• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.245-252
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• 2020

Background: Happiness is one of the most important indicators of health, wellbeing, and quality of life among older adults. The objective of the study was to investigate factors associated with happiness among senior citizens residing in rural areas using the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 3,149 senior citizens living in rural areas using secondary data from the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans. Happiness was measured by a single question and responses were recorded dichotomously. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed at a 5% level of significance. Results: In all, 64.5% of the participants considered themselves as happy most of the time in the last 1 week. In the study, socio-demographic factors did not predict happiness except age. Satisfaction with a health status, financial situation, relationship with children, cultural satisfaction, and satisfaction with friends and society were positively associated with happiness among senior citizens residing in rural areas of Korea. Odds of reporting happiness were higher among those who traveled in the last 1 year, visited elderly welfare centers, and were involved in voluntary work than among those who did not. Conclusion: Happiness among senior citizen was significantly associated with life satisfaction with regard to health, finance, relationship with family, friends and society, and social activity participation.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2012

Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for metabolic syndromes. We examined whether vitamin D deficiency altered the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older Koreans. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV 2008-2009 was used to examine the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the prevalence of CVD in a representative population-based sample of 5,559 men and women aged ${\geq}50$ years. CVD was defined as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or stroke. The prevalence of CVD (7.0%) in the older Korean population was lower than that in the older US population, although average serum 25(OH)D levels were much lower in the Korean population. Additionally, serum 25(OH)D levels did not differ significantly between the CVD and non-CVD groups. However, subjects in the lowest category (< 25 nmol/l) of serum 25(OH)D level had the greatest prevalence of CVD, about two-fold higher than subjects in the highest category (> 75 nmol/l), after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, education level, residence location, and region. The prevalence of other risk factors for CVD, including higher waist circumference, fasting glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, was also higher among subjects in the lowest category than among those in the highest category. In conclusion, low serum 25(OH)D may be an independent risk factor for CVD in older Koreans.

• Journal of Urban Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2019

This study examines the determinants of emergency care utilization and equity of access to care in elderly Koreans. Based on the data from the 2014 Korea Health Panel Survey, descriptive and logistic regression analysis was performed. The sample for this study was 1,313 individuals who participated in interviews. Predisposing factors such as age, sex, and education were significant determinants of emergency care utilization. Differences in need do not fully account for the original differences observed between subgroups of older Koreans. Health status was important determinant of older Koreans using emergency care services. Spending medical expense did not ameliorate the subgroup differences in the use of emergency care services. Nonetheless, spending medical expense remains a particularly important predictor of emergency care utilization. Health care reforms in Korea should continue to concentrate on insuring effective universal emergency care, implying that all older Koreans with need receive effective coverage. Future study is also needed to understand the access barriers that may exist for the selected demographic subgroups, i.e., those over 75, women, less educated persons, and those with higher medical expense.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.352-364
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Given the increasing proportion of the Korean population that is aged 65 years and older, the present study analyzed the relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia in elderly persons by using data from the 2008-2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data for 3,373 persons aged 65 years and over (men: 1,455, 43.1%) were selected from the 2008-2011 KNHANES. Sarcopenia assessments are based on a formula that divides a subject's appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) by their weight (wt) and multiplies that result by 100 ([ASM/wt] × 100). Sarcopenia is present if the subject's result was less than one standard deviation (SD) below the sex-specific mean for a young reference group. For evaluation of diet quality, data obtained via the 24-hour recall method were used to calculate the Diet Quality Index for Koreans (DQI-K). A general linear model was applied in order to analyze general information and nutritional intake according to sarcopenia status. For analysis of the relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia, a binominal logistic regression analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: The sarcopenia prevalence rate among the study subjects aged 65 years and over was 37.6%. The DQI-K of those without sarcopenia was 3.33 ± 0.04 points, while that of those with sarcopenia was 3.45 ± 0.04 points (P < 0.05). The relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia revealed that subjects aged 75 and older had a poor diet quality, and their odds ratio (OR) of sarcopenia presence was significantly higher (OR: 1.807, 95% confidence interval: 1.003-3.254, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that poor diet quality was related to sarcopenia presence in Koreans aged 75 and older. In order to improve the diet quality of the elderly (aged 75 and older), it is necessary to develop dietary improvement guidelines.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.29-38
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• 2010

Objectives: This study purports to comparatively study health condition, health behaviors, and health care utilization of Koreans living in Korea and in the US, and then, to analyze the factors influencing them. Methods: The collected data were analyzed on the basis of the 2005 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of 25,196 adults aged 19 or older, 7,802 respondents to health behavior survey and 5,526 respondents to physical examination survey. The analyzed data of the Korean Americans were the results of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research in 2005. This study analyzed the responses of 645 known Korean respondents to the 2005 CHIS. Results: In regard to differences in overall health condition between the two groups, it was found that both the male and female Korean Americans thought their own overall health conditions were relatively poor compared to Koreans, especially in relation to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. For smoking status considered as one of health behavior factors, smokers of the Koreans account for 46.1% which is higher than that of the Korean Americans and the proportion of the Koreans smoking daily is also at least two times higher than that of the Korean Americans. Similarly, for alcohol drinking, the Koreans showed higher drinking experience rate and no less than three times higher drinking frequency than that of Korean Americans. Conclusion: It is expected that this study will contribute greatly to solving health problems among foreign immigrants and overseas Koreans in future by clarifying any differences in health status and health behaviors resulting from sociocultural differences despite of similar genetic factors.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.254-261
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• 2018

