• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2022

This study aims to investigate predictors of the subjective well-being of middle-aged single mothers who experienced divorce or bereavement. The study involved 244 divorced or widowed women from the 7th Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families aged 40-60 who had children and were employed. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were conducted. The research results showed that the socio-demographic characteristic (marital status and health), person-related variables (satisfaction with leisure activity and stress), and work-related variables (job satisfaction and work-family enrichment) were significantly related to happiness of middle-aged single mothers. Current economic status and stress were associated with depression in middle-aged single mothers. Increasing middle-aged single mothers' participation in healthy leisure activities, reducing their stress, and improving their satisfaction with work were found to be important to enhancing their subjective well-being. Regarding the foregoing, policy directions were discussed for middle-aged single mothers' leisure activities, stress management, and improved satisfaction with work.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.331-347
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• 1996

This study was aimed at comparing the dietary pattern of middle school girls according to family type. As for subjects, sixty girls of M middle school of Taejon city were chosen as a total. They were devided into two groups consisted of thirty subjects respectively ; those who live in single mother's family(SMF) and both parent's family(BPF). In this study, intakes of food and nutrient and dietary behaviors of each group were investigated through two-day dietary records and questionnaire. The results obtained in this study were as follows : 1) Mean daily intake of all nuitrients except calcium were more than RDAs in two groups. However, intake of calcium and rtio of Ca / P were lower than RDAs in two groups. And proportion of less than 2/3 of RDAs of calcium were higher than other nutrients. Intake of iron was more than RDAs, but nutritional status of iron might be poorer considering the food sorce of iron taken by subjects. According to family type, girls of SMF seemed to have more serious to have more serious problem in these nutrients than those of BPF. 2) The average distribution ratios of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack to total calorie intake was 25.2, 31.3, 24.6 and 18.9 in SMF, and 19.7, 33.1, 24.3 and 22.9 in BPF. Thus it proved that lunch contributed more energy intake than any other meal, and that snack was an important means to supply nutrients for girls of two groups. And energy intake through breakfast of SMF was more than BPF. 3) The major dietary problems of two groups were unbalanced diet, missing meal, and overeating. The degree of sharing meal with family was lower in girls of SMF than those of BPF. The degrees of skipping (p<0.05), or irregularity, or preparing meal by girls(P<0.05) in the case of dinner were tended to be more frequent in SMF than BPF. And number of food taken per day was less various in SMF of 15.2 kinds than BPF of 17.1 kinds(P<0.001). As a conclusion, subjects should take more calcium or iron contained food which is well absorved, and eat diverse foods to improve their nutritional status. And it is also necessary that calorie intake through snack should be diminished, and dinner should be eaten regularly and shared with family if possible. In view of family type, girls of SMF proved to have poorer food habit than those of BPF. Thus, these results shows that dietary pattern of girls is different atcording to family type. Therefore, we should carry out nutritional education for girls considering the difference of dietary pattern by family type. In addition, nutritional education for girls of SMF should be regarded more importantly than those of BPF because girls of SMF might have more chance to manage their meal by themselves and also have more dietary problems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9307-9312
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• 2014

Background: Hope is an important coping resource for cancer patients. Types and sources of hope and hope-inspiring strategies are not well investigated among Iranian cancer patients. The aims of present study were therefore to investigate the nature of hope and some demographic predictors of hope among Iranian cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was undertaken among 200 cancer patients admitted to an educational center affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. The Herth Hope Index and other validated questionnaires were used to investigate level of hope and types and sources of hope, as well as hope-inspiring strategies. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Results: The overall score for hope was 31 from total scores ranging between 12 and 48. Some 94% of patients mentioned 'return to normal life' and 'complete healing of disease by drugs and physicians' as their main hopes. The most important sources of hope reported by patients include spiritual resources, family members, healthcare workers, and medicines and treatments available for the disease. Relationship with God, praying/blessing, controlling the signs and symptoms of the disease, and family/health care workers' support were the main hope-inspiring strategies. Patients who had a history of metastasis, or who were older, illiterate, divorced/widowed and lived with their children reported lower levels of hope. On the other hand, employed patients and those with good support from their families had higher levels of hope. Conclusions: The study findings showed moderate to high levels of hope among Iranian cancer patients. Accordingly, the role of spiritual/religion, family members and health care workers should be considered in developing care plans for these patients.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.117-143
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• 2017

