Rural Areas Of Korea Research Articles

A Study on Analysis of Industrial Injury Characteristics of Aging Workers in Agriculture

Objective:This study aims to devise industrial injury prevention measures by analyzing industrial injury characteristics including the status of industrial injuries, source of industrial injury and accident type in order to prevent aging industrial injuries that account for more than half in the workplaces in agriculture. Background: Continuous migration from farm to city takes place among young people in rural areas in Korea, a traditionally agricultural country due to rapid industrialization and economic development. The aging rate in rural areas in 2013 was 37.3%, about three times higher than the total aging rate of 12.2% in Korea. According to industrial injury statistics of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of industrial injuries in agriculture shows an uptrend and the industrial injuries of aging workers account for more than 50% each year. Method: Of the 2,970 industrial injury cases occurred in the workplaces in agriculture for five years during 2008 and 2012 offered by a national agency related to health and safety, this study analyzed 1,767 industrial injury cases of aging workers. Results: As a result of an analysis on aging industrial injuries by company size in agriculture, 89.8% of the total number of industrial injuries were analyzed to occur in small scale company. According to aging industrial injuries by source of industrial injury and accident type, the outdoor floor and a fall were analyzed to be the highest at 16.5% and 26.1%, respectively. Conclusion: This study analyzed aging industrial injuries by company size, age, job duration, accident severity, gender, nationality, the source of industrial injury and accident type in order to identify industrial injury characteristics in agriculture. Application: The identification of industrial injury characteristics of aging workers in agriculture is judged to be helpful to devising effective measures to prevent industrial injuries.

The Effects of the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Depression on the Life Satisfaction of the Rural Elderly

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and depression on the life satisfaction of the rural elderly. The research subjects of this study were 1,000 people aged 65 years and over living in the rural areas of Korea. The data were collected using a questionnaire with direct interviews and analyzed using SPSS ver. 18.0 for Windows. The results of this study were as follows: First, the rural elderly’s depression was affected by the IADL, cost of living, education level, and farming variables. The higher the IADL, the more sufficient the cost of living, the higher the education level and the more the farming time that the rural elderly had, the lower was the level of depression that they had. Second, the life satisfaction of the rural elderly was affected by the cost of living, depression, IADL, need for life services, and gender. The more sufficient the cost of living, the lower the level of depression, the higher the IADL, the less the need for life services, the higher was the life satisfaction that they experienced. Third, the results of the path analysis revealed that life satisfaction was influenced both directly and indirectly. The factors that affected life satisfaction directly were the cost of living, IADL, need for life services, and gender. The factors that affect life satisfaction indirectly were the IADL, cost of living, education level, and farming. Among them, farming and education level influenced life satisfaction indirectly through the parameter variables of depression.

고령화율에 따른 농촌지역 산업구조 변화 분석

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of regional ageing rate to industrial structures of rural areas in Korea. This paper shows that there are cause-effect relations between the industrial specialization and ageing rate in `Agriculture`, `Finance & Insurance`, and `Real Estate & Leasing` sectors. The ageing levels are classified into ageing society, aged society, and super-aged society according to UN standard that cause different impacts on industrial specialization of regions. This paper finds that the industrial specialization is determined by the ageing levels. If there is an increase in ageing rate by 1% in ageing society, the industrial specialization of the three industries could be strengthened by 0.14%. But, ageing rates have negative impacts on the industrial specialization in aged society and super-aged society by 0.76% and by 1.20%, respectively, as increasing ageing rate by 1%. As the ageing rate progresses, `Agriculture`, `Finance & Insurance` and `Real Estate & Leasing`sectors have positive impacts on the industrial specialization in the ageing society. But `Finance & Insurance` and `Real Estate & Leasing` sectors have changed into negative impacts on the industrial specialization in the aged society. In the aged society, the employment of elderly persons of `Agriculture` and `Finance & Insurance` sectors increase by 1% makes positive impact on the industrial specialization by 1.54%, by 0.45%, respectively. The result of this paper can be applied to a significant guideline at establishing regional employment planning such as elderly customized employment, vocational training for rural areas, where above 14% of ageing rate.