Background: The most beneficial dietary pattern in managing metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the elderly has not been ascertained. The aim of this study is to classify dietary patterns and to examine associations between dietary pattern, MetS and body composition in elderly Koreans. Methods: This study was conducted among Koreans 65 years or older using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2009. A total of 1,567 study subjects were included. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20.0 and dietary patterns were classified by cluster analysis. Results: There were three dietary patterns derived by cluster analysis in this study. We observed that most South Korean elderly still maintain a traditional dietary pattern. Dietary patterns were classified as balanced (31%), imbalanced (40%), or very imbalanced (30%), with the majority of subjects having an unbalanced diet pattern in which their total energy and nutrient intake was insufficient compared with the Dietary Reference Intake for Koreans. Those in the very imbalanced group had a ratio of macronutrients (carbohydrates:fats:protein) of 81.15:7.18:11.50 and a 54% higher likelihood of having hypertriglyceridemia (P=0.025) compared with those in the balanced group. Conclusion: The current findings indicate that the diets of South Korean elderly are nutritionally imbalanced, including high carbohydrate consumption, which confers a high risk hypertriglyceridemia. These findings highlight the effect of nutritional imbalance in elderly with MetS.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.389-401
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to understand the actual condition and influencing factors of being underweight among older adults in the community based on a survey of national older Korean's data in 2020. Methods: The data from 9,555 older adults in the community were used for analysis. Composite sample analysis was performed with integrated weights applied to the raw data. A Rao Scott-test and logistic regression were performed using SPSS 24.0 for Windows. Results: Underweight older adults in the community were found to have significant differences in age, subjective health status, depression, chronic disease, drinking, exercise, nutrition, chewing, and activities of daily living (ADL). The factors affecting the underweight older adults were age, subjective health status, depression, chronic disease, drinking, exercise, nutrition, chewing, and activities of daily living. Conclusion: A customized program is needed for underweight older adults in the community. In addition, attempts should be made to motivate older adults in the community to continue to participate in the program.

• Korean Journal of Family Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.340-346
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• 2018

Background: Several studies have revealed the frequency of family mealtimes to be inversely associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, there have been few studies in older populations. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between family mealtime frequency and depressive symptoms in elderly Koreans. Methods: This study analyzed 4,959 elderly men and women (aged 65 years or older) who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess depressive status, family mealtime frequency, and covariates. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association using the eating alone group as a reference. Results: After adjusting for all covariates, participants who had family meals 3 times a day had fewer depressive symptoms than the eating alone group; adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 0.72 (0.58-0.89) for point depressiveness/anxiety and 0.73 (0.56-0.94) for depressiveness lasting for at least 2 weeks. In suicidal ideation, the OR (95% CI) of eating with family twice a day was significant after full adjusting for covariates at 0.67 (0.50-0.88). Conclusion: Family mealtimes were closely associated with depressive symptoms in elderly Koreans, which suggests that maintaining intrafamilial bonding is important for mental health in an older population.

• 한국노년학
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.765-783
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• 2016

This study examines 2014 National Survey on Older Koreans (10,279 persons aged 65 or above) to understand social networks among older Koreans. In order to classify the types of social relationships, the latent profile analysis is conducted based on such structural aspects of social networks as network size, frequencies of contact, and closeness. The results show that older Koreans can be categorized into 5 distinct social network types: disengaged (11.6%), ritual-family-focused (17.7%), close-family-focused (23.6%), close-restricted (28,4%), and diverse (18.8%). Characteristics by each social network type are compared and multinominal logistic regression analyses are applied to figure out the influencing factors of social network type. Older persons with disengaged social network ties tend to be overwhelmingly female, living alone, old-old, and of low socioeconomic status. On the other hand, older persons with diverse social network ties tend to be young-old and had highly-ranked jobs in their mid-life. Spouse/children are the focal point of social relationships in both ritual-family-focused and close-restricted social network. However, the proportion of men is higher in the close-family-focused type than in the ritual-family-focused. Older Koreans with close-restricted social network ties tend to be female, uneducated, and have engaged in agricultural and allied activities. This study discusses the implications of its findings and how research in this area should develop in the future.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.707-713
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to test whether moderate alcohol consumption has any positive effect on lowering blood pressure among Koreans. Study subjects were Korean adults 20 years or older (n=5,234) who participated in the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used to construct univariate and multivariate models relating alcohol consumption to blood pressure for the analysis. After adjustment for possible covariates, drinkers (regardless of drinking level) had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with never-drinker for male subjects. Diastolic and systolic blood pressures were also significantly elevated with the drinking frequency and amount of alcohol intake among male subjects. For the female subjects, only diastolic blood pressure was significantly associated with the alcohol consumption at multivariate model. however, low level alcohol consumption did not show any sign of lowing effects on blood pressure. The result implies that moderate alcohol consumption did not have any positive effect on lowering blood pressure among Koreans for either sex.