• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.115-127
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the food habits and nutrient intake, among the elder according to their Sasang constitutions. The investigation group was composed of 79 elder men and 117 elder women in Sungjugun Kyungsangbukdo. Data were collected from 1 July, 2002 to 31 July, 2002. In conclusion, diet habits and nutritional intakes were poor in the elderly older than 65 years of age so that they need regular food intake habit and balanced nutrition to obtain enough nutrients to maintain healthy lives. And the following suggestions are made. Firstly, multi-directional studies are needed to improve nutritional intakes, prevent diseases, and improve quality of life in the elderly. Secondly, in-depth studies are needed with various and more people related with Sasang constitutions. Thirdly, we need to screen for risk factors of poor nutrition in each constitution for systemic maintenance of nutritional status and health management in the ever increasing elderly population. For this purpose, an objective investigative tool befitting the situation in Korea should be developed. Fourthly, comparative studies on diet habit and nutritional status are needed by investigating the relationship between Sasang constitutions and diseases. Fifthly, food menu should be proposed according to Sasang constitutions to be utilized as basic data of longevity study.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2007

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal variables and quality of life in elderly women. Methods: The study subjects were 22 in experimental group and 21 in the control group, all of who were aged 65 years and over. The subjects in the experimental group were under an exercise program 3 times a week for one year. To assess the effects of exercise in the study group, blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile, bony metabolism, grip strength, flexibility, reaction time, and quality of life were measured. Results: Exercise showed the significant differences between experimental and control groups on the variables of the diastolic blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol, urinary deoxypyridinoline, flexibility, and quality of life. Compared to before the exercise in the study group, the urinary DPD level and quality of life were significantly improved at 3 months, and diastolic blood pressure, serum HDL-cholesterol, and flexibility were significantly improved by 1 year. Conclusions: The study results underscore the efficacy of exercise and the need for regular exercise programs that are designed for older persons.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.1-16
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• 1997

This study was carried out to find out general characteristics and health-related be haviors of elders aged 60 or over and factors related to their activities of daily living, and thus to contribute to their health maintenance and promotion. The subjects were 200 elders who had resided at An-Dong city and participated in this study. To collect data, the field survey was conducted from December 13 to 23, 1996 with structured questionnaires by 6 trained student interviewers. Chi-square test, t-test and Pearson's correlation were used for data analysis by use of SPSS/$PC^+$ program. The major findings were as follows; 1) In the individual characteristics of the respondents, the average age were 73.6 years old. 21.5% of the subjects were 60-69 years old, while 27.5% were 70-74 years old, 25.0% were 75-79 years old, 26.0% were 80 years old or over. 2) For the degree of the subject's perceptive health condition, the aver age 3.39 point and standard deviation 1.09. The perceptive health condition of the subjects was in the mid point range of health condition. 3) 46.6% of men and 25.8% of women practiced exercise regularly for their health maintenance and promotion. 4) For the degree of the subject's perceptive health condition, the difference by sex was not statistically significant. 5) 51.8% of men and 60.2% of women has idea for interventions to health promotion program by rehabilitation services.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.73-95
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• 1997

