• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2017

Objectives: Although the number of the oldest-old is rapidly increasing due to longevity, very little is known about the trajectory of depressive symptoms(DS) and its related factors among the oldest-old. Much less is known about whether the trajectory of DS differs by gender among the oldest-old. The current study aims (1) to estimate the trajectory of DS and (2) to examine whether the trajectory differs by gender among the oldest-old. Methods: Sample consists of 296 persons aged 85 and over who participated in the Korean Welfare Panel Study data. Data were processed using the latent growth curve modeling to estimate the trajectory and multi-group SEM to examine gender difference. Results: This study showed that (1) the trajectory of DS was increasing over time and (2) the DS trajectory of males was much more rapidly increasing than that of females, indicating male oldest old are more vulnerable to depression than female oldest old in later life. Conclusions: Given the fact that females are known to be more vulnerable to depression, the findings are counterintuitive to the previous knowledge on depression and gender difference. Based on the findings, implications for intervention and education related to DS among the oldest-old.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.83-108
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• 2010

This study aims to estimate the trajectory of outpatient medical service use and examine what factors are associated with the trajectory among older adults 60 and over with specific focuses on age variations. Using the first three waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study data, the trajectory and predictors were examined through the Latent Growth Curve Modeling and age variations were examined through the Multi-group Comparison Analyses. The research model was developed based on the Anderson Model. The results showed that study participants tend to increase outpatient medical service use with years. Individuals 75 or younger presented a much faster increasing rate of medical service use than those 75 and over. Similar to the findings of the previous studies, most predisposing factors, resource factors, and needs factors were found to be associated with the trajectory of outpatient medical service use. Needs factors were more closely associated with the medical service use trajectory than resource factors. With regard to age variations in predictors, few significant age variations were found. Based on the finding of the study, implications and future research directions were discussed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.37-60
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• 2019

This study was attempt to derive the aging trajectories of Korean elderly people and identify its characteristics. In particular, this study used the successful aging model of Rowe and Kahn as an analytical framework. Using the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA), this study applied group-based multi-trajectory analysis to identify multiple aging trajectories in sample of Korean elder aged 65~74(n=2,682). This study also used several demographic characteristics as baseline predictors to identify the characteristics of each aging trajectory. Five dimensions were analyzed in the multi-trajectory model: chronic disease, physical functional limitation, cognitive functioning, depressive symptom and social engagement. As a result of the analysis, five aging trajectories were identified: successful aging(17.8%), usual aging (33.9%), health declining aging(18.2%), pathological aging(7.9%), and aging with mild cognitive impairment(22.1%). In general, the odds of experiencing successful aging were high in men, low-aged, highly educated, high-income, and spousal elderly. On the other hand, for the elderly, who are under-educated, low-income, and high-aged, there was a high probability of experiencing a relatively difficult aging process. In particular, the odds of experiencing a mild cognitive impairment aging was high in older, lower-income women without a spouse.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.327-358
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze the trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability, and to identify the impacts of socio-demographic factors on the two variables. Based on the assumption that there are differences according to the progress of cognitive impairment, it focused on examining the differences in trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability between two groups: dementia conversion group and dementia non-conversion group among cognitively normal older adults. This study was conducted based on the data from a 3-wave panel study of a sample of 966 Yeoncheon elderly cohort aged 65 and over between 1997 and 2003. Latent growth curve model and multi-group structural equation modeling were used to examine the hypothesis. Results revealed that dementia conversion group exhibited faster rate of cognitive decline as well as lower initial cognitive level. Difference between two groups was not significant in the initial level of functional disability, yet dementia conversion group showed greater degree of deterioration in the functional disability over time than dementia non-conversion group did. In terms of the influence of socio-demographic factors on cognitive function and functional disability, the cognitive decline was more drastic in the female group, whereas functional decline was more apparent for the male group. The level of education in early life had a strong impact on the cognitive function in later life. Based on these findings, practical implication for high risk groups in cognitive function and functional disability were discussed.