• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.44 no.1 s.215
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• pp.59-74
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• 2006

As an exploratory inquiry prior to developing a measure to assess Korean families with adolescents' family resilience, this study examined the construct validity of the family resilience measures that were developed in the U. S. Iowa Youth and Families Project(Conger & Elder, 1994): emotional support between spouses, problem solving style between spouses, and parenting behavior. The participants were 277 pairs of middle aged, middle class husbands and wives (554 individuals) who were the parents of first graders in middle schools in the metropolitan areas around Seoul. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity, indicating that emotional support, problem solving style, and parenting behavior may be used as measures to assess Korean family resilience. However, further tests of convergent validity using various assessment methods and analytical procedures are needed to ensure the construct validity of family resilience measures.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.615-626
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate caregiver burden and health related quality of life (HRQoL) among male spouses who cared for partners with a stroke. Methods: The subjects were spouses of 121 female patients who visited the neurology outpatients department in one tertiary hospital located in Seoul between February and April in 2011. Results: The mean age of the male caregivers was $71.25{\pm}5.51$ years. The mean score of caregiver's burden was moderate ($63.28{\pm}9.85$). The average reported caregiving time was $58.48{\pm}5.51$ min/day with the male spouses spending more time in house-working than with caregiving activities. The reported depression and care giving time, plus the cognitive status and functional dependencies of the spouse were significantly related to male caregiver's burden. The mean scores of 'physical health' and 'mental health' for quality of life for the male caregivers was moderate (47.49 and 47.33 respectively). Overall, caregiver's burden has a negative effect on the HRQoL of male spouses. Conclusion: Caregiver's burden and HRQoL are important problems which are in need of nurses' attention. It is suggested that intervention programs for male spouses be developed with a focus on emotional and social support as well as education about the caregiving role.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.39
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• pp.322-349
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• 1999