Elderly problem from being aging society, especially health related problem of the elderly is very serious in many parts of this country. The reason is that most of geriatric disease are chronic and debilitating. The cause of chronic and debilitating disease are bad lifestyle and wrong health habit. Health is affected by a result of interaction of environment and human being. Because of difference of lifestyle between a city and a farm village, health behavior and health status of urban elderly and rural elderly may be dissimilar. Thus the purpose of this study was to grasp health behavior and health status, to identify the factors that effect on health status of the elderly. The subfects for this study, 488 persons aged 60 and over who live in Seoul or Cheonbuk Province. The preliminary survey was carried out from Aug. 19, to Aug. 22, 1996. With complement of questions, main survey was carried out from Sep. 29, to Oco. 10, 1996. The data was analysed by using in SPSS/PC+ program. The results were as follows. 1. General Characteristics 1) In the individual characteritics of the respondents, Seoulites aged 80 and over were 24.7%, the average age was 73.14 years old and rural residents aged 60-69 were 63.7%, the average age was 68.90 years old. In Seoul, 142 men and 101 women were respondents. In Cheonbuk Province, 101 men and 144 women were answered. In Seoul, those who graduated form elementary school were 35.4%, in farming region, illiteracy persons were 44.9%. In Seoul, 47.7% of respondents had spouse and in farming village, 66.1% of respondents had spouse. 39.0% of respondents who's imcome type was independent were Seoulite, and 66.1% of respondents who's income type was independent were rural residents. Employed persons in Seoul and in rural region were 16.9% and 62.0%. 2. Health Behavior 1) For the health behavior total score, the difference by region was not statistically significant. But the score of individual item was different and statistically significant. 2) For the Seoulites, younger person(p〈0.01), the female(p〈0.001) showed better health behavior and for the farming village residents, younger person(p〈0.01), the female(p〈0.01), independent income type(p〈0.05), employed person(p〈0.05) showed better health behavior. 3. Health Status 1) For the self-rated health status total score, the difference by region was statistically significant and individual item score was different and statistically significant. For ADL and IADL total score, the difference by region was not statistically significant, but individual item score was different and statistically significant. 2) For the Seoulites, woman(p〈0.05), lower education(p〈0.00l), independent income type(p〈0.05) showed higher score in self-rated health status. For rural residents, woman(p〈0.05), lower education(p〈0.01), independent Income type(p〈0.001) showed higher score in self-rated health status. For the Seoul residents, younger person(p〈0.001), employed(p〈0.05) showed higher score in ADL and IADL, and for the farm area residents, younger person(p〈0.001), higher education(p〈0.01), having spouse(p〈0.001), family type(p〈0.01) showed higher score In ADL and IADL. 3) For the Seoulites, drinking(p〈0.05), breakfast(p〈0.05), exercise(p〈0.05) and for the rural residents, drinking(p〈0.05), deep sleeping(p〈0.05), exercise(p〈0.01), washing hands before meal(p〈0.01) showed higher score In self-rated health status. For the Seoulites, deep sleeping(p〈0.05), exercise(p〈0.05) and for the farm village residents, fruit(p〈0.05), deep sleeping(p〈0.05), exercise(p〈0.001) showed higher score in ADL and IADL. We carried out this study to analyze the effectiveness through health education program in short term which was performed to use the special subject activities. This study was conducted on 63 students who were first grade in S Junior High School from Dec. 1995 to Feb. 1996. To analyze the effectiveness, we performed the Pretest, 1st Posttest, and 2nd Posttest for learned health knowledge. The results were as follows: 1. Most of the students(69.8%) responded that their health were good, and they got the information for health through Mass Com.. The students who had experience of health education were 15.9%, and the 77.8% of the respondents needed the health education. 2. The means of health knowledge on tests were 18.2(Pretest), 21.5(1st Posttest), and 21.4(2nd Posttest). Increase of health knowledge between Pretest and 1st Posttest was 10.9%. 3. The mean of differences between Pretest and 1st Posttest was 3.26, it was significant(p〈0.01). And the mean of differences between Pretest and 2nd Posttest was 3.19, it was significant(p〈0.01);however, the mean of differences between 1st Posttest and 2nd Posttest was not significant(p=0.2514). 4. The significant main contents were Health Facilities(d=0.42), Pregnancy and Labor(d=0.39), Hygiene(d=0.35), Safety Education(d=0.66), and Drug Abuse(d=0.60)(p〈0.01).

