• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.141-148
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• 2006

Objectives : We wanted to evaluate the medical underutilization for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among Korean elderly men and we wanted to determine their associated factors. Methods : This study was conducted on 239 men with LUTS and 116 men with BPH who were compatible with the diagnostic criteria from a total of 641 participants. These participants were over 50 years old and they were randomly chosen in a community-based study for estimating the prevalence of BPH. Using a self-reported questionnaire, we surveyed the sociodemographics, health status, quality of life, lower urinary tract symptoms, medical utilization and reasons for not seeking treatment. Results : Only 27.6% of the men with LUTS and 31.0% of the men with BPH reported having visited a doctor for urinary symptoms. The reasons for not visiting a doctor were, in order of responses from the group with LUTS: 'considered the symptoms as a part of the normal ageing process', 'not enough time to visit a doctor', 'financial difficulty' and 'the symptoms were not severe or bothersome'. Regarding BPH, the responses were the same as those of the group with LUTS however, 'financial difficulty' placed second. Among the men with experience of visiting a doctor for urinary symptoms, 33.3% of those with LUTS and 28.1% of those with BPH were not treated. The most common reason in both groups was 'the symptoms were not severe to be treated'. On a multiple logistic regression analysis, the larger size household (odds ratio (OR) 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.40-6.54) and an unsatisfactory quality of life related with urinary symptoms (OR 2.98, 95% CI=1.23-7.21) were associated with medical utilization in the group of LUTS. For BPH, the current employment status was related with the medical utilization (OR 2.80, 95% CI=1.10-7.11), in addition to the larger size household (OR 3.24, 95% CI=1.14-9.21). Conclusions : Many men with urinary symptoms do not visit a doctor. This medical underutilization for people with LUTS and BPH may be associated with economic status in Korea.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• 제41권8호
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• pp.771-782
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• 2017

This paper describes the development of a wearable robot to assist ankle power for the elderly. Previously developed wearable robots have generally used motors and gears to assist muscle power during walking. However, the combination of motor and reduction gear is heavy and has limitations on the simultaneous control of stiffness and torque due to the friction of the gear reducer unlike human muscles. Therefore, in this study, Mckibben pneumatic muscle, which is lighter, safer, and more powerful than an electric motor with gear, was used to assist ankle joint. Antagonistic actuation using a pair of pneumatic muscles assisted the power of the soleus muscles and tibialis anterior muscles used for the pitching motion of the ankle joint, and the model parameters of the antagonistic actuator were experimentally derived using a muscle test platform. To recognize the wearer's walking intention, foot load and ankle torque were calculated by measuring the pressure and the center of pressure of the foot using force and linear displacement sensors, and the stiffness and the torque of the pneumatic muscle joint were then controlled by the calculated ankle torque and foot load. Finally, the performance of the developed ankle power assistive robot was experimentally verified by measuring EMG signals during walking experiments on a treadmill.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.380-390
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• 2017