The purpose of the study is to investigate kinds of social support provided by various types of family members, relationships between types of family support and personal variables of the elderly and structural variables of the family network, and the relationships between family support and depression of the elderly. Here, family included a spouse, sons and daughters and their spouses, grandchildren, siblings and parents of an older person. Social support consisted of emotional, instrumental, financial help and social companionship. Two-hundred-eight older persons of age 60 years and over were interviewed. The main results of the study were as follows: an older person's spouse tended to provide more for emotional support, sons for financial help, daughters-in-law for instrumental support, and daughters for emotional and financial support. Some elderly were also provided for emotional support by parents and siblings. Possibility of daughters-in-laws and grandchildren as support providers was also verified. Various factors among personal and network-structural characteristics were significantly related to many types of social support provided by various types of family members. In general, while younger female elders, elders with good IADL ability or more frequent contacts with family members tended to have social support from more family members, support from daughters-in-law was provided to the elderly with less functional abilities. Various types of social support from a spouse were significantly related to depression level of the elderly. Their depression level was more related to whether or not sons and daughters-in-law exist rather than whether or not they provide social support. Practical methods to increase family support for the elderly were discussed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.375-384
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to identify the amount of social support and quality of life perceived by elderly people in rural areas and to examine the relationship between social support and quality of life in an effort to provide the basic data for effective nursing intervention to enhance quality of life among elderly people. Data were collected from a sample of 220 elderly people aged over 60 from a stratified probability method from one rural area in South Jeolla province from Aug. 15 to Sep. 15, 2002. For data collection, pre-educated researchers visited the participants' homes and surveyed them face-to-face. The statistical analysis was performed using the SAS program along with t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation. The findings were as follows: 1. The most socially supportive people they answered were Spouses (57.28%), followed by children, friends/neighbors, in descending order. In terms of satisfaction about social support, the subjects felt the most satisfaction from spouses, followed by friends/neighbors, children, in descending order. 2. The participants' perceived social support was 26.0 and the highest score was 108.0 out of 125. Also, the average score and average grade point was 81.7 and 3.35, respectively. A comparison of the average grade points per items within sub-areas of social support revealed financial aid(3.56), informative support(3.34), emotional support (3.27), and evaluation support(3.22). 3. Their perceived social support had statistically significant differences in terms of how much they earned (F=18.56, p= .00001) and whether they had family members living together (F=2.68, p= .0512), quality of life had statistically significant differences in terms of how much they earned (F=35.34, p= 0.00001). 4. The quality of life they perceived was the lowest score 47.0, the highest score 196.0, average score 145.7, and average grade points 3.28. A comparison of the average grade points per items within sub-areas of quality of life revealed neighbor relationships(3.97), self-esteem(3.49), family relationships(3.35), economic conditions 3.12), physical health (2.98), and psychological health(2.74). 5. The relationship between the amount of the subjects' social support and quality of life was significantly correlated (r=.696, p< .001). The findings revealed that social support for elderly people in rural areas was a greatly effective factor on their quality, of life. Also, it was shown that the larger the social support for the elderly, the greater the quality of life for them. Therefore, it is necessary to foster geriatric nurse specialists and develop nursing intervention programs connected with health care and social wellbeing in order to enhance the quality of life of elderly people in rural areas. Also, it is necessary to develop effective models for community and its applications, which will playa leading role for elderly people.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.107-127
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine demographic characteristics, psychological characteristics and patterns of supportive relationships with their children that affect the successful lives of the elderly. A survey was conducted of 410 people aged between 65 and 85, and 405 samples were used for the analysis. First, the supportive relation between the elderly and their children was categorized into four groups depending on the total amount and direction of support. The four groups consisted of the elderly who exchanged little or no support, those who only received support from their children, those who only gave support, and those who both gave and received support. Second, the more the elderly exchanged support and gave emotional support to their children, the better the chance that the elderly would lead a successful life in later years. Third, subjective health conditions most significantly affected the successful lives of the elderly who exchanged little or no support. The level of education was most significant for the elderly who only received support. The level of housing satisfaction mostly affected the elderly who only gave support. Mutual support primarily affected the elderly who both gave and received. Thus, we should provide health programs for the elderly who exchange little or no support to encourage a healthier lifestyle. In addition, opportunities for continuing education should be provided for the elderly who only receive support to make up any deficiency in education. Because spouses are mostly affected for those elderly who exchange little or no support and the elderly who only receive support, we should provide educational programs about how to be better lifetime companions to each other and also provide medical and in-home care for the remaining spouse even after the other partner is gone. Because housing satisfaction greatly affects the elderly who only give support, improvements in the residential environment are essential. Since the level of mutual support is crucial to the elderly who both give and receive support, programs on the development of human resources are needed for the elderly to interact dynamically and intimately with their children.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.291-307
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• 2009

This study investigated the family network of elderly and its effects on the subjective life satisfaction in Rural Area. In order to classify the family network, the authors used the analysis technique of social network including to a spouse, children and grandchildren. In addition, the authors described basic characteristics of family network on the family type, interaction frequency, and interaction content. And then family network typified four types by K-means cluster analysis method according to characteristics of family network and examined difference on life satisfaction of the elderly persons according to the type of family network. The major results were as following. First, the elderly did contact his/her children often, emotional support revealed that highest support expectation of elderly. Second, The family network of elderly could be typified four types ; 'relation estranged type', 'children-grandchildren centered type', 'family dependent type', 'couples centered type' and statistically significant difference showed in life satisfaction according to each type. The result, in the 'couples centered type', the life satisfaction was highest; on the contrary, 'relation estranged type', it was lowest. Third, Influencing factors on life satisfaction of the old person were economic conditions, physical conditions, education level, sex, more frequent contacts with grandchild, emotional support expectation of spouses. The results of this study suggest that social welfare political and institutional efforts are needed to improve the relationship between older persons and their children, grandchildren and spouses and life satisfaction of the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.384-395
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• 2000

