• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2017

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality of life and stress level of the elderly living alone in their neighborhood volunteers. Methods Data collection was done from July 1 to October 1, 2015 and the data were collected by self-reported questionnaire at Nowon community in Seoul area in South Korea. The subjects were 146 older adults living alone agreed to participate in the study(accepted by IRB). The questionnaire was constructed with quality of life 26 items, 5-point Likert type scale(1-5), stress 15 items, 5-point Likert type. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results Socially isolated older adults had significantly higher scores ($3.7{\pm}.03$) in quality of life, moderate scores ($2.9{\pm}.03$) in stress. Conclusion The peer support undertaken by older community volunteers was effective in improving quality of life in socially isolated older adults. It is necessary to listen to the voice of elderly people living alone through the activation of volunteer groups in the community.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.242-253
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with physical activity in older adults living alone. Methods: This is cross-sectional, correlational study used secondary data from the 2019 Community Health Survey. The participants were 19,134 older adults aged 65 years or older and living alone. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the 𝜒² test, and linear regression with the SPSS/WIN 27.0 program. Results: The participants' average amount of physical activity was 1,359.32 MET-min/week; 50.7% were inactive, 38.6% were minimally active, and 10.7% were health-promoting active. Demographic factors that predicted physical activity were gender, age, education level and monthly income, whereas health behavior factors included subjective health status and high risk drinking (R²=.055, p<.001). Psychological factors were sleeping time, stress, depression and fear of falling, and social factors included social contact with neighbors or friends, and participation in social or leisure activites(R²=.070, p<.001). Conclusion: It is important to determine the level of physical activity in older adults living alone. Demographic characteristics, health behaviors, psychological factors, and social factors should be considered in the development of specific and integrated nursing interventions to increase physical activity in older adults.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.520-526
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• 2020

This study aimed to address the effect of poverty on depression and self-rated health in older adults living alone in Korea. In addition, this study identified the mediating effect of social participation on the poverty-depression and poverty-self-rated health relationships. The researcher conducted a secondary data analysis using the 6th wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. The final sample was 1,093 older adults living alone. Using structural equation modeling, standardized coefficients of each path were analyzed. Then, the statistical significance of the mediating effect of social participation was addressed via analyzing direct, indirect, and total effects. Results show that older adults under poverty were more depressed and had a lower level of self-rated health than their counterparts. Moreover, frequent participation in religious gatherings, social gatherings, and leisure activities decreased depression in older adults living alone. Moreover, religious gatherings, social gatherings, and alumni meetings were positively related to self-rated health om older adults living alone. Significant mediating effects appeared in poverty-social gathering-depression, poverty-social gathering-self-rated health, and poverty-alumni meeting-self-rated health relationships. Based on the results, the researcher also discussed implications for social work practice.

• 한국노년학
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.25-48
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• 2021

This study intended to examine the willingness to use as well as necessary functions for ICT-based care assistance devices in older adults living alone. A total of 241 older adults living alone from a city participated in the study. Study results show that many older adults living alone are willing to use ICT-based care assistance devices at their home and the functions of care assistance devices that they perceived as necessary were diverse. In addition, there were differences in perception of functional necessity by socio-demographics and medical and functional characteristics of older adults living alone. In particular, there were significant differences in the functions perceived as necessary according to the presence of osteoporosis, depression, insomnia, and limitations in daily activities. Our study findings suggest that the functions of ICT-based care devices should be developed in various ways in order to help healthy aging in place. Findings also imply that it is necessary to provide individualized services and customized care assistance devices according to individual's medical and functional characteristics and needs.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine factors that affect poor quality of life (QOL) of older adults who received home health service. Method: The sample 492 older adults participated in the study. The QOL was measured using the scale of QOL of Ware and other data were collected through face-to-face interviews from September to August, 2009. Results: The level of QOL was moderate (Mean 24.4, SD 7.4). The QOL was poorer in older adults (p<.05) and in those living alone (p<.01) compared to older adults and those living with couple or family respectively. The QOL was positively correlated with a sense of mastery (r=.213, p<.05), connection of health (r=.160, p<.05) and a cognitive function (r=.119, p<.01), and negatively correlated with Activities of Daily Living (r=-.266, p<.01) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (r=-.339, p<.01). Sense of mastery, connection of health & welfare, and IADL were significant predictors of QOL. Conclusion: Finding suggest that home health service program should incorporate strategies for increasing sense of mastery and capability of performing IADL, and strengthening connection of health service that may improve QOL of older home health service recipients.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.302-316
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• 2023

