• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.6 s.84
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• pp.177-193
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• 2006

This study analyzes marriage and fertility rates in Korea and makes recommendations for family policy. Based on the 'The Report of Marriage & Divorce Statistics in 2005' and data from the Korea Statistical Information System (KOSIS) of the National Statistics Organization, the trends, reasons for marriage rates changes, and future expectations were critically reviewed. In addition, the relationship between marriage and fertility rates was analyzed. The principle characteristics of marriage rates are as follows: 1) the M-shape of the longitudinal crude marriage rates; 2) the increased age of individuals entering their the first marriage; 3) the increase in remarriage rates; 4) the changes in the patterns of remarriage; 5) the increased in the age at which individuals remarry and; 6) the increase in marriage to non-Koreans. The marriage and fertility rates changes are a permanent normative shift because of 1) later marriage because of women's increased education and labor force participation 2) rational choices about birth control 3) reduced population because of the aging of baby boomers 4) structural changes in the marriage market and 5) egalitarian changes in women's attitudes toward marriage and family. The recommendations for future family policy were as follows: 1) the need for a realistic, long-term family policy because the current marriage patterns will continue; 2) the need to develop new statistics such as fertility rates that are based on marriage cohort or birth cohort because family behavior is a mixture of personal, social and political responses; 3) the need for impact analysis of current family policy about increasing fertility rates; 4) the need for a new family perspective that encompasses diverse marriage and family patterns; 5) the need to focus on men's role in families because of women's changing roles and family interaction patterns and; 6) the need for preventive family policies such as family life education.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.50-61
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• 2015

Advances in healthcare technology and rapid economic growth lead to the increased life expectancy and consequently the size of elderly population. Korea is one of the countries that are rapidly aging. Thus, it is particularly important to prepare for the aging society. Recently, the number of healthcare institutions for the elderly citizens has increased. The purpose of selecting a hospital for the elderly is, in general, maintenance of health rather than improvement of health receiving proper treatment. Unlike choosing a hospital for treatment, customers of a long term care hospital have a different set of factors to consider. Especially, when choosing a long term care hospital, the influence of patient's family is greater than the patient. This study examines the factors they consider for long term care hospital. A total of 198 questionnaires were collected from the families of actual patients of long term care hospitals. Twelve questionnaires were found to be non-usable because of missing and unsatisfactory responses. Consequently, 186 questionnaires were used for the analyses. Findings of this study are as follows. First, seven factors have been identified to consider when choosing a long term care hospital for the elderly. They include convenience of facilities, costs variety of facility programs, service hours, reputation, accessibility, quality of medical staff, medical facilities, and facility size. Second, This study measured both importance and satisfaction with these attributes and analyzed the difference between them. Satisfaction was lower than importance in the categories of convenience of facilities, costs, and programs, and accessibility. On the other hand, satisfaction was higher in terms of service hours, reputation, and quality of medical staff. Finally, the current study found positive impact of accessibility and quality of medical staff on reuse intention of a long term care hospital.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.57-85
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• 2011

This paper investigates the effects of changes in household structure on service demand. The structure of households in Korea has been quickly changed due to low birth rate and population aging as well as increasing women's participation in the workforce. Their consumption patterns may have been altered by the structural changes. This paper focuses on the additional demand for market services replacing household activities such as household chores and care services. First, using a 3-sector time allocation model, we theoretically analyze the mechanism that marketization of household production can lead to the expansion of service industries. Next, in order to analyze the effects of changes in household structure on consumption demand, we estimate the Engel curves according to the QUAIDS model. For empirical work, the Survey of Household Finances was used. According to the results, structural changes in Korean households, such as an increase in single-person households, a decrease in families with a spouse or children under 6 years old, and an increase in dual-earner households, have caused an increase in medical expenses, education and training costs, and expenses for household services, which are typically substitutes for household production services.

• 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.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1229-1246
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• 2011

The objectives of this study were to analyze change in life satisfaction of Korean elderly, to find determinants of it in an aging society, and to suggest ways of improving their life satisfaction. Data used in this study were from 1994, 2004, 2008 national survey results on the elderly life conditions and welfare need conducted by the Korea Institute for Health Social Affairs and Keimyung University, which were collected from 1,371, 3,278, 3,009 elderly people aged 65 and over who answered regarding their life satisfaction each year. Data were analyzed by multiple regression method. The results of analysis showed that the general life satisfaction of Koreans elderly is higher than average and is decreasing year after year. Determinants of life satisfaction for Korean elderly can be divided in two factors: common factors(i.e. subjective economic and health conditions) and flexible factors(i.e. marital status, employment status, perceptions of aging). Implications for designing services and service systems for elderly families were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.53-77
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• 2012

