• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.585-598
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• 2011

This study was conducted to examine the trend of national health insurance service use with relation to pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium among pregnant and postpartum women older than 35 over the last decade. A descriptive analysis was conducted, using the data which were drawn from the "nationwide claim database of Korean National Health Insurance Corporation(NHIC)". Data were composed of the total cases related to pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (International Classification of Disease, $10^{th}$revision [ICD-10] codes O00-O99) from 2001 to 2008. During 2001-2008, the number of pregnant and postpartum women older than 35 had continuously increased and the percentage of them also had increased in both hospital and ambulatory care. There are similar trends in their total use of national health insurance service and total expenditure. According to demographic characteristics, there was the biggest increase of the percentage in residents in large cities, self-employed workers, ones in the highest income level. According to ICD-10 codes, there was the biggest increase of the percentage in O10-O16 (oedema, proteinuria and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium). According to the major prevalent disease, there was the biggest increase of the percentage in O60 (preterm labor and delivery). Throughout the past decade, the necessity has been emphasized of supporting pregnant and postpartum women older than 35. But in maternal and child health care, they are in an early stage of development. The findings of this study would be helpful in developing the support programs for the aged pregnant and postpartum women.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2018

Korea is facing a surge in the aging population, showing that population aged 65 and above will be accounted for 42.5% of the total population in 2065 with the emphasis on the over-80 population consisting of 19.2%. In response to this abrupt change in population structure, the number of traffic fatality accident referring to older driver as aged 65+ years had been increasing from 605 fatalities in 2011 to 815 fatalities in 2015 resulting in increases in 34.7% in oppose to happening to decreases in 17.2% about non-older driver. With Logit analysis based on Newton-Raphson algorithm utilizing older driver's traffic fatality data for the 2011-2015 years, it was found that the likelihood of an accident resulting in a fatality for super older driver aged 80 years and above considerably increased compared to other older driver with aging classification: 2.24 times for violation of traffic lane, 2.04 times for violation of U-turn, 1.48 times for violation of safety distance, 1.35 times for violation of obstacle of passing; also average annual increase of traffic accident cost related to super older driver was fairly increased rather than other older driver groups. Hence, this study proposes that improving and amending transport safety system and Road Traffic Act for super older driver needs to be urgently in action about license management, safe driving education, etc. when considering the increase of over-80 population in the near future. Also, implementing a social agreement with all ages and social groups to apply with advanced driver assistance system for older driver groups will be able to become a critical factor to enhance safe driving over the face of the country.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.294-301
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between dietary macronutrient intakes and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. Data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2017), and a total of 11,600 Korean adults (4,918 men, 6,682 women) aged 50 years and older were analyzed. The daily intakes and percentages of energy from carbohydrates or fat in men or women with MetS were significantly lower than in normal subjects, respectively. High carbohydrate or fat percentages were negatively associated with MetS based on adjusted odds ratios (OR) of 0.804 in men (p=0.034) and 0.820 in women (p=0.045), respectively. A high percentage of energy from carbohydrates was positively associated with reduced waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in men. On the other hand, a high percentage of energy from fat was positively related with elevated HDL cholesterol and reduced triglycerides in women. In conclusion, our study indicates that high carbohydrate or fat intake is associated with risk of MetS in Korean men or women aged 50 years and older, respectively. Further prospective studies are necessary to elucidate the association between macronutrient intakes and MetS among Korean adults according to age.

• Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.249-255
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• 2018

