• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2003

Objectives : To assess the distribution of social support, and explore its effects on self-rated health status in a low income neighborhood of Seoul, Korea. Methods : In September 2001 we conducted a survey in a low income neighborhood of Seoul, Korea, in which 862 residents, aged 18 years or over, participated. We measured the general sociodemographic characteristics, self-rated health status and social support with the instrument developed from Korean translation of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support survey (MOS-SSS) scale of the US. Logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of social support, and explore its effects on self-rated health status. Results : Lower social class, women or divorced people had much less social support compared to higher social class, men or those never married, respectively. Those families on much lower income also received less social support. Social support has a positive impact on the self-rated health status, which remains statistically significant even when other relevant variables are adjusted. Conclusions : This study suggests that social support has an important role in health, and the socially disadvantaged have lower social support. Therefore, to improve the health status of the poor, it is necessary to encourage community participation, and develop strategies that could strengthen their provision of social support.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.129-142
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• 2008

This study examines how economic and psychological characteristics affect the quality of life (QoL) of elderly individuals age 60 and older, who live in the Seoul-metropolitan area. Relationships among socio-demographic status, economic conditions, psychological characteristics, family life, health status, and QoL are examined by t-test and ANOVA(Duncan's test as post hoc multiple comparisons), and the multiple regression analysis is used to estimate QoL determinants in the elderly. The major findings of the study are as follows. First, younger age, higher education levels, better health status, harmonious family relations, higher levels of household income, lower levels of loneliness, and higher self-esteems are related to higher QoL levels. Second, the impacts of factors on QoL are differentiated according to tercile groups that divide monthly allowance of respondents into three categories: below normal (threshold amount below 21MW), near normal (threshold amount between 21MW and 35MW), and above normal (threshold amount above 35MW). For each tercile group, poor health status or higher loneliness have negative effects on QoL, while harmonious family relationship has a positive effect. For the below-normal group, years of education or self-esteem have positive effects, while age or retirement status have negative effects when controlling for other factors. For the near-normal group, being married, or perceived financial insecurity create lower QoL levels, while higher self-esteem increases QoL levels. For the above-normal group, being widowed, employed, or retired have positive effects on QoL, when controlling for other variables. Third, even among elderly with high allowances, the effects of health status and family relationship are significant determinants that explain QoL levels. This result suggests that, for te elderly, poor health status and poor family relationships severely decrease QoL in later life, regardless of economic condition.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.35-50
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and financial status of credit delinquents utilizing the debt management program of the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service between January-June in 2007. Total sample of 41,355 cases was analyzed using the statistical program SPSS(Version 12.0). For analysis, descriptive statistics, F-test, Scheffe test, t-test, logit analysis and regression analysis were employed. People in the age range of 30-40s, males, high-school graduates, married couples, part-time employees, costfree residents and residents in other regions were relatively high users of the debt management program. Reasons of credit delinquency were diverse and was combined to credit default. However, increases in expenses and income reductions were found to be the most frequent reasons. Financial conditions of delinquents were worse than those of average persons shown on the national statistics. It was also found that age, sex, educational level, occupation, region of residence, home-ownership, reason of delinquency, income and total outstandings of debt were significant determinants of short-term debt burden which was measured by the ratio of monthly payment to income and long-term debt burden which was measured by repayment period.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to identify factors that predict suicidal ideation and depression according to gender among Korean adults. Method: From the data base of the fifth Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey(KNHANESV-1, 2010), data on 4,894 adults aged 19~64 were used. Data were analyzed by application of the Rao-Scott Chi-Square test and logistic analysis with SAS 9.2. Results: Overall, 8.5% of men and 18.1% of women had suicidal ideation during the last year; 7.5% of men and 17.0% of women had depression during the last two weeks. Risk factors for suicidal ideation include perceived high stress(OR male 3.649, female 2.941), depression(OR male 10.109, female 6.033), poor cognition of health status(OR male 8.115, female 6.664), low economic status(OR male 1.898), and low educational status(OR female 1.631). Risk factors for depression include perceived high stress(OR male 2.678, female 3.686), suicidal ideation(OR male 9.925, female 6.022), non-employed(OR female 1.525), married(OR female 2.392), and physical discomfort(OR female 1.545). Conclusions: Based on the above mentioned results, risk factors of suicidal ideation and depression differed according to gender. Development of various policies and appropriate intervention programs according to gender, that lessen the risk of suicidal ideation and depression for adults is needed.

