• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.23-36
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aims to define the relationships between the sensory, cognitive and physical functions of young-old and old-old individuals. Methods: Participants were 10,451 elderly individuals aged 65 and above, raw data of a 2014 National Survey on Korean Older Persons was used. To investigate the relationships among the sensory, cognitive, and physical functions, a structural equation model was used. Results: The key analysis results are summarized as follows; 5% had poor vision function(young-old 3.5%, old-old 7.1%), 3.8% had poor auditory function(young-old 1.7%, old-old 6.7%), 33.0% had decline in cognitive function(young-old 30.9%, old-old 35.7%), 3.6% were disabled(young-old 1.6%, old-old 6.3%) and cognitive function influences physical function more greatly than does sensory function. Additionally, in the young-old groups, vision among sensory functions, attention among cognitive functions, and IADL among physical functions, turned out to be the most influential. However, in the old-old groups, auditory function among sensory functions, orientation among cognitive functions, and IADL among physical functions, turned out to be the most influential. Conclusions: This study implies that functions in the young-old and old-old individuals must be considered with all three functions-sensory, cognitive, and physical-together at the same time and that this comprehensive approach is necessary in national policy making.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.159-184
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• 1988

Race and ethnicity are important factors which influence the elderIy's residential adjustment behaviors, although it is unclear whether this reflects influences unrelated to race and ethnlcity. Culturally, the norm of family supportoften obseved among various minority ethnic groups is likely to provide flexible family suppof for the elderIy. Economically, the life-long hardship ofminority groups is likely to force them to maintain extended family living arrangements simply to reduce expenses via economies of scale. Thecontroversy about the economic need versus the cultural prescription forextended living arrangements remains unresoIved because it fails to articulatethe meaning of family supports among many disadvantaged groups.This study aims to test previous economic and cultural arguments, byexamining ethnic differences iu the eiderIy's responsiveness to their health andeconomic problems. Two hypotheses about cultural influences on the elderly's resideutiai adjustment are examined. First, do elderly minorities receive famiiysupporis for longer periods when they are poor if economic and health status\ulcorner Second, do elderiy minorities receive family supports more often when their health status declines\ulcorner Using the Longitudinal Suvey on Aging from 1984 to 1990. this study employs Markovian multi-state life tables, and discrete and contonuous competing hazard analyses for the transition in living arrangements. The main results provide substantial evidence against the cultural resource thesis. Elderly minorities experience more frequent transition between living alone and living with relatives than white elderly persons when group differences in the extent of mortality and insititutionalization are controlled. The shorter timf of living alone among elderly monorities stems from their greater likehood of joining relatives as well as greater mortality and attrition rates than elderly whites. Coresidence of elderly whites with their relatives is more likely to occur in response to their needs for health care than of elderly whites. it implies that instability. not flezibility. characterrizes elderly minorities living arrangements.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.247-260
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• 2018

This study examined the mental health status (depression, cognitive impairment and dementia) and its association with the related factors in the elderly people who were admitted from long-term care insurance. The study subjects were 1,488 people (male 740, female 748) aged over 70 years of age who had been recognized for long-term care insurance services in the years 2011~2014 from the National Health Insurance Corporation. The data collected from the National Health Insurance Corporation set forth a lifestyle questionnaire, itemized health screening tests, and long-term care as recognition data for research purposes. As a result, depression, cognitive impairment, and dementia of subjects increased significantly with age. As a multiple logistic regression result, the risk ratios of depression, cognitive impairment, and dementia, which indicated the mental health status, were significantly higher in women than in men, in the lower body weight group than in the overweight group, in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group, and in the drinking group than in the non-drinking group. These results suggest that the mental health status (depression, cognitive impairment, and dementia) of subjects decreased with increasing age, particularly the group with poor health related behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and regular exercise, indicating that the mental health condition is lower than in the good group.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.903-913
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the content analysis of daily tooth cleaning service records by caregivers in a long-term care facility. Methods: The data were analyzed by qualitative research based on content analysis of the daily records of the processes and results of daily tooth cleaning service. Twenty caregivers provided tooth, gum and denture cleaning service after breakfast, lunch, and dinner to 48 elderly residents. The study lasted about two weeks(from August 4 to August 20, 2014). The researcher reconstructed the language by repeatedly reviewing the caregivers statements in the records. The content categories were derived from the records through a reiterative manual comparative analysis. Using constant comparison method, reconstructed meanings were incorporated into various meanings and reanalyzed by final categories called as analytic coding. In order to validate the reliability, 6 times of discussion made the common meanings through a master's degree student and a dental hygiene professor. Results: The caregivers identified lack of understanding and ability to recognize the functional physical and mental changes in the elderly. The elderly had difficulty in recognizing silent communication and daily tooth cleaning. The caregivers were so strenuous in taking care of the daily tooth cleaning service for the elderly. At last, they gave up the daily tooth cleaning service and took on it to the guardians. They found that there was no social supporting network for oral health of the elderly residents. Conclusions: Caregivers had insufficient understanding of the functional physical and mental changes in the elderly residents, and they had difficulty providing daily tooth cleaning service to the elderly due to poor skill and abilities.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.179-194
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• 1991

