey on Korean Older Persons was used. To investigate the relationships among the sensory, cognitive, and physical functions, a structural equation model was used. Results: The key analysis results are summarized as follows; 5% had poor vision function(young-old 3.5%, old-old 7.1%), 3.8% had poor auditory function(young-old 1.7%, old-old 6.7%), 33.0% had decline in cognitive function(young-old 30.9%, old-old 35.7%), 3.6% were disabled(young-old 1.6%, old-old 6.3%) and cognitive function influences physical function more greatly than does sensory function. Additionally, in the young-old groups, vision among sensory functions, attention among cognitive functions, and IADL among physical functions, turned out to be the most influential. However, in the old-old groups, auditory function among sensory functions, orientation among cognitive functions, and IADL among physical functions, turned out to be the most influential. Conclusions: This study implies that functions in the young-old and old-old individuals must be considered with all three functions-sensory, cognitive, and physical-together at the same time and that this comprehensive approach is necessary in national policy making.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.381-387
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• 2007

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to determine how the association between socioeconomic position(SEP) and health status changes with age among Seoul residents aged 25 and over. Methods: We utilized the 2001 and 2005 Seoul Citizens Health Indicators Surveys. We used self-rated 'poor' health status as an outcome variable, and family income as an indicator of SEP. In order to characterize the differential effects of socioeconomic position on health by age, we conducted separate multivariate analyses by 10-year age groups, controlling for sociodemographic covariates. In order to assess the relative health inequality across socioeconomic groups, we estimated the Relative Index of Inequality (RII). Results: The risk of 'poor health' is significantly high in low family income groups, and this increased risk is seen at all ages. However, the magnitude of relative socioeconomic inequality in health, as measured by the odds ratio and RII, is not identical across age groups. The difference in health across income groups is small in early adulthood (ages 25-34), but increases with age until relatively late in life (ages 35-64). It then decreases among the elderly population (ages more than 65). When the RII reported in 2005 is compared to that reported in 2001, RII can be seen to have increased across all ages, with the exception of individuals aged 25-34. Conclusions: The magnitude of health inequality is the greatest during mid- to late adulthood (ages 45-64). In addition, health inequalities have worsened between 2001 and 2005 across all age groups after economic crisis.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2015

Purpose : The current tactile walking surface indicators have not been easily accessible to blind and vision-impaired people due to unexpected variation of walking environment and walking behavior of transportation poor. Moreover, those indicators frequently cause the inconvenience to transportation users' walking. Thus, this study aims to investigate the improvement of tactile walking surface indicators, by comparing and analyzing findings from the relevant research. Results from this study contribute to suggest the better standard criteria of tactile walking surface indicators for transportation users, especially blind and vision-impaired people, the handicapped, the child and the elderly and weak, providing the secure and convenient circumstance for walking. Method : This study presents the problems about the standard criteria of tactile walking surface indicators via the examination of finding from the past studies. For example, we examine all standard criteria, focusing on shapes, colors and qualities of materials used for Tactile Walking Surface Indicators. Then, the present study suggests the improvement of standard, which apply to the current walking environment practically and reasonably. Results : To improve the current condition of tactile walking surface indicators, the analysis on international and domestic standard criteria need to be conducted. Findings from these analyses helps to suggest the better criteria for the interval between projecting points of tactile walking surface indicators, effective perceived range of walking road, and the brightness contrast between tactile walking surface indicators and finishing materials. Implication : The suggested standard criteria of tactile walking surface indicators need to be tested by transportation users, and the practical instructions of establishing tactile walking surface indicators should also be developed.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2015