Association between all-cause mortality and insurance status transition among the elderly population in a rural area in Korea: Kangwha Cohort Study

The study purpose was to examine the association between health insurance transition and all-cause mortality. 3206 residents in Korea who participated in two surveys in 1985 and 1994, were followed-up during 1994–2008. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) were calculated using Cox hazard model. Participants were divided into four groups by insurance transition (the “National Health Insurance (NHI)–NHI”, “NHI–Medicaid”, “Medicaid–NHI”, and “Medicaid–Medicaid” groups), where NHI–Medicaid means participants covered by NHI in 1985 but by Medicaid in 1994. For men covered by NHI in 1985, the mortality risk in the NHI–Medicaid was higher (aHR=1.47) than in the NHI–NHI. For men and women, covered by Medicaid in 1985, aHR was non-significantly lower in the Medicaid–NHI than in the Medicaid–Medicaid. When four groups were analyzed together, men in the Medicaid–Medicaid (aHR=1.67) and NHI–Medicaid (aHR=1.46) groups had higher mortality risk than males in the NHI–NHI, whereas no significant difference was observed for females. In conclusion, transition from NHI to Medicaid increases mortality risk, and transition from Medicaid to NHI may mitigate risk, while remaining on Medicaid pose the greatest risk, especially for men. Therefore, policy makers should strengthen coverage for Medicaid. The weak effects of transition from NHI to Medicaid on mortality for women require validation.

General trends of atmospheric mercury concentrations in urban and rural areas in Korea and characteristics of high-concentration events

Long-term measurement of speciated Hg concentrations is the first step toward identifying the seasonal and spatial characteristics of Hg concentrations; however, atmospheric Hg research is scarce in Korea. In this study, total gaseous mercury (TGM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and particle-bound mercury (PBM) were measured in urban (Seoul) and rural (Chuncheon) areas over a more than 3 year period in order to improve the understanding of speciated Hg transport. The mean concentrations of TGM, GOM and PBM were 3.72 ± 2.96 (0.19–149.84) ng m−3, 11.3 ± 9.5 (0.9–57.3) pg m−3, and 13.4 ± 12.0 (2.1–64.3) pg m−3 at the Seoul site and 2.12 ± 1.47 (0.26–10.75) ng m−3, 2.7 ± 2.7 (0.1–16.9) pg m−3, and 3.7 ± 5.7 (0.1–30.0) pg m−3 in Chuncheon. Both long-range transport and local sources caused high TGM concentration events, while local coal combustion was a main cause of enhancing the GOM and PBM concentrations in Seoul. However, there was no correlation between the pollutants emitted from coal combustion and the speciated Hg concentration in Chuncheon, indicating that other mechanisms were involved in the Hg increase. We found a positive correlation between the GOM and the O3 concentrations and a negative correlation between the GEM and the GOM concentrations, especially on foggy days, suggesting that the oxidation of GEM was an important source for GOM in Chuncheon. In addition, the ratio of PBM/GOM was inversely proportional to the atmospheric temperature and directly proportional to the relative humidity, which suggests that the in-situ formation of PBM through gas-particle partitioning of GOM was important in rural areas.

A Reflection with Christian Education Perspective on Choe Yongshin’s Enlightening Movement of Rural Area in Korea

A Reflection with Christian Education Perspective on Choe Yongshin’s Enlightening Movement of Rural Area in Korea

아동의 개방성, 양육태도 및 주관적 안녕감 간의 관계: 창의성의 매개효과

본 연구는 창의성과 많은 관련을 가진다고 알려진 개인내적 변인인 아동의 개방적 성격과 대표적인 양육변인인 어머니의 양육태도가 창의성에 미치는 영향을 탐구하고, 이 변인들이 창의성을 매개하여 아동의 안녕감에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 하였다. 248명의 초등학교 저학년 아동을 대상으로 분석 결과, 아동의 경험에 대한 개방성은 창의성을 부분 매개하여 주관적 안녕감에 영향을 미치는 것으로 드러났다. 하지만 어머니의 긍정적 양육태도는 창의성을 매개하지 않고 직접 안녕감에 영향을 주었다. 본 연구는 개방성 성격이 적응에 미치는 영향을 창의성을 통해 이해할 수 있다는 점을 시사하였으며, 창의성을 증진시키는 특별한 양육방식은 존재하지 않는다는 일부 선행연구의 결과를 지지하는 것으로 해석되었다. The purpose of the present study was to test the mediating effect of children's creativity on the relationship among the openness to experience(OE) trait, maternal parenting behaviors, and their subjective well-being. 248 children attending elementary schools in the rural areas of Korea and their mothers were recruited. Results indicated that creativity partially mediated the relations between children's OE and their subjective well-being. However, creativity did not mediate the relations between maternal parenting behaviors and children's subjective well-being. Results of the present study suggest that the OE may influence children's adjustment through creativity. It is also implied that there may be no optimal parenting style which unconditionally promotes children's creativity.

