• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.395-403
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• 2021

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that participation in social activities (SA) can prevent cognitive decline (CD) and that living arrangements (LA) can affect cognitive function. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SA and LA on CD, as well as their interactions, using longitudinal data. Methods: Data were used from the 2006-2018 Korean Longitudinal Study for Aging, which followed 10 254 adults older than 45 years over a 12-year period. CD was defined as a ≥4-point score decrease in the Mini-Mental Status Exam over 2 years. We developed an extended Cox proportional hazards model for time-dependent covariates to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of CD in 4 groups: (1) socially active and living with others, (2) socially active and living alone, (3) socially inactive and living with others (SILO), and (4) socially inactive and living alone (SILA). The model was stratified by gender and adjusted for important confounders. Results: The HR of CD was significantly higher in the SILO group in men (HR,1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 1.78) and in the SILA group in women (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.75). However, the interaction term for gender was not significant. Conclusions: Among socially inactive elderly adults, the HR of CD was elevated in men who lived with others and in women who lived alone, although the interaction term for gender was not significant. Socially inactive men who live with others and socially inactive women who live alone are particularly encouraged to participate in SA to prevent CD.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.267-274
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• 2021

This paper examines the impact of the Basic Pension scheme in terms of poverty reduction and income distribution among elderly households by focusing on the differences in the household type. It compares the data before (2013) and after (2016, 2019) the introduction of Basic Pension by using Household Income and Expenditure Survey data. Empirical analyses indicate that, first, the overall income and the public income transfer of the elderly households increased during the period compared. Second, the poverty rate was considerably higher for the elderly living alone than for other household types. The government policy led to poverty-reduction for all types of elderly households, wherein the effect was most profound in the case of elderly living with spouse. Third, income distribution improved for all types of elderly households, though maximum margin was observed in the case of the elderly living alone. Fourth, according to the multivariate logit regression, the Basic Pension had a positive impact on reducing the risk of poverty (defined as below 40% of median income) among the elderly households.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1849-1856
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to understand differences in cognitive function and the instrumental activities of daily living depending on whether elderly women living alone in Korea have depression and to determine the correlation between variables. The data were collected from April 2011 to April 2012 with a total of 1,426 women interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Based on examining the correlation between variables, a weak inverse correlation was shown between depression and cognitive function(r=-.208, p<.001), between cognitive function and the instrumental activities of daily living(r=-.256, p<.001), and a weak positive correlation was shown between depression and instrumental activities of daily living(r=.222, p<.001). According to these results, We should pay attention to come up with ways to promote and maintain the mental health of elderly women so that depression level can be reduced through the improvement of cognitive function and social activity level.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.557-564
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• 2018

Along with the aging society, the prevalence of dementia is also increasing. Dementia causes short-term memory loss as well as difficulties of performing daily activities and gradually causes suffering of the patients and their family. In spite of various programs for prevention of dementia of older people are being implemented, there is a lack of developing natural-based program for physical and mental health promotion. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs for the elderly living alone who are more vulnerable to dementia because of their social and economic isolation. The purpose of this study was to develop a natural-based program and investigate the effects of 10 weeks forest therapy program for dementia prevention to improve the psychological and physical health of the elderly living alone. The experimental subjects were 30 elderly (aged 65 or older) and 31 elderly participated in control group. The Stress response, depressive symptoms, weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass and muscle mass were measured for pre and post test. The results showed that the experimental group showed subjective stress relief (t=5.249, p=.000), improvement in symptoms of depression (t=4.152, p=.000), and decreases in weight (t=2.686, p=.012), BMI (t=2.629, p=.014) and fat mass (t=2.918, p=.007) after the forest therapy program. The experimental group showed lower stress reactions(t=-7.185, p=.000) and less depressive symptoms (t=-5.303, p=.000) than control group after participating the program. These results suggest that periodic forest exposure can help having less stressful and depressive status than non-forest exposure and the forest therapy program can reduce participants' psychological and physical risk factors of dementia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2002

This study was performed to assess the effect of eating behaviors and health-related variables on overall dietary quality. Ninety-four(male 21, female 73) elderly who were over 60 residing in middle income areas in Cheongju city participated. Information on general characteristics of the elderly, health-related life style, regularity of meal, meal balance and desirable eating habits were obtained by interview based on questionnare. Dietary nutrient intake data were obtained through the 24 hour recall method. The mean age and BMI of the subjects were 73.3 years old and 23.3(male 21.8 female 23.7) respectively. The proportions of underweight and hypertension were 19.2% and 36.2%. Most nutrients except vitamin $B_2$ and calcium were consumed over 75% of the RDA. The Mean Adequacy of Ratio(MAR) of nutrient intake was 0.64(male 0.72, female 0.62). The average score of regularity of meal, meal balance, and desirable eating habits was 14.4 out of a possible 16, 13.7 out of a possible 24 and 5.5 out of a possible 16 points respectively. Male than female, older subjects than young subjects, and those living with their spouses than with other family or living alone had better scores in eating behaviors. Smoking, chewing ability and eating alone vs eating with company affected overall of regulality of meal and meal balance(p<0.05). Positive correlation (p<0.05) was also dietary quality. There was a positive correlation between the mean adequacy ratio, score observed between scores in regularity of meal and meal balance. Therefore, the elderly should be encouraged to eat a variety of food, maintain good dental health, keep regularity of meal and have meals with company to help improve overall dietary quality and eventually achieve optimal nutritional status.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.19-26
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• 2007