Purpose : The guidelines of establishing convenience facilities for the handicapped have not consistently been provided to the identical criteria in walking facilities. Thus, transportation poor had difficulties in walking environment. Method : This study aims to suggest the practical direction of guidelines of establishing tactile walking surface indicators. To do this, this study examines the problems of the current guidelines for establishing facilities, and then analyzes international criteria, with comparing criteria used in German. Therefore, findings from those analyses can provide the secure and convenient environment for walking to transportation users, in particular blind and vision-impaired people, the handicapped, the child, and the elderly and the weak. Results : For the improvement of tactile walking surface indicators, the clear criteria of establishing tactile walking surface indicators is proposed, considering the characteristics of walking environment. Then, the sample items corresponding to the various situations need to be exemplified. To provide more secure environment walking for transportation poor, the establishing criteria partially adopted ideas from Universal Design also need to be developed. Implication : The proposed detail drawing of tactile walking surface indicators need to be tested by transportation users due to high safety in walking circumstance, and also the guidelines of continuously maintaining tactile walking surface indicators also needs to be studied.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2015

The present study investigated the risk and prevalence of dysphagia as well as related factors among free-living elders. Subjects were 419 elderly men (116) and women (303) aged 65 years and older ($74.49{\pm}4.70y$) living in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongbuk-do area in Korea. Data were collected by personal interviews using questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and chi-square test. Prevalence of dysphagia was 53.50% among participants. Risk of dysphagia was significantly different according to age (P<0.001), use of dentures (P<0.05), and activities of daily living (P<0.05). Moreover, dysphagia risk group had significant food intake problems, including poor appetite, smaller portions to reach satiety, frequent meal skipping, as well as poor taste compared to the normal group, accompanied by high risk of weight loss as assessed by simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire (P<0.01). Taken together, risk of dysphagia was more prevalent in older people, affecting the majority of those living independently in the community. This could indicate an association with undernutrition due to factors affecting food intake.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.63-82
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• 2019

Libraries are recently emerging as the core institutions designed to resolve the information equality that is forecasted to further deepen with the arrival of the fourth industry revolution era. This study thus analyzed the trends of studies on the library services offered to people suffering information inequality in Korea, and proposed measures for the activation of the research and future studies so as to strengthen the domestic library services targeting the people suffering information equality and to promote the research. As a result, proposed as measures for the activation of research were (1) Policy support and project expansion at the national level, (2) Various approaches and research environment creation at the academic level, (3) Strengthening of services for the various levels of people suffering information inequality and deployment of professional librarians at the level of libraries, and (4) Encouraging librarians to enroll with graduate schools and to conduct research. Further, proposed were the future studies that can be approached according to the various levels of people suffering information inequality, such as disabled people, multicultural family members, elderly people, children, youth, agricultural and fishing areas, low-income people, and refugees(North Korea defectors).

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.129-137
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-rated oral health, self-rated health, and quality of life (QOL) among older population from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII-1, 2016). Data of 1,866 older adults (Mean age 69.5 years) were analyzed with hierarchical logistic regression analyses with IBM SPSS 23.0. Over 87.7% of the subjects rated their oral health as fair or poor. Women and less educated participants more likely to report their perceived oral health as poor (p<.05). Older participants who rated their general health positively were more likely to rate their oral health as good (F=19.04, p<.001). Elders who had bad perceived health (OR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.5~5.5), had carries in permanent teeth (OR: 2.68, 95% CI: 1.67~4.32) and anxiety or depression (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.42~2.57) had negative oral health perception after controlling for covariates. In conclusion, perceived oral health and QOL were associated with each other in Korean older adults. Therefore, it is recommended to approach holistic strategy for improve health and quality of life in the elderly population.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2021

