• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 1993

Korea has successfully achieved a lowered fertility level owing to the strong population control policy and effective family planning program. Along with fertility decline and decreased number of children in family, average number of household members has decreased and nontraditional households such as one person household and households composed of unrelated individuals have prolifirated, even though the absolute number of them are found minimal in Korea. However in recent years several data and survey results suggest that one person households are gradually in the increasing trend. The study aimed at investigating the real state of one person households in Korea and next analyzing the proportional distribution of one person households by a few socioeconomic characteristics, thus providing basic for eatablishing far-singhted population and social welfare policy in the future. Korea has experienced high growth rate of economy through government-led development plans starting from the 1960s. During the past three decades, Korea has shifted from the agricultural state to the industrialized one. In compliance with the economic growth, urbanization and industrialization have brought about rural-to-urban migration and a great bulk of young population migrated to urban areas, who are seeking for educational and job opportunities. Korean society has also been under drastic change in every aspect of life involving norms, tradition, and attitude, etc. Therefore, in spite of the prejudice on 'living alone' still remaining, young people gradually leave parents and home, and further form nontraditional households in urban areas. Current increase in the number of one person households is partly attributable to the increase in high female educational attainment and female participation in economic activities. As the industrial structure in Korea changes from primary into secondary and tertiary industries, job opportunities for service/sales and manufacturing are opened to young female labor force in the process of industrialization. Contrary to the formation of one person households by young people, the aged single households are composed when children in family leave one by one because of marriage, education, employment. In particular, a higher proportion of aged female single households occur in rural areas due to the mortality difference by sex. Based on the data released form the 1990 Population and Housing Census and National Fertility and Family Health Survey in 1985 and 1991, the study tried to examine the state of one person households in Korea. According to Census data, the number of one person households increased to 1, 021, 000 in 1990, comprising 9.0 percent of total households. And the survey reveal that among total 11, 540 households, 8.0 percent, 923 households, are composed of one person households. Generally, the proportion of female single households is greater than that of male ones, and a big proportion of one person households is concentrated in the 25-34 age bracket in urban areas and 65 years and more in rural areas. It is shown than one person householders in urban areas have higher educational attainment with 59.2 percent high schooling and over in 1991, Job seeking proved to be the main reason for leaving home and forming one person households. The number of young female single households with higher education and economic self-reliance are found nil and the study did not allow to analyze the causal realtionship between female education and employment and one person household formation. However more research and deep analysis on the causal facors on one person household formation using statistical method are believed to be necessary.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.131-152
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• 2012