Recently, the low fertility has been deepened because of the increase in women's economic activity, the advancement in standard of living, the rising cost of family maintenance, Therefore master plan for low fertility and aging society which is an overall response strategy for sudden increase in social costs was prepared. The most important point of the second basic plan is the reinforcement in child care support for all families and the balance of work & family. This paper shows the supporting policy for child raising in family and community as reality of policy for low fertility. The paper proposes child care support program(idolbom) as the supporting policy for child raising in family, education for men stimulating father's participation in child rearing, and sharing child care work in community in order to reinforce child care friendly environment.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.152-160
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aging process on the immunity in human subjects. In this investigation, nineteen families of three generations (daughters on college age, their mothers, and grandmothers) participated to avoid genetic variation among individuals. Dietary food records, anthropometric measurements and biochemical assessments of serum nutrients were used to evaluate the nutritional status of subjects. The immune parameters of subjects were assessed by the total and differential WBC count. Total B and T lymphocytes, and T cell subsets were quantified by flowcytometer. Serum immunoglobulin G, A, M concentrations were also measured as an index of humoral immunity. The result of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. Along with the aging process, body fat was found to be increased whereas lean body mass and total body water were diminished. Since there were no significant difference in serum vitamin E levels in all age groups, serum retinal concentrations tended to decrease as one gets old. 2. Although total number of T lymphocytes seemed to be unchanged, B lymphocytes and NK cell numbers were increased by aging. The Percentage of CD8 + lymphocytes was lower in the elderly subjects compared with the younger, resulting in higher ratio of CD4 +/CD8 + lymphocytes in the elderly. Serum Ig G and Ig A levels remained unchanged, but IgM levels were significantly decreased as the age processes continue. Taking all together, it could be suggested that the alteration of immune cell population by aging is selective and possibly nonage factors such as nutrition may be attributable to the change of immunity in the elderly. The nutritional status and aging process may selectively affect both the cell-mediated (CD8 +, CD4 + CD8 + ratio, NK cell) and humoral (B lymphocyte, Immunoglobulin M, G) immune parameters in human subjects.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.106-120
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• 1999

Japan has been prepared for aging society from 1970. In 1970, the percentage of distribution of population of 65 years old and over was 7.1%. It is similar to present percentile of the elderly in Korea. Therefore, it will be needed to study about home care and home visiting nursing in Japan at present. This study was aimed to prepare the fundamental documents for home care nursing in Korea and to know the background of new health care system of Long-term Care Insurance in Japan, by studying home care and home visiting nursing in Japan. With the continuing aging of the population, especially the increase in the number of latter stage elderly, it is predicted that there will be an increase in the number of the elderly who are bedridden and suffering senile dementia. To ensure that these people will be able to continue living in the communities and homes they are accustomed to, surrounded by their families and neighbors, Japan substantially improve and expand in-home services. There were also long-term effort to reach the level of services outlined in the Gold Plan and the New Gold Plan within the decade between FY 1991 and FY 1999 in the field of health care and welfare. Under this plan, the most noticeable change was occurred in home care, home was permitted as the field of care and visiting nursing was established in law. Through this 10- Year Strategy for Promotion of Health and Welfare Services for the Aged, many problems have been improved and solved, but some problems remained such as inadequate service supply and consumption of medical insurance for the elderly. Japan will be a society composed 25% of elderly people of total population in 2020, and it will be soon faced with a shortage of welfare and medical facilities and manpower. As for equalizing the benefits and cost burdens, and other future arrangements for health care and welfare, Long-term Care insurance system was established in 1994. This system will be enforced from April 2000 and use present facilities and services. To know home care and home visiting nursing in Japan, we need to consider present conditions well and to take notice of changes and measures to cope with an aging society continuously.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.137-152
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• 2012

The graying of populations is emerging as an international issue around the world, and this is a problem that is rapidly advancing in Korea as well, signaling the need for financial preparations for the aged. For this purpose, various retirement pension systems are being employed as preparatory measures for the nation's elderly. Using data from 1474 people in the 2007 panel study of National Security for the Retired, the present work attempts to look at satisfaction rates with regard to public pension receipts for the national pension and special occupational pensions according to general characteristics and factors related to the preparation for an aging society. Satisfaction with retirement pension receipts according to the type of pension was high for special occupation retirement pensions, individual retirement pensions and the national retirement pension, in that order. Looking at satisfaction rates based on the general characteristics of pension recipients, the study revealed that for the national pension, satisfaction was highest for groups with above-average physical and psychological health, groups who think appropriate living expenses for the elderly are lower, groups in which a partner also earns income, and groups who had amply prepared for their expected living expenses in later life. Regarding special occupation retirement pensions, satisfaction was high for groups over the age of 70, groups with good psychological health, and groups sufficiently prepared for their living expenses in later expenses, compared to groups for which these factors did not apply. In terms of the relative influences impacting retirement pension recipient satisfaction, satisfaction with the national pension was highest when the primary source to cover elderly living expenses was a resource other than income earned by the recipient and their partner and/or income received from children. Concerning special occupation retirement pensions, satisfaction was highest among those whose education terminated before middle school, and for those in good physical health. Based on the above results, it is vital that plans exist for preparing sufficiently for the living expenses of the elderly and for facilitating the physical and psychological health of pension recipients. Plans are also necessary to, ensure that citizens are provided with easily accessible educational programs and activities regarding general installment savings and deposits, stocks and bonds, real estate investments, individual retirement pensions, private insurance, severance pay pensions, and public pensions.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.53-60
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• 2013

Recently, in Korea, single- or two-person households (50.5%) are becoming the primary family type due to increasing divorce rates, population aging, personal code of values and so on. Hence, small families will lead to a sudden increase of single- or two-person households. People searching for small houses are increasing because of the provision of officetels, one room and urban-life housing as well as economic recession. However, this has led to habitability problems, such as parking, storage space and decline in safety. In this study, we obtain the proper contents from LQI indicators of advanced research and use the indicators to evaluate the residential environment quality. We conduct a post-occupancy-evaluation (POE) survey and compare the habitability satisfaction level of apartment and officetel residents. According to the survey, officetel residents' satisfaction levels are low for the following factors in the order listed: ventilation, storage space, management expenses and facilities for children and the elderly.