Objective : Several studies have reported inconsistent findings among countries on whether off-hour hospital presentation is associated with worse outcome in patients with acute stroke. However, its association is yet not clear and has not been thoroughly studied in Korea. We assessed nationwide administrative data to verify off-hour effect in different subtypes of acute stroke in Korea. Methods : We respectively analyzed the nationwide administrative data of National Emergency Department Information System in Korea; 7144 of ischemic stroke (IS), 2424 of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 1482 of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), respectively. "Off-hour hospital presentation" was defined as weekends, holidays, and any times except 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality in different subtypes of acute stroke. We adjusted for covariates to influence the primary outcome using binary logistic regression model and Cox's proportional hazard model. Results : In subjects with IS, off-hour hospital presentation was associated with unfavorable outcome (24.6% off hours vs. 20.9% working hours, p<0.001) and in-hospital mortality (5.3% off hours vs. 3.9% working hours, p=0.004), even after adjustment for compounding variables (hazard ratio [HR], 1.244; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.106-1.400; HR, 1.402; 95% CI, 1.124-1.747, respectively). Off-hours had significantly more elderly ≥65 years (35.4% off hours vs. 32.1% working hours, p=0.029) and significantly more frequent intensive care unit admission (32.5% off hours vs. 29.9% working hours, p=0.017) than working hours. However, off-hour hospital presentation was not related to poor short-term outcome in subjects with ICH and SAH. Conclusion : This study indicates that off-hour hospital presentation may lead to poor short-term morbidity and mortality in patients with IS, but not in patients with ICH and SAH in Korea. Excessive death seems to be ascribed to old age or the higher severity of medical conditions apart from that of stroke during off hours.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.112-124
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• 2024

This study investigated the factors associated with HINT-8 (Korean health-related quality of life instrument with eight items), including health habits, hand grip strength, chronic disease, chewing function, mental health, and nutrient intake. In this study, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL; HINT-8) was assessed using the data from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VIII) among Koreans aged over 65, with HINT-8 being evaluated based on the general characteristics. Of the participants from KNHANES VIII, 1,455 subjects were analyzed using SPSS statistics complex samples (Windows ver. 27.0). The HINT-8 score was significantly lower in females and in those aged 75 years or older, lowest educational level, lowest income level, and single households. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for the general characteristics, revealed a significant association between a lower HINT-8 group and various factors: low aerobic physical activity (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.25~2.35), low hand grip strength (OR=1.34, 95% CI=1.02~1.78), chewing difficulties (OR=2.17, 95% CI=1.62~2.92), poor self-rated health status (OR=6.11, 95% CI=4.42~8.45), stressful mental status (OR=3.57, 95% CI=2.27~5.63) and poor calcium status (OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.11~1.88). On the other hand, this study could not reveal a significant association between a lower HINT-8 group and factors such as smoking, drinking, chronic disease, and nutrient intake status, except for calcium intake. This study suggests that HINT-8 is associated with aerobic physical activity, hand grip strength, chewing function, mental health, and calcium intake, but not with smoking, drinking, chronic disease, and nutrient intake.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2022

Purpose: Tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1) and capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CAPOX) are standard adjuvant chemotherapies (ACs) administered after gastrectomy to patients with stage II or III gastric cancer. However, the efficacy of AC in elderly patients remains unclear. The objective of this retrospective multicenter cohort study was to compare the efficacies of S-1 and CAPOX AC in patients aged ≥70 years. Materials and Methods: Nine hundred eighty-three patients who were treated with AC using S-1 (768 patients) or CAPOX (215 patients) were enrolled in this study. Each patient underwent AC after curative gastrectomy for stage II or III gastric cancer at one of 27 hospitals in the Republic of Korea between January 2012 and December 2013. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed according to AC regimen and age group. Results: Of the 983 patients, 254 (25.8%) were elderly. This group had a similar RFS (P=0.099) but significantly poorer OS (p=0.003) compared with the non-elderly group. Subgroup analysis of the non-elderly group revealed no AC-associated differences in survival. Subgroup analysis of the elderly group revealed significantly better survival in the S-1 group than in the CAPOX group (RFS, P<0.001; OS, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the CAPOX regimen was an independent poor prognostic factor for RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.891; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.072-3.333; P=0.028) and OS (HR, 2.970; 95% CI, 1.550-5.692; P=0.001). Conclusions: This multicenter observational cohort study found significant differences in RFS and OS between S-1 and CAPOX AC among patients with gastric cancer aged ≥70 years.