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 2009

Objectives: This study was conducted to find out the frequency of urinary incontinence among the rural elderly people and its related factors. Methods: Informations have been obtained through interviews from the 464 rural residents of advanced age over 65 years on September 1st through November 30th, 2007, in Chungnam Province. Results: As for the rate of experiencing urinary incontinence, the group with the experience rate of 「every day」 were 9.5% and 「occasionally」 35.5%, with the total of 45.0%. The higher rates of urinary incontinence were in the elderly women(58.5%) than in the elderly men (29.8%), in the more advanced in age, in the higher educated, and in the groups with higher monthly income. Based on life styles, the rate of experiencing urinary incontinence was significantly higher in smoking groups and non-drinking groups. Based on subjective senses of health, it was more highly associated with the groups who reported that they were not healthy, that they concerned themselves about health, that they had physical disability, that they had forgetfulness, and they needed assistance in terms of activity of daily living(ADL) and instrumental activity of daily living(IADL) than their respective counterparts. By the result of multiple logistic regression, sex, age, smoking status, anxiety, physical disability, amnesia, and IADL was indicated the affecting factors to the prevalence of urinary incontinence. Conclusions: The above results reveal that the rate of urinary incontinence was higher in the elderly women than the elderly men, and in more advanced age. Moreover, its rate increases in the groups with undesirable life styles or lower senses of subjective and physical health conditions. It is highly suggested that efforts to manage urinary incontinence of the elderly need to be narrowed to the more advanced, especially those with lower standards of health conditions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.536-545
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• 1998

Background: The studies on prediction equations of pulmonary function parameters for adults in Korea have been performed in a reference population mainly consisted of young and middle ages. So they included a relatively few elderly who conducted pulmonary function test frequently in clinic. We established prediction equations of pulmonary function parameters for healthy adults over 50 years old in rural area and compared this results with those of other studies. Therefore we attempted to consider normative values of pulmonary function tests for elderly in Korea. Method: Five hundred thirty-three women and men over 50 years old in rural area were participated. A "healthy" subgroup of 110 women and 32 men were identified by excluding those who had conditions that negatively influenced pulmonary function. We derived prediction equations for FVC, $FEV_1$ and $FEV_1%$ by multiple linear regression method from their age, heights and weights in each sex. Results: Prediction equations for FVC and $FEV_1$ in each sex were derived as follows Male; FVC (L)=0.02488Height(cm)-0.0269Age(years)+0.493 $FEV_1(L)$=0.01874Weight(kg)-0.0282Age(years)+2.906 Female; FVC(L)=0.02160Height(cm)-0.0192Age(years)-0.0125 $FEV_1(L)$=0.01720Height(cm)-0.0194Age(years)+0.3890 Prediction equations for $FEV_1%$ were not derived because $FEV_1%$ didn't have statistically significant terms. Comparing Predicted values that were calculated by substitution into the equations of various studies of mean values of age, heights and weights from this study, FVC and $FEV_1$ values in men of this study were lower than those of other studies. In women, FVC and $FEV_1$ values of this study were as similar as or lower than those of the study conducted for healthy elderly blacks in U.S.A respectively. Conclusion: We have got prediction equations of pulmonary function parameters which were driven from forced expiratory spirogram in adults over 50 years old in rural area. Predicted values of this study were lower than those of other studies which were conducted in Korea. So we consider that the study for spirometry reference values for elderly Korean using the method compatible with ATS recommendation need to be conducted more frequently forward.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2004

Objectives: We investigated the factors related to health examination behaviors, sociodemographic aspects and lifestyles of elderly persons with different social backgrounds, and compared sexual and regional differences in urban and rural elderlies. Methods: The total study subjects(464 individuals) from urban(236) and rural areas(228), recruited by a stratified cluster random sampling were interviewed and examined about their sociodemographic profiles, daily lifestyles, subjective health status, conditions concerning use of medical resources, hearing acuity, visual acuity and ADL(activity of daily living), and whether they receive health examination or not. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test was used for sexual and regional comparisons among the groups who have been given a health examination and the one who have not. Results: In urban areas, the rate of having underwent health examination was 54.5% in men and 46.9% in women, and in rural areas, it was 59.8% in men and 42.7% in women, showing its higher rate in men than in women in both areas. For regional differences between the group who have taken a health examination and the one who have not, there was a significant difference in terms of age, family pattern, current job, monthly household income, owning a house, drinking status, eating habit, subjective health status, whether they have taken outpatient medical service for the recent 3 months or not, anxiety for the health, and IADL conditions according to whether the community is rural or urban. In multiple regressions, the influential factors on the health examination behaviors were selected such as having their own house, their family doctor, amnesia, urinary incontinence and chronic disease in urban districts. But in rural districts, the variables were selected such as having or not of their family doctor, urinary incontinence, anxiety for the health, educational level, their own house and chronic disease. Conclusions: It is suggested that the approach to the health examination of an older patient requires substantial consideration of highly variable individual sociodemographic characteristics involving regional attributes as well as their daily life styles, subjective health status, status of performing health examination, physical health status and ADL conditions.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.31-49
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• 2008