Despite its universal coverage of health insurance, the rural health insurance program(RHIP) stands at the crossroads in Korea. The RHIP has weaknesses in stability of financing, problems of inequities in the provision of health services and has suffered from high cost of running the program. The author has analyzed these problems from the perspective of health insurance policy and presented several options for improvement. First of all, this study urged the importance of a firm Governmental commitment of RHIP with the 50% subsidization of contributions as the Government had promised, instead of the current 40%. This can be justified from the 20% subsidization by the Government for the contributions of private school teachers and their dependents, who belong to richer segments of the population. Second, various cost containment measures ought to be sought curbing the rising demand for medical through strengthening health education and increasing individual responsibility, and tightening the claim review process. Third, this study requires the Government to run a demonstration project on the introduction of case payment system for primary health care. Fourth introducing an income-related cost sharing scheme is another possibility. Reforming the cost sharing formula for large medical expenditures is recommendable for a beginning. This measure can take the form of tax credit for medical expenditures of the poor. Fifth, the degree of financial adjustment among health insurance plans should be levelled up for enhancing stability of RHIP and social solidarity. Sixth, health policy should be redirected toward development of rural health resources and higher priority should be put on relieving difficulties in access to care. Seventh. the insurance plan owned-hospital needs to be developed or provision of health services in the medically underserved areas, and the need of such facilities is particularly acute for geriatric care, rehabilitation and renal dialysis, etc. Eighth, more generous insurance benefits are required of the elderly who are suffering the most : elimination of the maximum 180 days of benefit period and provision of glasses and artificial dentures, etc. Ninth. the economies of scale principle is working for the operating expenses of regional self-employed insurance plan. Thus, measures should be instituted to pursue an optimum size of health insurance plans. Lastly, excessive dependence on exclusion items is an evil so that some radical remedies are urgently required to cut them.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2015

Objectives: Korean elderly people are known to consume diets high in carbohydrates low in vegetables compared to other age groups. This study evaluated the chronic disease risks and nutritional status in this group based on the percentage of energy from carbohydrates and the frequency of vegetable intake. Methods: Using the 2007~2009 Korean National Health Nutrition Examination Survey data, except those who were undergoing treatment for chronic disease, final 1,487 subjects aged 65 and older were divided into 4 groups: moderate carbohydrate energy ratio of 55~70% and low frequency of vegetable intake defined as less than 5 times per day (MCLV), moderate carbohydrate ratio and high frequency of vegetable intake more than 5 times (MCHV), high carbohydrate energy ratio above 70% and low frequency of vegetable intake less than 5 times (HCLV), and high carbohydrate ratio and high frequency of vegetable intake more than 5 times (HCHV). All data were analyzed after the application of weighted value, using a general linear model or logistic regression. Results: More than half of Korean elderly consumed diets with HCLV, and this group showed poor nutritional status and lower frequency of intake of most food items, but with no risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease or anemia probably due to low intake of energy. On the contrary, MCHV group with a high percentage of energy from fat and protein showed the highest intake of energy and most nutrients, the highest frequency of intake of most of food items and a tendency of high risk of abdominal obesity, being followed by the MCLV group. Meanwhile, HCHV group showed a tendency of high risk of hypertension, followed by HCLV group with low frequency of intake of vegetables compared with the two moderate carbohydrate groups. Conclusions: The results suggested that the percentage of energy from carbohydrate and the frequency of vegetable intake affected the nutritional status, but not significantly affected the risk of chronic disease in Korean elderly. Further studies using more detailed category of % energy from carbohydrates and of type and amount of vegetables with consideration of individual energy intake level, excessive or deficient, are needed to confirm the results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.317-322
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• 1987