Objective As aging progresses, clinical characteristics of elderly patients in the emergency department (ED) vary by age. We aimed to study differences among elderly patients in the ED by age group. Methods For 2 years, patients aged 65 and older were enrolled in the study and classified into three groups: youngest-old, ages 65 to 74 years; middle-old, 75 to 84 years; and oldest-old, ${\geq}85years$. Participants' sex, reason for ED visit, transfer from another hospital, results of treatment, type of admission, admission department and length of stay were recorded. Results During the study period, a total 64,287 patients visited the ED; 11,236 (17.5%) were aged 65 and older, of whom 14.4% were 85 and older. With increased age, the female ratio (51.5% vs. 54.9% vs. 69.1%, P<0.001), medical causes (79.5% vs. 81.3% vs. 81.7%, P=0.045), and admission rate (35.3% vs. 42.8% vs. 48.5%, P<0.001) increased. Admissions to internal medicine (57.5% vs. 59.3% vs. 64.7%, P<0.001) and orthopedic surgery (8.5% vs. 11.6% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001) also increased. The ratio of admission to intensive care unit showed no statistical significance (P=0.545). Patients over age 85 years had longer stays in the ED (330.9 vs. 378.9 vs. 407.2 minutes, P<0.001), were discharged home less (84.4% vs. 78.9% vs. 71.5%, P<0.001), and died more frequently (6.3% vs. 10.4% vs. 13.0%, P<0.001). Conclusion With increased age, the proportion of female patients and medical causes increased. Rates of admission and death increased with age and older patients had longer ED and hospital stays.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.369-386
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine which aspects of coresident intergenerational relationships were associated with the life satisfaction of unmarried children in established adulthood and of their parents. In this study, the coresident relationship characteristics included support exchange, emotion, interference-conflict, and perceptions of coresidence. Data were collected from (a) 250 never-married adults who were 35+ years old and lived in Seoul with at least one parent aged 75 years or younger and (b) 250 older adults who were 75 years old or younger and had at least one unmarried child aged 35+ years living in the same household. Our multiple regression analysis of unmarried children showed that the adult child's financial support, the adult child's psychological reliance on parents, the parent's psychological reliance on the child, and relationship quality were significantly related to higher levels of life satisfaction. In contrast, the parent's daily interference, daily conflicts, and anticipation of future care of parents were related to lower levels of life satisfaction. Second, the characteristics that were positively associated with the parent's life satisfaction were the parent's instrumental support, relationship quality, the coresident child's daily interference, positive perceptions of intergenerational coresidence, and expectation of future care of parents. In contrast, the parent's financial support, daily conflicts with the child, and taking intergenerational coresidence for granted were negatively related to the parent's life satisfaction. This study advances our understanding of coresidence between unmarried children in established adulthood and their older parents by focusing on the multiple aspects of intergenerational coresidence.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.595-606
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• 2021

Unhealthy dietary behavior such as insufficient calcium intake can be one of risk factors of osteoporosis and chronic diseases in older people. This study evaluated the recent trends in dietary calcium intake and the food source in Korean adults aged 50 years or older using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2015-2019) data. This study used 24-hour recall survey data to investigate the calcium intake, the major food groups and main dishes contributing to the calcium intake. The mean calcium intake was 479.55-506.81 mg/day. The major food groups that contribute to calcium intake were vegetables, milks and fishes. Dairy and frozen desserts and kimchi were the major dish groups that contributed to the calcium intake. Calcium intake from milk in dairy and frozen dessert group has been high in last 5 years (50-64 years old: 34.71-47.68 mg, 65-74 years old: 29.72-43.65 mg, over 75 years old: 22.91-42.93 mg). In addition, baechu-kimchi is the most contributed to the calcium intake in kimchi group (50-64 years old: 35.10-41.47 mg, 65-74 years old: 29.62-34.96 mg, over 75 years old: 23.79-29.13 mg). In conclusion, various source of calcium needs to be recommended to increase intake calcium in over 50 years, which may reduce chronic diseases and improve quality of life.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.37-45
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aimed to present normative data and cut-off points for older Korean adults completing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment - Korean (MoCA-K), which is used as a screening test for mild cognitive impairment in Korea. Methods : A total of 195 healthy adults ≥60 years were recruited. All participants completed the MoCA-K and the Korean - Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K) to assess their cognitive function. Participants were divided into six groups based on their age: 60-64 years, 65~69 years, 70~74 years, 75~79 years, 80~84 years, and 85~89 years. Results : The results revealed that MoCA-K score decreased significantly with age (mean score ± standard deviation [SD]; 27.63±2.80 in subjects aged 60~64 years; 27.00±2.39 in subjects aged 65~69 years; 24.94±2.96 in subjects aged 70~74 years; 24.74±3.37 in subjects aged 75~79 years; 22.59±4.72 in subjects aged 80~84 years; and 18.83±5.38 in subjects aged 85~89 years; p<.001). Additionally, MoCA-K score also increased significantly with educational level (mean score±standard deviation [SD]; 19.95±4.78 in no formal education group; 24.95±2.22 in elementary school graduated group; 26.35±2.72 in middle school graduated group; 28.32±1.36 in high school graduated group; and 28.50±1.51 in more than college graduated group; p<.001). The optimal cut-off points were 24/25 for 60~69 years old group, 21/22 for 70~79 years old group, 17/18 for 80~84 years old group, and 13/14 for 85~89 years old group. The optimal cut-off points were 15/16 for individuals who were illiterate, 22/23 for individuals with 6 years of education, 22/24 for individuals with 9 years of education, and 26/27 for individuals with 12 or more years of education. Conclusions : This study presents normative data and cut-off points for the MoCA-K in older Korean adults. This data will facilitate more accurate detection and follow-up of the risk of mild cognitive impairment in this population, taking into consideration age and education. Future studies are required that should focus on the cut-off score on the level of education according to age.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.13-21
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• 2014

