• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.355-363
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• 2021

Background: Self-rated health of women according to marital status and household type has rarely been considered. This study determined the differences in the self-rated health of women according to marital status and household type. Methods: Using cross-sectional data from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we included 9,990 women aged above 19 years. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between self-rated health, marital status, and household type. Results: Overall, 74.5% of the women reported poor self-rated health. Regarding marital status and household type, one-person households and unmarried women had a higher risk of poor self-rated health (odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.05), while multi-person households and no-spouse women had a lower risk of poor self-rated health (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.58-0.83). Furthermore, women who are one-person households and unmarried had a higher risk of poor self-rated health in those who had college or higher educational level (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.25-3.13). Conclusion: Self-rated health among women was associated with marital status and household type. Future studies are required to generalize these findings by considering various household compositions to improve women's self-rated health status.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.149-164
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• 2021

Purpose: To identify the factors associated with poor self-rated health in individuals with acquired visual impairment through classification of such individuals into severe and mild visual impairment groups. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional, survey-based study analyzed data from 563 individuals with visual impairment due to acquired causes who had been recruited in the 2017 Korean National Survey on Persons with Disabilities. Results: Individuals with severe visual impairment reported poorer self-rated health. Mild depression (p=.003), and low smartphone use (p=.045) were associated with poorer self-rated health in those with severe visual impairment. The factors associated with poor self-rated health in those with mild visual impairment were comorbidities, low smartphone use (p=.006), needed health information (p=.020), unbalanced diet (p<.001), low weight (p=.024), and lack of health checkups (p=.001). Conclusion: Depression was found to be a predictor of poor self-rated health in individuals with severe visual impairment, which highlights the need for nursing and related healthcare intervention to lower depression in this specific population. Further, promoting social network building and providing health information using smartphones may serve to encourage appropriate health behavior in people with severe visual impairment who have reduced mobility and health literacy.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.2.1-2.14
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• 2022

Background: Because income and working hours are closely related, the health impact of working hours can vary according to economic status. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health according to household income level. Methods: We used the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI and VII. The information on working hours and self-rated health was obtained from the questionnaire. After stratifying by household income level, the risk of poor self-rated health for long working hour group (≥ 52 hours a week), compared to the 35-51 working hour group as a reference, were calculated using multiple logistic regression. Results: Long working hours increased the risk of poor self-rated health in the group with the highest income, but not in the group with the lowest income. On the other hand, the overall weighted prevalence of poor self-rated health was higher in the low-income group. Conclusions: The relationship between long working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health varied by household income level. This phenomenon, in which the health effects of long working hours appear to diminish in low-income households can be referred to as the 'poor worker's long working hours paradox'. Our findings suggest that the recent working hour restriction policy implemented by the Korean government should be promoted, together with a basic wage preservation to improve workers' general health and well-being.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.41-53
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• 2013

Objectives: As the size of elderly population living alone grows, socioeconomic diversity has also increased. This study examined if social risk factors of poor self-rated health were distinguishable between the low income elderly and their non-low income counterparts both living alone. Methods: The '2006 Elderly Health Interview Survey' conducted by D-gu in Seoul was utilized. We divided the elderly living alone into two groups depending on their economic status: low income and non-low income. Employing logistic regression, we analyzed the associations of poor self-rated health with socio-demographic factors, health-related factors, social support, the relations with children, social activities, welfare service use, and the perception of neighborhood safety. Results: Proportion of rating one's own health being poor was different between two populations. Social support was important for the self-rated health of the non-low income elderly, while welfare service use, the perception of neighborhood safety, and the relations with children were noticeable for the low income elderly. Conclusions: To better understand the health need of elderly population living alone, their heterogeneity in socioeconomic characteristics should be taken into account.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.179-196
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• 2016

Objectives : This study investigated poor self-rated health and its associated factors in married Korean women, focusing on the burdens related to family affairs and social support. Methods : Cross-sectional data from 3,039 married women (between 25 and 64 years old) who completed Korean Longitudinal surveys of Women and Families were analyzed. Results : Among working women, only two factors-lack of husband's involvement in housework and insufficient communication with husband - influenced poor self-rated health. Among housewives, lack of husband's involvement in housework, insufficient communication with husband, low satisfaction of marriage, and avoidance of alcohol consumption were associated with poor self-rated health. Conclusions : Regardless of whether women are employed or housewives, husband's support is a very important factor affecting women's health. Social efforts for changing perceptions and values are needed so that men and women mutually support each other in family affairs.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.390-398
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• 2016

Background: This study aims to analyze the impact of levels of health care coverage on the trajectory of self-rated health, comparing the near-poor which tends to be excluded in traditional health care systems with the upper middle class. Methods: The study participants were 3,687 people who sincerely responded questions regarding health care expenditures, unmet medical needs, and self-rated health in the Korea Health Panel data in 2009-2012. Results: The higher health care expenditures and the presence of unmet medical needs were significantly associated with the lower level of self-rated health. However, both factors did not significantly predict the steeper decline in the self-rated health. The results from multiple group analyses showed that health care expenditures and unmet medical needs had greater impact on the near-poor compared to their higher income counterparts. Conclusion: Public health care coverages need to be enhanced as well as reducing health care expenditures and unmet medical needs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.287-300
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• 2015