This study examined the relationship between social support, social participation and physical functioning among older adults in community senior centers. The subjects of this study were 194 persons aged 60 years or older who participated in the senior center in K province and D city, from June 16 to June 30, 2016. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, T-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and structural model analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 and IBM AMOS 21.0. The result showed that the social support and physical functioning of the elderly in the community were above normal, and social participation was somewhat low. Interestingly, an analysis of the physical functioning between social support, social participation and depression revealed significant correlations. The factors affecting the physical health were 23.4% of the respondents who had a significant influence on social support and leisure activities. In addition, the result of structural model analysis showed that social support had a significant influence on the social participation, depression and physical functioning. Therefore, the results suggests that the development of educational programs and an age-friendly environment should be actively provided to older adults in the community by strengthening the physical function through social support for active ageing.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.405-415
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of frailty with perceived neighborhood walkability and environmental pollution among community-dwelling older adults in rural areas. Methods: The participants were 808 community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years and older in 2 rural towns. Comprehensive information, including demographics, socioeconomic status, grip strength, polypharmacy, perceived neighborhood environment (specifically, walkability and environmental pollution), and frailty, was collected from participants using face-to-face interviews conducted between June and August 2018. Perceived neighborhood walkability was measured using 20 items that were selected and revised from the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, the Neighborhood Walkability Checklist from the National Heart Foundation of Australia, and the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Survey. The Kaigo-Yobo Checklist was used to assess participants' frailty. Results: The overall prevalence of frailty in this community-dwelling population was 35.5%. Sex, age, cohabitation status, educational attainment, employment status, grip strength, and polypharmacy were significantly associated with frailty. In the logistic regression analysis, frailty was associated with low perceived neighborhood walkability (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.881; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.833 to 0.932; p<0.001) and severe perceived neighborhood environmental pollution (aOR, 1.052; 95% CI, 1.017 to 1.087; p=0.003) after adjusting for sex, age, cohabitation status, educational attainment, employment status, monthly income, grip strength, and polypharmacy. Conclusions: More studies are warranted to establish causal relationships between walkability and environmental pollution and frailty.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.311-316
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• 2018

Average life expectancy is getting longer due to medical developments and improvements in living standards. So much so that the elderly have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. Therefore, it is important to prevent, diagnose, and treat the senile disease at an early stage through a bone density test. Bone density is measured by dual energy X-ray absorption (DXA). In this study, while using DXA, in cases when the measurements for both the lumbar and the femur could not be taken simultaneously, the correlation between both measurements were known, and the measurement of one area was used to make a clinical inference for the value of the other. Measurements were taken using Lunar Prodigy Advance (GE) for 43 participant with clinically significant fractures. Statistical calculations were produced and analysed regarding bone density. In case of T-score, lumbar spine produced a statistical result of $-2.112{\pm}1.836$ and femur neck was $-1.716{\pm}1.565$. In case of Z-score lumbar spine produced a statistical result of $-0.151{\pm}1.513$, and femur neck $-0.026{\pm}1.283$. It is indicated that the pearson correlation coefficient of T-score between lumbar spine and femur neck is high at 0.699, and the pearson correlation coefficient of Z-score is considered relatively high at 0.503. The correlation of bone density between lumbar spine and femur neck is shown to be statistically meaningful in T-score's p-value at 0.000 and Z-score's p-value at 0.001. In conclusion, it seems to have clinical usefulness that we can infer the result of one measurement through that of the other part tested, based on the knowledge of the correlation coefficients between lumbar spine and femur neck.

• 한국노년학
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.127-140
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• 2010

This study aims to understand the effects of a Computer - based Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy(CBCRT) evidence based on mild dementia patients' ability to activities daily living(ADL), cognitive function and measure of occupational performance and to suggest basic data for a cognitive rehabilitation therapy for dementia patients. Method : A CBCRT was applied two times a week for 5 weeks to 14 mild dementia patients who visited Yongin Center for Managing Dementia in Gyeongi-do between February and August 2009. Based on frame of reference for Visual-Perception a CBCRT was applied at home. Moreover, a one group pretest-post test design was, which is a quasi-experiment and research, also applied in order to verify the effects of the rehabilitation therapy on the subjects' ability to ADL, cognitive function and occupational performance skills. Results: A significant effect was confirmed (p<.05) from the CBCRT which Assessment of Motor and Process Skills(AMPS) processing skills and cognitive function and occupational performance skills. Neither was found any significant effect in improving motor skills from AMPS. Conclusion: It seems that a CBCRT based on evidence and has an effect on the improvement of the ability to ADL and cognitive function of mild dementia patients living in a community. The present author hopes that, in the future, more cognitive rehabilitation programs will be developed to improve the functions of mild dementia patients living in a community.