• CELLMED
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.21.1-21.5
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to determine the type-2 diabetes risk status of the individuals applying to the internal diseases outpatient clinic and the affecting factors. This descriptive study was conducted on 500 individuals who applied to the internal diseases department of a hospital in Ordu Turkey, between May and June 2010 without diabetes diagnosis. The questionnaire form and Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Form are used to collect the data. For the evaluation of data; independent samples t-test and One-Way Anova are used to evaluate the data. It is determined that the type-2 diabetes risk an score of the individuals participating in the study is $10.4{\pm}5.5$ and 32.4% of them have low type-2 diabetes risk score, 26.6% have slightly elevated score, 18% have moderate score, 16.6% have high and 6.4% have very high type-2 diabetes risk score. It is found that the type-2 diabetes risk mean score of the women participating in the study who are adults, are married, have low education level, are unemployed, are non-smoker, do not drink alcohol and do not have any information about type-2 diabetes is statistically significantly high (p < 0.05). It is determined that 16.6% of the individuals participating in the study have high type-2 diabetes risk and 6.4% have very high type-2 diabetes risk.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5377-5381
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in quality of life in patients who received breast conserving surgery (BCS) or modified radical mastectomy (MRM) for breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 women with breast cancer who underwent either BCS or MRM between September 2011 and April 2012 at a private health center and completed their chemotherapy and radiation therapy cycles were included in the study. To assess the quality of life, we used a demographic questionnaire, the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Quality of Life assessment in Breast Cancer (EORTC QLQ-BR23). Results: Using QLQ-C30, we found that patients who underwent BCS had better functional status and fewer symptoms than patients who underwent MRM. In QLQ-BR23, independent factors improving the functional scales were BCS, higher level of education and marital status (married); independent factors improving symptoms were BCS, higher level of education, younger age and low and normal body mass index (BMI). In QLQ-C30, independent factors affecting the functional and symptom scales were only BCS and higher level of education. Conclusions: We determined that patients who received BCS had better functional status and less frequent symptoms than patients who underwent MRM.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.911-931
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• 2010

This study was conducted with objectives to assess consumption structure of the elderly households in Korea, focusing on the difference of consumption structure depending on the poverty status and family type. The results of this study show that the poor elderly households have primarily consumed the necessary goods for health care, food, clothing, and shelter. Especially, the poor single elderly living alone and married couples living independently(or alone) have been in the serious unbalanced consumption status. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the support schemes to help the consumption of necessary goods should be introduced to improve their economic well-being. The support schemes to promote their social role as consumers should be also introduced.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.242-251
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore leisure constraints and the strategies to overcome leisure constraints of career women, and to examine the difference in leisure constraints and leisure constraints negotiation strategies between married and unmarried career women. In Seoul, a total of 440 career women selected using the cluster quota sampling method participated in the current study. Finally, 433 responded data with the exception of 7 unreliable surveys were employed for the analyses such as frequency, exploratory factor, reliability analysis, and t-test. Main findings were as follows; First, six factors including interpersonal, intrapersonal, time, expense and information, environmental, and physical constraints were extracted for career women. Environment and time commonly constrained their participation in leisure activities the most. Second, five factors including skill acquisition, finding alternative activity, control intensity, finding partners, and financial and time management strategies were extracted for them. Third, there were the differences in time and physical constraints between two groups and married career women's constraints were higher than singles. Finally, there was the difference in skill acquisition strategy and married career women's it was higher than the other group.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.7219-7226
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of 22 selected variables for the sexual quality of life(SQOL) of married men and women in their 40s in an effort to lay the foundation for the development of intervention programs geared toward promoting the sexual health of married middle-aged men and women. The selected variables were eight demographic ones, eight sex-related ones and sex marital relationship ones. The subjects in this study were the visitors of four different health examination centers in Seoul. Two of the health examination centers were located in the region of Gangnam, and the others were located in the area of Gangbuk. After a survey was conducted from January 19 to March 5, 2015, the answer sheets from 187 respondents who were aged between 40 and 49 were analyzed. As a result, academic credential(p<.05), health status(p<.001), duration of marriage(p<.01) and monthly mean income(p<.01) were identified significant demographic variables to affect the sexual quality of life. Among the sex-related variables, the level of sex knowledge(p<.01) and exposure to pornography exercised(p<.001) and the husband's participation in delivery(p<.001) had a significant influence the sexual quality of life. All the variables of marital relationship that were marital dilemma(p<.05), the frequency of sexual relations(p<.001), love toward the spouse(p<.001), overall family harmony(p<.001), nonsexual communication(p<.001) and sexual communication(p<.001) had a significant impact on the improvement of the sexual quality of life. In conclusion, the variables of marital relationship were found to have been more important factors to affect the improvement of the sexual quality of life than the demographic and sex-related ones.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2009

This paper uses a survey data to analyze the age-specific fertility rates, age-specific cumulative fertility rates, and ages of marriage of the five birth cohorts of Korean women born in the 1940s and thereafter. It was found that later cohorts reach their highest age-specific fertility rate at higher ages than earlier cohorts. The age-specific cumulative fertility rates of the 1950s and 1960 cohorts were found to be much lower than those of the immediately preceding cohorts, while those of the 1970s and 1980s cohorts were not different from those of the 1960s cohorts. Women belonging to later cohorts were found to get married at relatively higher ages. The estimation results of the hazard model show that women belonging to later cohorts and those with more schooling have a tendency to get married at higher ages. The effect of the birth cohorts is thought to be due to the economic, social, and cultural changes in Korea during the late 50 years or so. The time interval between a woman‘s marriage and first birth was found not to be affected by either the year of marriage or that of her birth. Also, those who remained employed for some time around their marriage and those with low schooling were found to have a lower first child birth hazard, which implies that married women’s employment status and family income play an important role in their decisions on childbirth.