• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.569-581
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine factors affecting self-rated health status among the elderly in urban areas. The study subjects were 390 persons aged 65 years and older who had lived more than 5 years in D city. Interviews from the questionnaire were conducted from June through August 2016. The distribution of self-rated health status was rated in terms of dependent variables, with odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals calculated using unconditional logistic models. As a result, 67.2% of the study subjects answered that they were healthy, whereas 32.8% were unhealthy. In the logistic regression analysis, disability and lowered IADL greatly lowered self-rated health status. The group without an occupation, living expenses from governmental subsidies, frequency of relative contents is seldom, anxiety is high, subjective sleep quality is low, satisfaction of daily life is low, had low levels of self-rated health status. Above results suggest that the self-rated health status of the elderly in urban areas is closely related to sociodemographic characteristics, physical health status, social activity participation, and psychosocial factors.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.329-352
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• 2009

This study examined life in old age and images of the aged perceived by middle-aged and old-aged generations through indepth interviews with 30 persons aged 40s through 80s residing in three areas (city or county) in capital region in Korea to use it as basic information in planning social welfare policy and reorganizing social services in response to population aging in capital region in Korea. In terms of economic life of the middle-aged and olde-aged generations perceived older people's opportunities for work were rarely given to the aged due to ageism and negative stereotypes of aging and the aged, and the aged tended to regard themselves less able or unable to work. In terms of social life of the aged both middle-aged and old-aged generations perceived that the frequency of social participation was low, and the daily life of the aged was found mostly aimless, unorganized and unplanned. In terms of psycho-social life of the aged both generations still felt that they were not alienated from the family, neighbors, and the society. In terms of social welfare services both generations thought the aged needed basic services such as income maintenance, health care, housing services, and particularly they felt lack of social services. The old-aged generation was willing to travel to the distance taking more than one hour to receive social services that they would need. Both the middle-aged and the old-aged agreed upon the necessity of preparation for old age and the benefits of earlier preparation, however, they said that they could not prepare for their old age due to lack of social programs to help preparation for old age and due to spending for rearing and education of their children. In terms of perceived life in old age both middle-aged and old-aged generations tended to be slightly positive, but the degree of positiveness differed between respondents from urban area and those from rural area regardless of generations. Images of the aged were perceived to be overwhelmingly negative while positive images were very few in number regardless of generations. This finding may suggests that negative stereotypes on aging and the aged are also prevalent in Korean society like in Western societies. Based on findings of this study some implications for social policies in response to population aging in capital region were suggested.