This study has been performed to explore verbal and behavioral expression of sexual desires among male elderly residents who have been living in long tenn care facilities. There are three topics covered in this study; first, in what situations and how seriously do care workers encounter expression of sexual desires of the elderly residents? Second, what kind of negative consequences do they believe those sexual behaviors will lead to? Third, how can we implement defensive measures against the sexual behaviors? In this study, twenty three care workers working full time in five retirement and care facilities were asked about their experience and perception of the above study agendas, and answers of the qualitative interview were drawn as follow; first, the elderly residents apparently show a variety of sexual harassment and provoking behaviors such as sticking to specific women, physically touching and attacking, and induce obscenely activities against female residents, care workers, and volunteer visitors. Second, their sexual behaviors are often influenced by their isolated and abandoned emotionality as well as living situation in rural areas. Third, their sexual behaviors often critically affect care work plan and facility managements by severely discouraging female care givers and community supporters. Therefore in this study, suggestions and defensive measures were made as follows: first, education and counselling programs toward female workers and volunteers need to be developed, and the programs should cover psychological and behavioral mechanism of sexuality in later life. Second, self control plans need to be empowered toward the elderly residents; in the plans, the elderly residents shall be encouraged to evaluate primary cause and proper solutions of sexual behaviors of their peering residents. Third, combination of healthy housing and care facilities for frail elderly need to be integrated in a neighboring location, so that when residents and workers encounter extreme episodes of sexuality of healthy residents in a housing facility, the problematic sexual residents are partially transferred into a neighboring care facility and thereafter other residents and cafe givers are relieved from stressful contacts with the extremely sexual residents.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1377-1392
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning and essence of leisure activities experienced by older females in rural communities and, in reference to that, to provide basic data to help develop health-promoting nursing intervention programs by investigating the indications of leisure and its effects on older individuals' life process. The qualitative research method of van Manen's Hermeneutical analysis and Phenomenological research are useful to study the true meaning and nature of experiences inherited from their language, belief, culture and social traditions. Consequently, the leisure that the women from the rural community were found to have experienced came down to a total of seven themes or activities: (a) to overcome loneliness through social interaction and get-togethers; (b) to achieve balance between body and mind by engaging in physical activities; (c) to try and help ease the burden on one's children; (d) to simply kill time; (e) to find oneself small pleasures; (f) to learn something new and feel proud; and (g) to live one's life as maintaining communication with the outside world. The study herein confirmed that the female elderly in rural area spend their free time on appreciating the nature, maintaining health and social interaction and hanging around with the peers of similar age to overcome economic woes and the feeling of estrangement unique in the social and economic context of rural communities.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.263-273
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• 2006

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the trend of health statue of the elderly living in rural area according to drinking patterns. Methods: This study was conducted with 2,421 elderly people (male 1,273 and female 1,148) residing in the selected 25 villages, with exclusion of a few elderly people who were in hospital, out for a long time or had an unknown address. This study were carried out, face-to-face interviews with the subjects were made from January to March 2002. Results: The investigation of drinking state showed that for male subjects, drinkers accounted for 48.8%, nondrinkers 35.1% and abstainers from drinking 16.1%, whereas for female subjects, drinkers accounted 15.3%, nondrinkers 80.2% and abstainers from drinking 4.5%. The health status was analyzed according to drinking pattern. For elderly men, abstainers from drinking showed worse health state than nondrinkers and drinkers. Elderly women showed the same result. It is widely known that drinking are the important causes of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is needed to provide the elderly with education on control of preventable health risk factors and effect of living state on health, in order to prevent aggravation of health level of the elder population aged 65 and over. This will also help them promote their health. It will be desirable that for the elderly, the objective will focus on health promotion rather than treatment of diseases. Conclusions: Carry out health plan for rural communities and health maintenance programs and health promotion of the elderly in those communities shall be developed. In addition, preventive education and health examination shall be conducted more frequently with the elderly who drink but are still healthy.