• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify influencing factors of metabolic index and cardiovascular risk factors, on depressive and non-depressive groups, in vulnerable diabetic elderly women. Methods: Participants were 137 vulnerable diabetic elderly women, using health centers in D city. Data were collected through interviews September though December 2017. The metabolic index was measured using National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), and cardiovascular risk factors were measured using Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Depressive and non-depressive groups were divided by the score of Geriartric Depress Scale Short Korea Version (GDSSF). Collected data were analyzed using a x2 test, independent t-test, and binary logistic regression, with the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results: Vulnerable diabetic elderly women, did not exercise in the depressive groups, and had higher triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and larger waists, than in the non-depressive group. Results show that lack of exercise (OR= 6.30), is the highest risk factor, influencing the depressive symptom in vulnerable diabetic elderly women. Conclusion: These results suggest that to reduce depressive symptom levels among vulnerable diabetic elderly women, nursing interventions are needed to increase exercise and decrease TG, TC, and waist size, particularly in improving exercise of vulnerable diabetic elderly women.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.113-128
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• 2009

Purpose: To explore the barriers and solutions of immunization programs for children among vulnerable classes in the position of service providers in Community health centers. Method: Data were collected through focus group interviews with 3 groups (17 providers), and were analyzed according to the analytic method of Morgan (1998) and Krueger (1998). Results: The following five categories were identified: difficulties in obtaining a list of children among vulnerable classes, difficulties in first contact with them, difficulties in up-to-date immunization, various difficulties according to the types of vulnerable family and suggestions of solution. These results indicated that there are many difficulties in providing expanded immunization service for children among vulnerable classes in terms of manpower, cooperation of departments in public health centers and linkages between health and welfare. Finally, the characteristics of the types of vulnerable family need to be elucidated. Conclusion: To increase immunization rates among children of vulnerable classes, policies need to be prepared at the public health organization itself and the linkages between health and welfare and need for hiring additional personnel.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.145-166
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• 2023

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to a widespread shift towards non-face-to-face/uncrewed services in various sectors of society. Despite this, research on the digital divide has focused predominantly on analyzing various factors, with the notable absence of studies addressing the digital divide. Therefore, study examined the current digital divide in the transportation sector through a survey-based approach. First, a nationwide survey was conducted among adult men and women to assess their digital device usage. Vulnerable groups sesceptible to digital disparities were identified based on factors such as age, education, and income. Second, comparative analysis was conducted to examine the usage patterns of mobile applications related to the transportation sector among the vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups using chi-squared test. These findings suggest that the vulnerable group exhibited lower awareness and preference for mobile applications, a significantly lower frequency of application usage than the non-vulnerable group. Finally, a comparison of the proficiency in utilizing transportation sector mobile applications was conducted, showing that the vulnerable group demonstrated a significantly lower level of proficiency across all aspects of application usage procedures compared to the non-vulnerable group. These survey results provide a valuable foundation for future policy formulation to reduce the digital divide in the transportation sector. By highlighting the current state of digital disparities, the research contributes to developing evidence-based strategies to enhance inclusivity and equal access to digital services in tjwtransportation.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.419-431
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand the determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to age groups in vulnerable elderly women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1,533 elderly women beneficiaries of the visiting health care program in Seoul. The participants were divided into three age groups: the young-old (n=753, 65-74 years), old-old (n=602, 75-84 years), and oldest-old (n=178, 85 years or older) groups. HRQOL was measured using the SF-8 questionnaire. Results: HRQOL was found to be worse in the oldest-old group (p=.007). Factors associated with HRQOL differ by age groups. In the young-old and old-old groups, higher HRQOL showed significant correlation with a higher level of self-rated health (SRH) and a lower level of depression, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) dependence, and the number of chronic diseases. In addition, higher HRQOL was observed for elderly living alone than for those living with family. In the oldest group, higher HRQOL showed significant correlation with a lower level of depression, activities of daily living (ADL) dependence, and a higher level of SRH. Conclusions: In age specific groups, lower levels of HRQOL were observed for the oldest-old group than for the other age groups. Age group-specific nursing strategies may be required for improving HRQOL levels of vulnerable elderly women.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2015

Purpose: This study attempted to estimate the need for home visiting nurse at public health centers. Methods: A model was generated to estimate a community's home visiting health service needs in 16 regions and a workload analysis was adopted to estimate the number of required Nurses. Data were collected from 16 public health centers using the South Korean government's open-information systems. Subjects were divided into three groups: vulnerable social group, bottom 10% income group, and bottom 20% income group. Results: The analysis revealed that 2,158 and 6,667 nurses were needed to provide home visiting health service for the bottom 10% and 20% income groups, respectively. It was estimated that for the vulnerable social group, 10,336 nurses were needed to provide home visiting health service, implying that the need-based demand for nurses is well over 5 times the number currently employed. Conclusion: The results indicate that the number of currently employed nurses is insufficient for the health management of vulnerable social groups. The government should consider active employment policies to encourage nurses to apply for home visiting health service.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.15-29
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• 2017