Objectives: Self-rated health is a measure of perceived health widely used in epidemiological studies. Our study investigated the determinants of poor self-rated health in middle-aged Korean adults with diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the Health Examinees Study. A total of 9759 adults aged 40 to 69 years who reported having physician-diagnosed diabetes were analyzed with regard to a range of health determinants, including sociodemographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, and physical variables, in association with self-rated health status using multivariate logistic regression models. A p-value <0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results: We found that negative psychosocial conditions, including frequent stress events and severe distress according to the psychosocial well-being index, were most strongly associated with poor self-rated health (odds ratio $[OR]_{\text{Frequent stress events}}$, 5.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.63 to 6.29; $OR_{\text{Severe distress}}$, 11.08; 95% CI, 8.77 to 14.00). Moreover, younger age and being underweight or obese were shown to be associated with poor self-rated health. Physical factors relating to participants' medical history of diabetes, such as a younger age at diagnosis, a longer duration of diabetes, insulin therapy, hemoglobin A1c levels of 6.5% or more, and comorbidities, were other correlates of poor reported health. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, in addition to medical variables, unfavorable socioeconomic factors, and adverse lifestyle behaviors, younger age, being underweight or obese, and psychosocial stress could be distinc factors in predicting negative perceived health status in Korean adults with diabetes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.286-298
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• 2006

The study aimed to identify major factors related to global self-rated health of the community-dwelling elderly people in rural areas. Interviews were conducted with 433 persons over 65 years of age. The socio-economic characteristics, chronic disease status, measures of functional and mental health, life satisfaction, health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, exercise, social activity, dietary habit, and food intakes were analyzed to determine their influence on self-rated health index. Data on food intake were obtained through the 24-hour recall method. The self-rated health of rural elderly was poor or very poor as reported by 42.6% and 52.4% of the men and women, respectively. Poor self-rated health was found to be related to elderly aged $65{\sim}74$, female, absence of work, more chronic diseases, dependence on Instrumental Activity Daily Living (IADL), higher mental unhealthy days, lower current life satisfaction, less social activity, lower dietary habit scores, lower intake of total food, fruit, eggs, fishes & shell fishes, vitamin C (%RDA), and Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR). The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that poor self-rated health index is significantly associated with more chronic diseases, mental unhealthy days, gastrointestinal disease, musculoskeletal disease, less social activity, and lower intake of fruits. The results also suggested that improving the nutritional status and functional ability, and reducing the burden of chronic diseases are beneficial to the self-rated health index of the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.67-82
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• 2008

Purpose: The objective of this study were to examine the determinants of self-rated health, specially focused on the effect of functional capacity of community dwelling sedentary older adults on self-rated health. Method: The data has been collected from 654 community-dwelling sedentary older adults (mean age: 75 years) during the period from April to June in 2007. The data were collected by the in-person interview and direct measurement of functional capacity. The data were analyzed using chi-square test and multiple regression analysis with the SPSS 9.1 program. Result: The elderly rated their health as very good (3%), good (28%), fair (38%), poor (29%0, and very poor (2%). The higher average daily walk minutes ($\beta$=0.12, p<.01), number of chair stand ($\beta$=0.10, p<.05), scores of self-efficacy ($\beta$=0.16, p<.001) and the lower number of disease ($\beta$=-0.44, p<.001) show better self-rated health. Conclusion: Self-rated health is the most commonly used indicators in social epidemiology and geriatric research because it has been known as the good predictor of mortality and reflects health related disability. The finding suggested that daily walking habits, lower body strength, physical self-efficacy should be considered to improve the senior's self-perception of health. The community-based intervention associate increase these factors should be considered.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.71-85
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to determine how the association between socioeconomic status and health behaviors with self-rated health status among Korean aged 20-64 years. Methods: A nationally representative sample(2,027 men and 2,626 women) from the 2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Surveys was analyzed. To estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals, logistic regression was conducted. Results: The study shows that socioeconomic status was related with self-rated health status. that was, lower education and income led to a significant increase in poor health status. The odds ratio of self-rated health status after controlling for age was 2.83(95% CI, 1.60-5.00) for men, 2.32(95% CI, 1.15-3.46) for women among those with the lowest-educated group compared to the highest-educated group. When household income was considered, the odds ratio of self-rated health for men was 3.50(95% CI, 2.11-5.79) and 2.21(95% CI, 1.53-3.20) for women among those in the lowest-income group compared to the highest-income group. Health behaviors had little effect on the relationship between socioeconomic status and self-rated health status. Conclusions: This study found that there existed socioeconomic differences in poor health status in Korean. The effect of education was stronger than that of income for both men and women.