• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.709-725
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• 2024

This study utilized the raw data from the Community Health Survey (2023) to compare differences in body function, activity, participation, environment, personal factors, and suicidal ideations between elderly individuals aged 65 and older living alone and those living with families in Korea. The study subjects consisted of 80,618 elderly individuals aged 65 and older. Cross-tabulation analysis χ²-test), independent sample t-test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted. The results indicated that for both elderly individuals living alone and those living with families, age(p<.001), smoking(p<.001), stress(p<.001), depression experience(p<.001), and falls experiences(p<.001) were risk factors that increased suicidal ideations. Conversely, educational level(p<.05), income level(p<.001), subjective health status(p<.001), social participation(p<.001), economic activity(p<.001), community environment(p<.001), and social relationships were protective factors that reduced suicidal ideations. These findings demonstrate that demographic characteristics and individual health status significantly influence suicidal ideation in the elderly, while social factors contribute to a decrease in suicidal ideation. Furthermore, considering the differences found between elderly individuals living alone and those living with families regarding hypertension and gender, differentiated interventions for suicide prevention are necessary.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.210-218
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the nutritional status of elderly individuals according to their household types and to investigate the predictors of their nutritional status. Methods: This study, which was a descriptive research study, involved physical measurements, surveys, and biochemical tests in 87 elderly individuals living in the community. Using SPSS/Win 24.0, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the general characteristics, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score, and biochemical indicators in elderly individuals according to the household type. Results: Elderly individuals living with family members had higher MNA scores than those of elderly individuals living alone, while showing lower levels of systolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors were MNA scores (odds ratio (OR)=1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.36-2.42), systolic blood pressure (OR=0.96, 95% CI=0.92-1.00), and fasting blood glucose (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.90-0.99). Conclusion: It was confirmed that elderly individuals living alone need differentiated nutrition intervention, since the results showed that they had lower nutritional levels and improper nutritional management than that in elderly individuals living with family members.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.809-817
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the unmet dental care needs of the living alone and living with family elderly groups to confirm the differences in their influence. Methods: Data from the Korea Health Panel Study of 2016 were used to analyze a total of 4,987 individuals: 4,008 in living with family group and 979 in living alone group. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS Version 22 (p<0.05). Results: We observed that 16.5% and 28.3% of the participants from the living with family and living alone groups had unmet dental care needs, respectively, indicating that the living alone group had more unmet dental care needs. Income level, residential area, and healthcare security were significant factors related to the living with family group. In contrast, medical aid for healthcare security was a significant factor related to the living alone group (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results confirmed that socioeconomic factors that affect unmet dental care vary according to the living situation. Therefore, the government should identify the number of elderly individuals living alone, which is increasing annually. These individuals are vulnerable in almost all aspects, and the government should establish and implement appropriate oral healthcare policies to support them.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.49-57
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between household types and suicide ideation among elderly people in Korea. We collected information on 220 elderly individuals(aging over 60), 171 of whom were living alone and 49 of whom were living with their families. The results showed that; 1) number of children, health status, level of stress, and depressive symptoms were all related to the suicide ideation among both groups, and 2) individuals living alone had lower sense of control, were more stressed, and more likely to suffer from depression. Based on these results, various implications were discussed and practical suggestions provided.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.889-897
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether there was a connection between oral health and memory loss in elderly individuals with no abnormalities in their daily lives and to identify factors affecting memory loss. Methods: This study aimed to identify an association between the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index and Subjective Memory Complaints for the elderly individuals living in the community. Results: The results of analyzing the oral health assessment according to the general characteristics of the study participants revealed that with increase in age, income (p=0.05) and oral health of the elderly living alone decreased compared to those living together in the family (p=0.05). Moreover, the lower the income (p=0.05), the higher was the memory loss for the elderly living alone than for the elderly living together with their family (p=0.05). Conclusions: The study identified a link between oral health of the elderly and subjective memory loss and observed that oral health, cohabitation, and income level were related to subjective memory loss. Therefore, oral health should be considered as a predictor of memory loss for the elderly.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.241-251
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• 2020