This study empirically analyzed the factors that intensify the unequal distribution of relational goods through the decomposition of relational gaps and the actual condition of relational goods. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, the average time for forming a relationship with family members or others is 158 minutes in 24 hours a day. Second, tobit regression analysis showed that relational goods time increased as they were employed, more family members, and ownership of their home. On the other hand, relational goods decreased when they were female, double-working, aged, divorced, and increased working time. The increase in household income decreased family relational goods, but increased the time with others. Based on the results of this analysis, this study proposed reduction of working time as a way to increase the happiness by sharing the relationship with meaningful people.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.1 s.79
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• pp.253-269
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• 2006

This study examined the economic structure of male one-person households, and investigated how it differed by male's age and marital status. Specifically household incomes, expenditure patterns, assets, debts, and other demographic variables were compared by age and marital status. From the 2000 National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure conducted by Korea National Statistical Office(KNSO), 1,389 male one-person households were selected. The findings of this study were as follows: First, the economic status of male one-person households was unstable. They were more likely to depend on labor incomes and transfer incomes, and had less property incomes and total assets. Their average propensity to consumption was higher than that of general households. Second, the economic structure of male one-person households showed large differ+useholders in age 50s allocated $48\%$ of household expenditure to the non- consumption categories, especially child or (ex)spouse support payments. The economic status of householders in age 60s and over was inferior to those of the other groups. Third, there were considerable differences in the economic status of male householders who had different marital status. Divorced and separated males had higher incomes and expenditures, but assigned large portion of their incomes to the non-consumption categories. Widowers' level of economic living, such as incomes, expenditures, and assets, was the worst among male one-person households.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5593-5596
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• 2014

Background: The objective of this study was to determine a diagnostic classification scheme using a decision tree based model. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a retrospective case-control study in Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran during 2001 to 2009. Data, including demographic and clinical-pathological characteristics, were uniformly collected from 624 females, 312 of them were referred with positive diagnosis of breast cancer (cases) and 312 healthy women (controls). The decision tree was implemented to develop a diagnostic classification scheme using CART 6.0 Software. The AUC (area under curve), was measured as the overall performance of diagnostic classification of the decision tree. Results: Five variables as main risk factors of breast cancer and six subgroups as high risk were identified. The results indicated that increasing age, low age at menarche, single and divorced statues, irregular menarche pattern and family history of breast cancer are the important diagnostic factors in Iranian breast cancer patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the analysis were 66% and 86.9% respectively. The high AUC (0.82) also showed an excellent classification and diagnostic performance of the model. Conclusions: Decision tree based model appears to be suitable for identifying risk factors and high or low risk subgroups. It can also assists clinicians in making a decision, since it can identify underlying prognostic relationships and understanding the model is very explicit.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.185-195
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• 2002

This study examined the psychological aspects of a single life with particular focus on the personality ＆ emotional characteristics, the social ＆ behavioral characteristics, marriage, happiness, and sex of singles. The sample consisted of 160 single male and female aged 30 to 49. The results of the questionnaire survey showed that the singles tended to be self-centered, especially when they did not have a plan to get married, and that most of the singles in the 30s wanted to have a friend of the other sex. In the view of marriage, young, male singles were more likely to form a family than old, female singles. Also, female singles, bereaved or divorced, were shown to have fear about marriage and negative attitudes toward marriage more than male, never-married singles did. Regarding the extent of happiness, old, female (rather than young, male) singles tended to be more satisfied with a single life. Besides, old, religious singles were less likely to feel lonely than young, unreligious singles. In addition, it appeared that college-graduated singles had rather liberal view on sex although singles generally showed rather conservative toward sex in this study. Therefore, the findings reveal that singles were self-centered, social, positive view on marriage, somewhat happy of a single life, and having a conservative attitude about sex. Further understanding of a single life in modem society is needed in future studies.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-67
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• 2008