The aims of this study were to analyze middle-aged households' financial preparation for retirement. Specifically, this study surveyed the relation between human capital investment for children and the middle-aged households' financial preparation for retirement and investigated factors influencing financial preparation for retirement. Data were obtained from the 3rd Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS) in 2009, and a sample of 757 households was selected. The statistical methods were frequency, percentile, mean, standard deviation, ${\chi}^2$, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analysis. The findings of this study are as follows. First, the percentile of preparation for living costs for old age was 49.9% for the middle-aged households. In terms of the types of preparation for living costs for old age, the results showed 61.6% of personal preparation, 33.9% of pension system, and 1.3% for children and relatives. In relation to the adequacy of the preparations for living costs for old age, preparations made by 57.4% of the middle-aged households were inadequate. Observing the minimum living costs for old age and adequate living costs after retirement for single and couple, the minimum living costs of the middle-aged households was 1.46 million won for couple and 0.91 million won for single. The adequate living costs for old age was 2.07 million won for couple and 1.34 million won for single. Second, there were 757 households with total education expenditure. Of these, 208 incurred annual expenditure on public education, and the annual expenditure for public education was 7.28 million won. There were 170 households with annual expenditure for private education, and the annual expenditure for private education was 2.50 million won. 243 households of middle-aged households had annual expenditure for human capital investment, including both public and private education, with annual expenditure for human capital investment for children of 7.82 million won. Furthermore, in the human capital investment factor, there was a difference in the middle-aged households' financial preparation for retirement according to their annual expenditure for human capital investment including both public and private education. In addition, there was a difference in financial preparation for retirement based on their public education expenditure. Third, in the logistic regression model 1, which included human capital investment, the significant variables affecting the preparation for retirement of the middle-aged households were as follows : annual household income, total amount of annual household income, experience of inadequate living costs, existence of financial assets, total amount of annual household savings, financial independence, adequate living costs (for single) for old age, and human capital investment. In the logistic regression model 2, which included annual expenditure for public education and annual expenditure for private education, the significant variables affecting the preparation for retirement of the middle-aged households were as follows : annual household income, total amount of annual household income, experience of inadequate living costs, existence of financial assets, total amount of annual household savings, financial independence, adequate living costs (for single) for old age, and annual expenditure for public education.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.93-103
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify unmet healthcare needs among man and woman one-person households and to explore related factors by gender. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The final sample consisted of 820 one-person households. The statistical analysis, conducted in SPSS version 20.1, included complex sampling analysis; descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and logistic regression. Results: The demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of women in one-person households were significantly different from those of men in one-person households. Women in single-person households were mainly in their 70s or older and married, and they tended to have a low education level, low income, and no formal occupation. Unmet healthcare needs were experienced by 17.3% of women in one-person households and 13.5% of men in one-person households, which was not a statistically significant difference (χ²=2.17, p=.139). Factors related to unmet healthcare needs were subjective health status and unmet dental care needs in single-person-household men. By contrast, having experienced impairment within the past year, stress, and unmet dental care needs were factors related to unmet healthcare needs in single-person-household women. Conclusion: As one-person households become increasingly common, more attention needs to be paid to them and our understanding of them needs to be improved. Women in one-person households, in particular, are especially vulnerable, as they experience more unmet healthcare needs.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.718-727
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the financial preparations for aging on the life satisfaction of single households are different according to their experiences of having been married or not, and thereby to suggest an alternative policy which differenciate single households with their exposure to married life from those without their exposure to married life. The analyzed data is based on social statistics in 2015 of the Statistics Korea, with 4,406 people, over 30, who are either never married singles or married but divorced or bereaved singles. Finding are, first, there was a statistically significant difference in financial preparations for aging between unmarried single households and married, and unmarried single households are more prepared than married ones. Second, life satisfaction of unmarried single households was higher than married ones. Third, the effects of the financial preparations for aging on the life satisfaction were shown from both groups, and married single households were more sensitive to the effect of financial preparations for aging on the life satisfaction.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2024

The rate of single-person households has been increasing all over the world, and there has been a particularly rapid increase in them in Korea. Single-person households show unique and various characteristics related to the reasons for becoming a single-person household, gender, life cycle, and so on. Thus, research needs to focus on the specific groups of single-person households in order to provide tailored policies and programs. This study segmented single-person households in three groups based on life cycle: young, middle-aged, and older adults. Differences in the level of healthy lifestyle, as well as factors affecting that, were investigated according to the groups. The data were collected in 2022, with 237 respondents from single-person households in Kimpo. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. The overall level of healthy lifestyle was found to be significantly higher for young adults compared to older adults. Results from multiple regression show that significant factors related to the healthy lifestyle of single-person households were gender, educational attainment, whether becoming a single-person household was voluntary, and whether the respondents had experienced discrimination as a single-person household. Significant factors differed by the sub-categories of the healthy lifestyle scale. This study has implications related to discovering differences in the level of healthy lifestyles of single-person households through examining the factors affecting it according to life cycle.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.21-37
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• 2023