As a result of rapid aging speed in our society, it is necessary to supply a lot of housing for older people in near future. When we think that high portion of residence in rental housing complex composed of small units is the elderly, the housing units in those apartments have to be designed for the physical, mental, social, and economical conditions of elderly people who lives in such a residential complex. Considering these living conditions of the elderly, this study proposes a remodeling prototype of a living unit for older people in rental housing complex. For the research of this topic, various characteristics of the elderly and the environmental requirements for them firstly have been analysed from the literature survey and the interviews with two residents living in a rental apartment. And the design considerations for each space of the housing unit such as entrance, living room, bed room, bath room, and so forth have been explored. Based on the design guidelines above, the remodeling plan of a housing unit for older people has been propose as a result of this study.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.23-44
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine the preference for living with adult children of the baby-boomer generation and the elderly based on independent variables such as demographic characteristics, the values of their children and the consciousness for supporting their parents. The National Survey of Korean Families was done by the Ministry of Equality and Family in 2010. Respondents were 664 baby boomers and 628 elderly, and the results are as follows. First, the baby boomers rely heavily on their spouse, whereas the elderly rely heavily on their children. While both groups desire to live with their spouse in their later years, and the elderly rely the most on their children, they are reluctant to live together. This result shows that the elderly have high expectations for financial and emotional support from their children, but in reality, the elderly have lower expectations for living together and they prefer to live alone or with their spouse. Second, the boomers, who for the most part live in big cities, have comparatively high average monthly income and jobs and own a house, consider filial obligation as their own responsibility and yet tend to live independently. The boomers, who have a relatively high education level, consider living with aged parents as the children's obligation and consider their children as the most reliable people in their lives, and thus have high expectations to live together with their children. Third, the elderly, with a spouse, who consider having raised children to be their happiness, while considering providing financial support for the aging parents to be the children's responsibility, at the same time accept that the obligation of support lies on themselves, the government or the society, and thus have lower expectations of living with their children in later years. The elderly, now living with their family, with generous financial plans for their aging years and considering the children's success as their own success, have higher expectations of living together with their children.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 1999

It is known that the role of informal support for elderly women is critical to their physical and mental health, adjustment in old age, and their overall life satisfaction. Elderly women's situation such as social losses, widowhood, living alone, and geographic relocation etc. may result in a need for more informal supports for elderly women's health than ever before. Particularly, women's same-sex friendships were rated higher for overall quality, intimacy, enjoyment, and nurturance. Unlike a generally accepted notion that later life for women is a time of isolation and loneliness, elderly women tend to maintain and reestablish their friendship regardless their marital status and living situation. Although studies on informal support for elderly women were inconclusive in many ways, elderly women's friendship tends to be stable despite of changing health status and life events. The relative importance between daughters and friends was also controversial. This study suggests that more research with reliable measurements is necessary for the practical prevention and intervention program of elderly women's health on this issue.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.495-510
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• 2014

This study examines the relationship between social support with adult children and neighbors on the life satisfaction of elderly individuals in rural areas. The analysis employed a sample of 764 elderly individuals residing in rural area. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, a t-test, and a multiple regression analysis. First, the respondents reported moderate life satisfaction. Those respondents living alone were less likely to report life satisfaction than those with a spouse. Second, the respondents were more likely to be in contact with their neighbors than their adult children. Third, the respondents were more likely to receive social support from adult children than provide it to them. By contrast, the respondents were more likely to provide social support to neighbors than receive it from them. Fourth, economic status and contact with adult children and neighbors had signigicant effects on the life satisfaction of the respondents. Gender, religion, economic status, health status, increased contact with adult children, and instrumental support to neighbors had positive effects on the life satisfaction of elderly two-person household.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.265-273
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• 1999

Elderly Koreans living in Muju Gun, Jeonbuk were divided into two groups with ages(65~74 years old group & over 75 years old group) and surveyed with questionnaire to investigate their dietary status and those factors affected with ages. The score of food habit in both sexes showed a falling tendency as their ages increased. Compared with elderly men, elderly women showed lower quality of diet. Elderly Korean were more consumed cereals and green vegetables than milk, egg, meat & fish, seaweed and fats & oils. As education level increased, the food habit score showed a rising tendency. The correlation coefficient between the score of food habit and education level was positive in illiterate and school graduates. The score of food habit of living together with their family was higher than those of living alone or living with their spouse. As household income increased, the food habit score showed a rising tendency. In the case of self consciousness of socioeconomic status was middle, food habit score is higher than those of very low. Dental status of eldery people did not affect food habit score. Palatability showed no significant correlation with age. Elderly Koreans prefered sweet taste than salty, sour, and bitter taste.