This study examined burdens of primary family caregivers, and family functioning of patients with cancer. In addition, the relationship between two concepts was assessed to develop nursing intervention to reduce the burdens of caregiving, and to improve family functioning. Ninety-two primary family caregivers of patients with cancer at a general hospital in Seoul participated in this study. The patients with cancer aged from 19 to 84 years with a mean age of 51 years, and sixty-one percent were male. About 30 percent of the patients suffered liver and billiary tract cancer. Fifty-six percent of the primary family caregivers were spouses of the patients and 70.7 percent were women. Primary family caregivers' burdens were assessed by the Burden Scale originally developed by Zarit (1980) and Novak & Guest(1989) and modified by Jang (1995) for use in Korea. The instrument consists of six subscales: time-dependent burden, developmental burden, physical burden, emotional burden, social burden, and financial burden. Family functioning was assessed by the Family APGAR developed by Smilkstein(1978). The results were as follows: 1. The average burden score was 86.1, indicating a moderate level of burden. The time-dependent burden scored highest followed by developmental, physical, social, financial, and emotional burdens. The mean score of family APGAR was 9.71; among subjects 82.6% were included in dysfunctional families. 2. Of the characteristics of patients, age, gender, number of admissions, and job were found to be associated with the level of burden. There was no significant difference between patient characteristics and family functioning. Of the characteristics of primary family caregivers, caregiver's perception of patient prognosis was significantly related to the level of burden, and family functioning. Caregiver's sex and age were also related to family functioning. The quality of relationship between a patient and a caregiver was significant situational factors affecting the level of burden, and family functioning. In addition, the income of family, and help from other family members were related to the level of burden. Given the results, it is essential to develop nursing intervention to reduce burden and to improve family functioning, such as support groups.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.253-274
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• 2008

The link between work life and family life is an essential subject matter in understanding the lives of dual-earner couples. Concepts of spillover and crossover explain the link between work and family. The present study examines both the positive and negative aspects in these processes. The data come from the Sloan Working Families Study conducted by the Alfred P. Sloan Center on Parents, Children, and Work and NORC at the University of Chicago. The Experience Sampling Method employed explores directly the daily life experiences of the participants. The data were analysed using t-test. Both spillover and crossover were found in the lives of dual-earner couples in this study. Men and women brought happy emotions at work to home, but the data provide limited support for spillover of negative emotions. Gender differences were more apparent in examining the process of crossover. Men appear responsive to the positive and negative emotional experiences their spouse brought home while women were found not to be responsive to their spouses' positive emotional experiences at work. Furthermore, the analysis revealed an interesting trend concerning the emotions of working couples in that they generally seem to recover to their average level of emotions once home. This suggests that home can be a respite from strong emotions, a comforting place. By looking closely into the emotions experienced by working parents in their daily lives, this study adds contextual understanding concerning the link between work and family life. The findings on the effects of positive experiences at work invite social work practitioners and researchers to further investigate the phenomena of spillover and crossover processed in greater detail, taking into account this contextual aspect of family life as well as the work life of dual-earner couples.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.811-835
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• 2018

Social relations and cognitive function in old age are closely related to each other, and social relation is classified into structural characteristics and qualitative characteristics reflecting cognitive and emotional evaluation. The concept of social isolation is the focus of attention in relation to the social relations of old age. Social isolation has a multidimensional theoretical structure that is divided into objective dimension such as social network, type of furniture, social participation, and subjective dimension such as lack of perceived social support and loneliness. There is also a close relationship between cognitive function and interpersonal conflict in old age. In this study, we examined the effect of subjective social isolation, which shows the structural characteristics of social relations, and subjective social isolation and interpersonal conflict on the dementia occurrence by age group in the elderly. The data were analyzed by applying a random effect panel logit model using 1,740 panel data from the first year to the third year of KSHAP. The results of the analysis are summarized as follows. First, the cognitive impairment increased sharply with age. Objective and subjective social isolation were both U-shaped distribution with an inflection point of 80 years old. Second, the main effect on the probability of cognitive impairment was statistically significant with objective and subjective social isolation, but the type of interpersonal conflict did not appear to be significant. Third, the results of two-way interaction effect analysis on the probability of cognitive impairment are as follows. The relationship between subjective social isolation and the probability of occurrence of cognitive impairment was significantly different according to the level of conflict with spouse. In addition, the higher the subjective social isolation, the higher the probability of cognitive impairment in the elderly(over 85) than in the young-old(65~74). In addition, as the level of conflict with spouses increases, the probability of cognitive impairment of the oldest-old(aged 85 or older) is drastically lower than that of the young-old(aged 65~74). Based on the results of this study, policy and practical implications for reducing the cognitive impairment of the elderly age group were suggested, and limitations of the study and suggestions for future research were discussed.