• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.1-22
• /
• 2007

This study explores the images of the elderly held by non-elderly. Unlike previous studies on the topic, it considers various dimensions of the images including health, personality, intelligence, and economic ability. The study also attempts to examine factors affecting the images by age groups of non-elderly as well as the dimensions above. The data come from a nationwide survey on the Korean Elderly conducted by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 2004. Analysis of the samples aged 20-64 reveals that the overall image of the elderly are negative across four dimensions. Nonetheless, differences by dimensions are also observed. Young people in their 20s are more likely than other age groups to have negative views on elderly's health. In the meanwhile, the middle aged are more likely to have negative views on elderly's economic ability. Multivariate analysis based on legit regression model shows that the images of the elderly are affected by age, place of residence, co-residence with older persons, attitude toward life in old age. The findings from this study contain important implications for the improvement of the elderly's images in rapidly aging society.