The Purpose of this study· was to investigate the dietary intake and health for male and female old persons living in Young Dong by mean of questionnaire and interview. The results from the above survey are summerized as follows ; 1. The aged average height, weight, and physical index were 166cm, 60kg, 19.31 in male, 156cm, 50kg, 20.27 in female which were almost the same as the Korean average standard (male; 167. 0cm, 61. 0kg, 21.8, female; 156cm, 53.0kg, 21.8). Among the condition of diseases, neuralgia was 45.3%, hypertension was 12.2%, constipation was 10.4%. 2. Correlation coefficients between systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and age were significant(P<0.05, P<0.01), and also those between systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and Body Mass Index were significant(P<0.01, P<0.005). 3. Correlation of food intake frequency of protein group, calcium group, vitamin and mineral group was divided three levels-Good, Fair, Poor. Food intake frequency as the factors(three groups) which might influence the condition of health was partly significant (P<0.05, P<0.1).

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.194-201
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the distribution of diagnostic disease among applicants for shoulder musculoskeletal disease. Methods: In 2020, 47 diagnostic disease applicants were investigated for sociodemographic, health, work, job, and diagnostic disease characteristics. The data were corrected through on-site visits and analyzed using descriptive statistics with SPSS WIN23.0. Results: Most of the applicants were male and elderly. They had high blood pressure(38.3%) and diabetes (21.3%), and the drinking rate and smoking rate were also high. The most common type of employment was daily workers, and it was confirmed that the working condition was poor due to excessive working hours and short rest times. Most of the applicants for shoulder diagnostic diseases were in the construction industry, and the most common diagnostic disease was a rotator cuff tear. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop a musculoskeletal disease prevention program suitable for construction workers to reduce their work-related disease. When establishing a program, business type, task, and diagnostic disease must be considered.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.601-614
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the present conditions and problems of oral health care in senior citizens with dementia using a qualitative research method, through focused group interviews. Methods: Data was collected for approximately one month from May 2019. The subjects were divided into two groups: care workers and family caregivers. Fifteen participants were included in the study. Results: In-depth interviews with the care workers revealed the following three categories: characteristics of senile dementia patients, oral health care in senile dementia patients, and oral health care education. In-depth interviews with the family caregivers revealed the following four categories: characteristics of senile dementia patients, oral health care in senile dementia patients, oral health care education, and burden of care. The central themes common to both the care workers and family caregivers were the challenges owing to the characteristics of senile dementia patients, poor health condition of the senile dementia patients, difficulty in oral health care of the senile dementia patients, the desire to receive oral health care education and related information, and to access the information more easily. Additional central themes specific to the care workers were, the applicability of the intervention programs, variability between the facilities, and the problems of oral health care education. An additional central theme specific to the family caregivers was the burden of care. Conclusions: It is necessary to provide oral health care education and information to care workers and family caregivers of senile dementia patients, and to manage and support the dental health professionals ready to care for senile dementia patients. In addition, support to the family caregivers should not be limited only to the financial aspects, but also consider the psychological and emotional difficulties.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.331-341
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• 2021

This descriptive study was conducted to examine self rated health and factors influencing self rated health among e-cigarette smoking young and elderly community residents. The data were from the community health survey 2019 and the subjectis were 2,607 participants aged 19-50 years. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive statistics, χ² test, univariate multinominal logistic regression using SPSS 26.0 program and SPSS complex samples statistics. As a result of the study, 90.2% of the young and old e-cigarette smokers had a good subjective health condition and 9.8% had a poor subjective health condition. The factors affecting the subjective health status of e-cigarette smokers are gender(p=.006), age(p=.036), income level(p=.044) in Model I, and physical activity (p=.033) and stress (p<.001) in Model II. As a strategy to improve the subjective health status and quit smoking of e-cigarette smokers in the young and old, nursing intervention strategies are needed to increase physical activity and reduce stress.