In changes of social environment, change of the use of land due to the change of residence type, industry and urban structure is an influential factor to safety vulnerable social group. From PTSD from disaster experience point of view, experience of disaster, damage from disaster, witness of disaster make people experience anxiety and confusion, increase the anxiety toward disaster and lead to difficulty in daily lives. As for the result of analyzing anxiety factors regarding disaster damage potential composed of 20 items of safety manager, damage potential of sink hole which recently rapidly increased was the highest, and followed by anxiety from safety damage potential of family, anxiety from phone call damage. Likewise, if the anxiety toward disaster damage potential is digitized, it contributes to setting safety management planning for disaster prevention as it visualizes the risk.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.697-705
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• 2014

The exposed population of a vulnerable group to high ozone episodes (exceeding 60 ppb/8h) was estimated in Busan metropolitan city from 2000 to 2010. The frequency of high ozone days at monitoring sites and the number of the population aged over 65 were used to calculate the accumulated (total, seasonal, and yearly) number of the exposed older population (EOP) to high ozone episodes during the study period based on administrative areas, by interpolation and zonal mean methods in ArcGIS software. The older population in this city had increased significantly from 2000 to 2010 (representing over 10% of the total population in 2010). The vulnerable areas (e.g. the eastern area of the city) of the EOP to high ozone episodes were different from the areas with frequent high ozone episodes (e.g., the western area) due to the increase of the older population in particular areas. The difference was more significant in spring than in any other season, and in 2010 than in previous years (2000 and 2005).

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.181-193
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• 2017

Purpose: This is a qualitative descriptive study with the purpose of identifyng the health problems and related factors of socially vulnerable school-age children in Seoul, South Korea. Methods: Two focus group interviews and two individual interviews were conducted with eleven participants. They were two class teachers, three school nurses and two daycare teachers working at elementary schools and three social workers and a welfare worker working at community childcare centers. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The identified psychosocial problems were 'distracting and excessive behavior', 'depression and helplessness,' 'aggression and violent behaviors', and 'internet overdependence'. The revealed physical health problems were 'poor hygiene', 'obesity', and 'gastrointestinal problems'. In addition, the fact that physical and psychosocial problems are closely inter-linked was reaffirmed through practical examples. Meanwhile, socioeconomic, family environmental, social experiential and individual factors were found to affect children's health. Relationships within a family or a peer group and healthy lifestyle were considered critical issues to deal with in order to improve the childrens' health status. Conclusion: It was proved that socially vulnerable school-age children have various physical and mental health problems due to multiple factors. Therefore, it is required to design nursing approaches that help them achieve optimal health status.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Due to rapid decrease in population of farming and fishing villages and drain of young rural manpower to the cities, aging is being intensified, and the conditions of housing and welfare of elderly households are inadequate. Currently, group home is being discussed as part of specialized housing and welfare support policy for the people in the vulnerable class with poor self-supporting abilities such as the aged living alone in farming and fishing villages, and aged farming and fishing households. So the purpose of this research is to present the basic data for proposing the policy of supplying group home through examining the realities of housing and welfare of the people in the vulnerable class in farming and fishing villages. Survey was conducted on the 4 regions -Cheonan-si, Gongju-si, Yesan-gun, and Seosan-si - whose apartments were all occupied by the residents among the group homes for the elderly living alone in Chungcheongnam-do and the following results were derived from the analysis on the data collected from the survey. First, great effects can be attained at small costs by reorganizing and utilizing the public facilities that are unused or little used and the existing houses that are exposed to risks due to improper maintenance. Second, it can be pointed out that the residential environment of the vulnerable members of society was improved without impairing the existing village landscape. Third, housing welfare was enhanced without investing a large sum of money and the system to promptly cope with negligent accidents and emergency can be built and operated. Fourth, the cases promoted to solve the problems of the poor, unhygienic, and unsafe housing of the elderly and the vulnerable members of society were very positive and well worthy of being presented as planning direction of future group homes in farming and fishing villages. Finally, if they are operated entirely for free, it will cause the lack of the sense of ownership and the problems in securing the budget, so the ways of paying minimum individual housing expenses should be examined. The alternatives of housing welfare for the vulnerable members of farming and fishing villages are needed and the ways of constructive planning and researches should be continuously made. Also, the government's support policy should be actively promoted.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.528-539
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide baseline data on the housing environment of a vulnerable population. Methods: This study provides a descriptive survey on the housing environment of a vulnerable population of a city in Gyeong-gi province. A total of 9,061 households were selected as research participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews by visiting nurses from February 2014 to March 2014. Results: Interviewees answered "poor" on items including cold drafts, illumination, daylight penetration, inflow of polluted air, house odor, stairs safety, noise, mold, pests, and ventilation. The score for housing environment problems showed a significant group difference due to gender, age, economic status, family type, type of housing, and type of ownership. Conclusion: These results indicate that the vulnerable population is exposed to a poor housing environment. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve the housing environment for the vulnerable population. Based on this study, linking a visiting health care service program and housing environment improvement projects from relevant administrative agencies might be recommended in order to effectively improve the housing environment.