Purpose: This study investigated awareness of dying well, as well as attitudes and preferences toward advance directives (ADs), among elderly individuals who lived alone. Methods: The participants were 173 elderly people living alone. Data were collected from July 2019 to September 2019 using questionnaires on perceptions of dying well, awareness of advance directives, and general characteristics. Results: The majority of participants (68.2%) stated that they had never heard of advance directives. The information they requested to include in their advance directives mostly involved decisions on pain treatment, such as the use of analgesic drugs in the final stages of a terminal disease. Perceptions of dying well were statistically significantly different according to age and education. Conclusion: This study discussed the attitudes and preferences of elderly living alone regarding advance directives to provide basic resources for the systematic and active use of advance directives.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an arthritis self-management program on elderly women living alone in the community. Methods: This study recruited 36 individuals, who participated in the program once a week for six weeks at two community centers. The program consisted of muscle strengthening and flexibility exercises, health education on muscles and joints, and joint dance for aerobic exercise. The data collected were analyzed using the paired t-test and Wilcoxon rank test. Results: After six weeks, participants showed significant improvements in pain (t=3.03, p=.005), difficulties in activities of daily living (t=2.77, p=.010), health-related quality of life (t=-2.63, p=.014), flexibility of right shoulder (z=-2.42, p=.015), and balance (right leg, t=-2.63, p=.036; left leg, z=-2.36, p=.018). Conclusion: The results showed that the arthritis self-management program effectively improved outcomes for elderly women living alone. Thus, this program could be incorporated into various programs for elderly people living alone.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.495-510
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• 2014

This study examines the relationship between social support with adult children and neighbors on the life satisfaction of elderly individuals in rural areas. The analysis employed a sample of 764 elderly individuals residing in rural area. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, a t-test, and a multiple regression analysis. First, the respondents reported moderate life satisfaction. Those respondents living alone were less likely to report life satisfaction than those with a spouse. Second, the respondents were more likely to be in contact with their neighbors than their adult children. Third, the respondents were more likely to receive social support from adult children than provide it to them. By contrast, the respondents were more likely to provide social support to neighbors than receive it from them. Fourth, economic status and contact with adult children and neighbors had signigicant effects on the life satisfaction of the respondents. Gender, religion, economic status, health status, increased contact with adult children, and instrumental support to neighbors had positive effects on the life satisfaction of elderly two-person household.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.319-333
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• 2024

Background: This study aims to identify the factors that influence the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) for the elderly living alone and to discuss how to manage CHE for the elderly living alone. Methods: This study utilizes 6th (2016), 7th (2018), and 8th (2020) data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging to identify the incidence rate of CHE among the elderly living alone and conducts a panel logit analysis. The dependent variable is the incidence of CHE (thresholds: 10%, 20%, 30%), and the independent variables include demographic factors (gender, age group, region), socioeconomic factors (education level, economic activity status, income quintile, financial support rate from children), health-related factors (subjective health status, regular exercise, smoking, drinking, number of chronic diseases), and healthcare coverage factors (type of health insurance, private health insurance). Results: Descriptive statistics classified by gender show that female elderly living alone are more vulnerable than male elderly living alone in terms of disease prevalence and socioeconomic status. In addition, the incidence of CHE is higher for elderly women living alone than for elderly men living alone across all thresholds. The main results of the panel logit analysis show that higher education, income quintile, and financial support rate from children are associated with lower odds of CHE, while poorer subjective health and a higher number of chronic diseases are associated with higher odds of CHE. Medical aid recipients are less likely to incur CHE than those covered by national health insurance. Conclusion: The implications of this study are as follows. First, vulnerable elderly living alone with multiple chronic diseases and low income and education levels are more likely to incur CHE. Second, it is necessary to review policies such as a CHE support program and chronic disease management programs focused on vulnerable elderly individuals living alone. Third, the CHE support program should be operated in a patient-centered manner, with consideration given to a customized system for selecting and supporting elderly individuals living alone who are in need.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.141-150
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• 2022

Purpose : Community care occupational therapy is an integrated mediation method such as evaluating and mediating daily life activities, evaluating and modifying the environment, and providing information by visiting the home where the client resides. In this study, we examine the effect of implementing a community-care occupational therapy program on the levels of depression, quality of sleep, and quality of life of elderly individuals living alone. Methods : Among the users of organizations C and D located in City B, province A, South Korea, a total of 32 elderly citizens aged above 65 were chosen as the study subjects and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. For the experimental group, a total of 24 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, comprising a community-care occupational therapy program and each organization's own program, were conducted, with each session conducted twice a week for a total of 12 weeks. On the other hand, those in the control group participated in the existing programs of their organizations. Changes in the levels of depression, quality of sleep, and quality of life before and after the intervention were compared using the GDSSF-K, GQOL, and GQOL. Results : Overall, the levels of depression, quality of sleep, and quality of life were found to improve among the experimental group after the intervention. In a between-group comparison of the changes before and after the intervention, the experimental group was found to exhibit a more statistically significant difference than that of the control group. Conclusion : The results obtained in this study confirm that community-care occupational therapy programs have a positive effect on the levels of depression, quality of sleep, and quality of life of elderly individuals living alone. This implies that such programs may represent an effective solution for the problems of these individuals.