Objectives: The study aim was to identify changes in the nutritional status of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic according to household income and demographic characteristics. Methods: Study participants were 2,408 adults aged 65 and over who participated in the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). To examine changes in nutrient intake levels resulting from COVID-19, data of 2019 and of 2020 were compared. Study participants were divided into three groups based on household income level to compare these changes. The changes were compared according to household income level, age group, and household type. Results: Percentages of recommended intakes for energy, protein, and most micronutrients were the lowest for the low-income group of both males and females in 2020. The Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) score was the lowest for the low-income group in both years. When comparing nutrient density for 2019 and 2020 by income group, the male low-income group experienced a decrease in nutrient densities of vitamin A, thiamine, calcium, and iron. For the same group, a decreased percentage for energy intake from protein was noted. Fruit intake was lowest in the low-income group for both males and females. Low-income males had the lowest intake levels for meat, fish, eggs, and legumes in both 2019 and 2020 and the lowest milk and milk product intake levels in 2020. Older adults living alone or single older adults with children had lower MAR scores than those living with a spouse. Older adults living alone experienced decreases in energy and thiamine and iron intake levels in 2020 compared to their intake levels in 2019. Conclusions: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nutrition intake levels worsened for older adult males in the low-income group and older adults living alone. This finding shows the need for a more systematic nutritional support strategy for the vulnerable older adults population in national disaster situations.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.659-668
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• 2016

Purpose: This study utilized secondary data and investigated the factors associated with life satisfaction by living arrangements among community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older in Korea. Methods: A total of 2,134 participants were selected from the 2014 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: The significant factors associated with life satisfaction in older adults living with others were education level (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41~2.11), place of residence in medium-size city (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.25~1.97), place of residence in rural town(OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19~1.95), depression (OR 2.99, 95% CI 2.43~3.68), frequency of contact with neighbors (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10~1.76), and social participation (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14~1.93). In contrast, factors associated with life satisfaction among older adults living alone were education level (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.15~3.24) and depression (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.48~4.19). Conclusion: These findings indicated that nursing interventions for improving life satisfaction among older adults should take into account their specific living arrangements.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.415-427
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• 2019

This study examined the effects of eating with others on depressive symptoms among the community-dwelling older adults by family arrangement, using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 7th (2016). A total of 1,233 older adults aged over 65 was included in this analysis. Eating status (alone / with others) and family arrangement (living alone / living with family) were dichotomized based on the original questionnaire. Among 955 older adults who live with family members, 855 persons (89.5%) eat together and 100 persons (10.5%) eat alone. Among 278 older adults who live alone, 86 persons (30.9%) eat together and 69 persons (69.1%) eat alone. Regression analysis controlling for demographic and health related factors, eating with others was significantly related to lower levels of depressive symptoms in the group of older adults who live with family members (β = -1.663, p <.001), while there is no statistical significance (β = -0.856, p = .148) in the counterpart. Therefore, various types of community-based programs need to be developed to encourage older adults to eat with other in their ordinary lives. It is also recommended that the community has to offer consistent care and support for the elderly particularly who live alone.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.343-351
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate social networks, loneliness, and sleep quality related to health-related quality of life in older adults living alone. Data were collected from 111 community-dwelling elderly. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regressions with IBM SPSS 26.0 program. In multiple regression analysis, physical component summary (PCS) was predicted by the level of education (β=.20, p=.020), social networks (β=.31, p=.012), and sleep quality (β=-.23, p=.011). The model including these variables accounted for 25.7% of the variance in the PCS. Mental component summary (MCS) was predicted by loneliness (β=-.37, p=.004). Loneliness accounted for 31.7% of the variance in the MCS. In order to enhance the health-related quality of life of the older adults living alone, the intervention program to resolve social isolation should be provided for them.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to develop a shared forest walking program and verify its effects on self-esteem, life satisfaction, and depression among older adults living alone in rural communities. Methods: Participants were assigned to an experimental or a control group, with 20 participants each. Data collected during August 1~3, 2022, before the program, and October 29~31, 2022, after the program. In this study, the shared forest walking program was conducted twice a week for a total of 24 sessions, with each session lasting one hour. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0, x² tests, and t-tests. Results: The experimental group participating in the sharing forest walking program showed higher self-esteem and life satisfaction than the control group, along with a decrease in depression. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences in self-esteem (t=5.97, p<.001), life satisfaction (t=7.78, p<.001), and depression (t=-7.58, p<.001). Conclusion: The shared forest walking program, developed based on the results of this study, improved self-esteem and; life satisfaction; and reduced depression among older adults living alone in rural communities. We propose the development of a continuous program to assist older adults living alone in underprivileged rural areas to experience retirement with reduced depression, increased self-esteem, and enhanced life satisfaction.