• 한국노년학
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.1199-1215
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of job satisfaction among care givers. Finding out the determinants of job satisfaction among care givers, the dependent variables were defined 3 groups with 9 sub-factors, such as personal factors of growth needs and self-efficacy, job factors of job diversity, job autonomy, job importance, role clarity and workload, organizational factors of comradeship, education & training. For the study, data were collected form 479 care givers working in 52 care facilities of Chung Nam Province and analyzed them by regression analysis technique using the SPSS 20.0 statistical package. The results are as followings, job diversity, job importance, comradeship, education & training have positive effects on job satisfaction respectively, workload effects on it negatively, but growth needs, self-efficacy, job autonomy, role clarity no effectiveness on job satisfaction. Based on the results of study, theoretical implications are discussed for care givers to promote the job satisfaction and suggested the directions for further study. Further more, the findings provide the basic sources for care giver human resource management in long term care facilities which are suffering from recruiting of care giver, and it also contribute to successful management of long term care insurance system as a meaningful suggestion.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.63-71
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• 2019

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors affecting bodily pain in women in their middle to older age who are caregivers of stroke patients. Methods: This study selected 75 stroke inpatients and 75 female caregivers in their middle to older age from five hospitals in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. Measurements included general characteristics, cognitive function, upper limb function, and activities of daily living of stroke patients, and general characteristics and bodily pain for the caregivers. We used stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the factors affecting the bodily pain and Pearson's correlation analysis to confirm the correlation. Results: The factors affecting bodily pain in women in their middle to older age caregivers were the activities of daily living(${\beta}=-.489$, p<.001) and caregiver duration(${\beta}=-.309$, p=.003)($R^2=.276$). Correlation analysis showed that the activities of daily living, upper limb function, and cognitive function of stroke patients were significantly correlated (r=.434~.751, p<.001). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the functional level of stroke patients being cared for and the caregiver duration are important variables for reducing bodily pain in women in their middle to older age.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.477-483
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• 2018

Transcranial doppler is a non-invasive method that measures the blood flow velocity and the direction of cerebral blood vessels through the doppler principle. The pulsatility index is an index for measuring the transcranial doppler that reflects the distal vascular resistance and is used as an index for the presence and diffusion of cerebral small vessel diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors affecting the basilar artery pulsatility index in ischemic stroke patients. From January 2014 to May 2015, 422 patients were selected by measuring the transcranial doppler pulsatility index, considering their basilar artery pulsatility index. Univariate analysis was performed using the basilar artery pulsatility index as a dependent variable. Multiple regression analysis was performed considering the factors affecting the pulsatility index as variables. Univariate analysis revealed age, presence of hypertension, presence of diabetes mellitus, presence of hyperlipidemia, and hematocrit (P<0.1) as factors. Multiple regression analysis showed statistically significant results with age (P<0.001), presence of diabetes (P=0.004), and presence of hyperlipidemia (P=0.041). The risk factors affecting the basilar artery pulsatility index of transcranial doppler were age, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Further research will be needed to increase the cerebral pulsatility index as a surrogate marker of the elderly, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.194-201
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• 2019

This cohort study aimed to identify the effects of daily PM10 exposure on the hospital admission of patients with respiratory diseases, during the nine-year period (2002-2010), in Seoul, Korea. The research subjects were 13,974 patients who had been hospitalized with respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and pneumonia. During the follow-up period, an increase of 10 ug/m3 in PM10 under the threshold of 50 ug/m3 of PM10 led to hospital admission in 1.38% of the age group younger than 15 years, 1.62% in those 65 years or older, 2.87% in patients 75 years or older and in 1.50% of pneumonia patients, 1.51% of COPD patients, and 1.55% of pneumonia and asthma patients. Under the threshold of 80 ug/m3 of PM10, there was a 3.71% increase in new patients admitted in the age group 65 years or older and 4.25% in those at least 75 years old. Our study found that high PM10 was associated with increased risk of admission of respiratory patients, especially in the elderly. People who already have a respiratory disease should refrain from exposure to particulate matter when there is a high concentration of PM10, especially older patients.