The study analyzes divorce rates in Korea and makes suggestions for the future research of divorce rates. Based on the data from Korea Statistical Information System (KOSIS) of the National Statistics Organization, trends for divorce rates change and the relations between divorce rates and macro environmental factors are analyzed. Macro environmental factors include socioeconomic factors such as, Korean War, Vietnam War, oil shock, IMP economic crisis and gross national income (GNI), whereas demographical factors include population structure, rates of female labor participation, and geographical location. The principle characteristics of divorce rates are as follows: 1) the Crude divorce rates (CDR) and the number of divorced had been increased from 1970 to 2004, then the trend changed to a decrease; 2) the slope of the change were the highest during 1998 to 2004 after the IMP economic crisis. The relations between socioeconomic factors are as follows: 1) during the war there was a small increase of CDR for a short period of time; 2) the economic crisis of the nation tend to increase the CDR, while the IMP economic crisis had a strong impact on an increase of CDR because of the interaction effect among the population structure, women's sex role changes as well as the level of standard of living. The increase in CDR from 1990 to 2000 can be explained partly by the population of baby Boomers passing through their marriage and divorce process. The number of population residing in the rural area and the middle class households, and the mobility of population also had an impact on the divorce rates changes. The recommendations for the future research were as follows: 1) the need to develop new divorce statistics that are based on a marriage cohort or a birth cohort because family behavior is a mixture of personal, social and political responses, and because CDR is not an accurate measure of divorce rate since it was influenced by population structure; 2) the need to include micro personal factors as well as macro social factors in a model to find an interaction effect between those variables.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.25 no.3 s.87
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• pp.1-23
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• 2007

This study provides basic materials that assist in marital counselling and marital therapy intervention through its analysis of the effects of marital communication and marital intimacy on psychological well-being and its systematic focus on middle-aged married men and women of social interest and importance. The subjects of this study were married men and women, aged 40 to 59, living in the metropolitan areas of Seoul and Kyeonggi; the study excluded those who were divorced, bereaved or whose last child was in over high school, but included those who were separated or in a second marriage. A total of 396 people, 134 men and 262 women, were included in the study. The major findings of this study are as follows. First, middle-aged married men recorded higher levels of marital communication and marital intimacy than middle-aged married women. While women showed higher levels of depression than men, there was no difference between men and women in terms of overall life satisfaction. Second, there were differences in marital communication, marital intimacy, and psychological well-being among middle-aged married men and women according to background variables. Third, marital communication and marital intimacy were shown to affect the life satisfaction of both middle-aged married men and women. Of the two, marital communication had more the influence. Marital communication also had the biggest influence on levels of depression among both middle-aged married men and women.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.77-95
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors related to leisure time to understand middle-aged one-person households. Data are from the recent survey of lifetime use in 2014 by Statistics Korea(N=1,138). Middle-aged one-person households aged 40-59 years were categorized into four groups by marital status (unmarried/married/widowed/divorced). Major results were found as follows: First, the total leisure time per day was 238 min in the middle-aged one-person households. The majority of the total leisure time was spent on 'fellowship & leisure activities'(204 min on weekdays, 283 min on weekends). Especially, time spent on real-time TV watching hours was the longest, as long as 89 min on weekday and 150 min on weekends. Second, gender differences were significant in terms of leisure time use in the middle-aged one-person households. Females spent less time on leisure than their male counterparts on both weekdays and weekends. In addition, gender differences related to marital status were significant. Third, on weekdays, the determinants of leisure time use among the middle-aged one-person households were health and type of employment for 'participation & volunteer activities', and gender, age, marital status, and type of employment variables for 'fellowship & leisure activities.' On weekends, time spent on 'participation & volunteer activities' were influenced by marital status, residential area, and type of employment, while time spent on 'fellowship & leisure activities' were significantly related to gender, type of employment, type of job, holiday system, and income.