This study investigated the anthropometric characteristics of US women 26 to 45 years of age to classify their body shapes into different categories. Research data was obtained from 2950 women 26 to 45 years of age who participated in the SizeUSA study. A 26 to 35 years of age group and a 36 to 45 years of age group were selected from the data pool. A total of 26 measurements important for body shape classification and for apparel product development was used for the data analysis. Five factors accounted for the US women's body measurements. The body shapes of women were categorized into 4 types: Obese A-Shape, Overweight Y-Shape, Obese H-Shape, and Normal S-Shape. Normal S-Shape was the most common body shape type. More women in the 26 to 35 years of age group had Normal S-Shape type than women in the 36 to 45 years of age group. More women in the 36 to 45 years of age group had Obese A-Shape, Overweight Y-Shape, and Obese H-Shape than women in the 26 to 35 years of age group. Younger US women, 26 to 35 years of age had slimmer body sizes with more balanced body shapes; however, older US women, 36 to 45 years of age had larger body sizes with more various body shapes.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.139-158
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• 2017

Following the global trend of the delayed transition to adulthood, the number of unmarried middle aged adult children living with, or economically dependent on their parents has increased in Korea. Middle aged adult children in Korea are traditionally expected to satisfy their duty to support their elderly parents both in economic and emotional needs. This study aims to explore group differences in unmarried adult children in their mid 30s or older and in parents having unmarried middle aged child(ren) depending on co-residency and the children's eonomic dependency in Korea. Using quota sampling in terms of living arrangements (living together vs. living apart), 500 unmarried adult children 35 years of age or older and 500 elderly parents, having at least one unmarried child in the mid of 30s or over, were selected in Seoul, Korea in June 2016. First, the findings show that unmarried adult children living together with their parents and depending on their parents economically were in the lowest level of educational achievement and the lowest level of monthly average income among the respondents. Second, both unmarried adult children and parents from the group of co-residency and economically dependent showed the lowest level of psychological well-being. Third, parents from the group of co-residency and economically independent had mostly positive relationships with children, whereas, parents from the group of living apart and economically dependent reported the most negative relationships. Finally, respondents included in the group of co-residency had positive attitudes toward marriage and the support for their elderly parents regardless of the child's economic dependency. This study has implications for the increasing number of unmarried middle aged adult children and their elderly parents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.360-369
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• 1997

Food/nutrition related views, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors were investigated for three hundred randomly selected men and women, aged 20-60 years, residing in Seoul metropolitan area. Food/nutrition views, attitudes, and beliefs were found to vary greatly between groups of different age, sex, education and income level. Adults of 20-35 years of age showed significantly less strong views about keeping traditional food habits, while exhibiting a significantly high level of acceptance towards the use of convenience foods as compared to the adults aged 36 years or older. Food safety was found to be a major concern to most of the subjects accounting 69.7% for pesticides residues in fresh produce items, 94.7% for food additives in processed food, and 56.3% for food poisoning in foods eaten outside of the home. Male adults aged 45 years or older showed a strong tendency to rely on a few promotional food products for the maintenance of their health and for them the development and implementation of a sensible feed nutritin/health education program including a way to avoid nutrition quackery might be beneficial. Eighty percent of the subjects were found to read food labels with higher rates shown among young adults and females. Due to the virtual absence of nutrition labeling however, the percentage of subjects who idicated that they are looking for the information on nutrient content was low (<10%) compared to the rates for other informations such as date of manufacture(80.2%), expiration data(55.8%), ingredients(40.9), and additives(40.9%). Ninety one percent of the subjects indicated that they would like to see the sources for nutrition label the nutritional value of the foods. The top five most frequently (68.3%), food packages(50.7%), and radio(43.3%). Health professionals such as physicians, nurses, and nutritionists/dietitians were utilized less frequently as sources of nutrition information than lay sources, with reported rate of only 38%, 22%, and 0.7%, respectively. These results collectively suggest that strategies are to be developed to provide accurate nutrition information to adults.