This study examines the living conditions and life satisfaction of single-person households according to their life cycle. The survey was conducted from August to October 2022, and respondents were single-person households from Kimpo, South Korea. The respondents were categorized to three groups namely, young, middle-aged, and older adults by life cycle, and items regarding their sociodemographic background, personal life, family relations, and life satisfaction were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were performed. The key findings were as follows. First, significant differences were found according to life cycle in the respondents' diet, clothing, housing, financial and home management, self-care, and leisure life. Second, the variables that significantly affected the level of life satisfaction of single-person households were the life cycle with young adults showing a higher level of satisfaction; having a family member to care; living alone voluntarily, discrimination experience; community awareness; and ties with the local community. Based on the results, it is clear that single-person households have different needs and problems in each stage of life cycle. Thus, to reflect the different experiences and needs of single-person households by life cycle, tailored policy and programs should be provided for young, middle-aged, and older adult single-person households.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.48-59
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study is to provide the data for discussions related to oral health promotion policies for single-person households by analyzing the status of unmet dental needs and related factors in single-person households in Korea, based on the Anderson model. Methods: The data, obtained from 544 single-person households of those over 20 years old who were targeted for the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, were analyzed through a complex sample frequency analysis, complex sample cross analysis (Rao-Scott chi-square test), and complex sample binary logistic regression analysis on a complex sampling design. Results: The most frequently given reason for an unmet dental need among single-person households was economic (52.4%). Factors related to the unmet dental needs of single-person households are smoking, which is a predisposing factor; personal income levels, which are an enabling factor; chewing discomfort; and limited daily activities, which are need factors. Smokers, the high-income group, the chewing-discomfort group, and the limited activity group showed high unmet dental care experience. Smokers had a 2.75 times higher rate of unmet dental care than non-smokers, and the high-income group had a 5.29 times higher rate of unmet dental needs than the median group. The rate of unmet dental needs for the chewing discomfort group was 3.27 times higher than the non-chewing discomfort group, and the limited activity group had a 7.87 times higher rate of unmet dental needs than the non-limited activity group. Conclusion: It is necessary to map out policies designed to help maintain and promote met dental needs considered to be internally heterogeneous to single-person householders, based on the Anderson model.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.531-541
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• 2021

This study was conducted to provide basic data for evolving a strategy for the development of Vietnam's customized HMR program and formulating a marketing strategy by analyzing the characteristics and variations of HMR consumption behavior by household size. The results of the analysis were as follows: The number of single households using HMR as a general meal at home was higher than multiple-person households. Moreover, there was a high preference for 'ready to heat' and 'ready to eat' products, which are relatively easy to cook and prepare. It was observed that single households preferred department stores, hypermarkets, and convenience stores for purchasing HMR when compared to multiple households, and that single households preferred to acquire information through TV/radio and internet advertisements. Among the HMR selection attributes, single households valued taste, quantity, price, preparation process, preparation time, and ease of storage as important. Reflecting on the results of this study, when developing HMR in Vietnam, it is necessary to develop a product that can nutritionally replace the general meal with a focus on convenience. In addition, there is a need for products that possess various attributes such as convenience, health, and eco-friendliness.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.219-227
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• 2002

This study was conducted to examine housing preferences among single-person households and to propose guidelines for housing design choices for single people. One hundred and sixty responses to the questionnaire developed by this researcher were analyzed utilizing frequencies, percentages, and t-tests. There were significant differences between single households and non-single households in various aspects of housing preferences. Differences were found in the desired type and size of housing, needed amount of space, and the importance of space itself. Single persons wanted to live in a small apartment, about 83.45$m^2$ (25.29 pyung) size. They consider the bathroom and the master bedroom more important than the living room and kitchen. They prefer to have specifically function-oriented rooms such as shower, home office, computer room, exercise room, or leisure space. Single persons consider information-technological facilities within an apartment very important. They would like to adopt automatic and electronic technology in the house, such as optical communication network, automatic air-cleaning system, and internet TV. Housing preferences differ significantly according to socio-demographic variables such as gender and age. I propose in this study a small-sized, information-, high-tech- and leisure-oriented design that corresponds with the actual housing preferences of the single-person households.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2019

This study aimed to develop program models for single households in the Healthy Families Support Centers. Data from seven female and seven male single households were collected through in-depth interviews. The major results were as follows. First, a demand for a program that both provides feeling safe and is self-caring came to the fore. Additionally, many respondents wanted to participate in programs with families. Second, the aspects of professional quality, diversity, and systematic management were mentioned as the strengths of programs in the Healthy Families Support Centers. Third, three program models were drawn up, as follows: The first model was a five-part program model like the current program settings of the Healthy Families Center. Those were sharing-caring, education, counselling, family-friendly culture, and community networking. The second model was a program for family relationships. The third was for joining programs with others. For the detailed program, a manual needs to be proposed, and the staff members who handle the programs for single households in the center will need to be retrained.