Comparison of Prevalence of Depression and its Risk Factors between Elders in Urban and Rural Areas

The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of depression and its risk factors between elders in urban and rural areas in Korea. A total of 8,754 of urban elders and 4,855 of rural elders from the 2008 Korean National Older Adults Life Survey were selected. Depression was more prevalent as urban elders was aged 70-79 than those aged 60-69; elders with lower education level; elders who lived with children or others, or being alone than elders with spouse; elders who received basic livelihood support; elders who didn’t participate in regular social activity; elders with diseases; elders with impaired cognitive; elders who did not get good sleep; in elders performed physical activity less than 30 minutes in duration and 5 days per week in frequency; elders with moderate or high risk nutrition. Whereas rural elders were affected by female gender; BMI less than 18.5 otherwise risk factors of urban elders. Rural elders were not associated with education level and type of household. The finding of differences in risk factors of depression between elders in urban and rural areas is expected to promote the differentiated strategy for the elders at risk of depression according to residential areas in Korea.

Types and Characteristics of Consumers Searching Eco-tour Information in Rural Areas of Korea

최근 관광소비자들은 보는 관광에서 자연 속으로 들어가 자연경관을 관찰하고 체험하는 생태관광을 선호하는 트렌드를 보이고 있다. 소비자들은 생태관광 상품을 선택하기 위해 다양한 정보채널을 활용하여 농어촌생태 관광에 관련한 정보를 획득하고 있다. 이러한 맥락에서 다양해진 생태관광 정보채널 하에서 관광소비자의 정보탐색 행동과 많아진 정보채널을 소비자들은 어떻게 조합하여 사용하고 있는가에 대한 연구가 필요하다. 이에 본 연구에서는 소비자들이 어떠한 정보원천에서 관광정보를 탐색하는지 탐색행동을 살펴보고, 정보탐색에 따른 소비자 유형화를 잠재적계층분석(LCA: Latent Class Analysis) 방법을 통해 도출해보고자 한다. 그리고 유형에 따른 생태관광 특성을 파악하고자 하였다. 본 연구의 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 생태관광 소비자의 정보탐색에 따라 분류된 소비자유형화는 ‘매스미디어 정보탐색지향’, ‘온라인·구전 정보탐색지향’, ‘소극적 정보탐색지향’, ‘적극적 정보탐색지향’ 네개의 유형으로 나타났다. 또한 소비자 유형에 따라 독특한 사회인구학적 특성 차이를 보였으며, 생태관광지역인 습지보호지역, 국립공원지역, 생태·경관보전지역간에도 유의미한 통계적 차이가 있음이 밝혀졌다. 둘째, 소비자에게 제공된 생태관광 정보에 대한 품질 평가는 소비자 유형별 유의미한 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 그러나 생태 관광자원 및 서비스에 대한 만족에서는 ‘온라인·구전 정보탐색지향’이 가장 높은 만족을 보이는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 소비자의 정보탐색 유형에 영향을 미치는 요인으로는 생태관광지역, 생태관광 만족 등 관광관련 변수와 학력과 연령 등 사회인구학적인 변수인 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 생태 관광 소비자들의 정보 활용 패턴을 구체적으로 파악할 수 있으며, 세분화된 생태관광소비자 유형들의 독특한 특성과 행동을 설명할 수 있다. 본 연구는 생태관광 소비자행동에 대한 이해의 폭을 넓히고 생태관광 지역의 효율적인 시장 구축을 통한 생태관광 산업 활성화 방안을 모색하는데 그 의의가 있다.

Cognitive impairment, depression, comorbidity of the two and associated factors among the early sixties in a rural Korean community.

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment, depression, and comorbidity of the two conditions and related factors in subjects aged in early 60s. This cross-sectional study included 3,174 inhabitants aged 60–64 years old in a rural area of Korea. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), and depression was measured using the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The overall prevalence of cognitive impairment (MMSE-K≤24) was 17.4%, that of depression was 26.0% (GDS-15≥8), and the co-morbidity was 7.1%. Female gender, living with one housemate, and high GDS-15 score were significantly associated with increased cognitive impairment. Employment status and more years of schooling were associated with a decreased probability of cognitive impairment. Increased depression was significantly associated with bereavement and receiving benefits from the Medical Aid Program. Employed status, more years of schooling, and higher MMSE-K scores were significantly associated with decreased depression. The risk of comorbidity was associated with bereavement and receipt of Medical Aid benefits (odds ratio[OR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval[CI], 1.26–2.71; OR, 5.02; 95% CI, 2.37–10.63; respectively). Employment and more years of schooling were associated with a lower risk of comorbidity (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.34–0.62, P-trend <0.01). The correlated factors for cognitive impairment, depression, and comorbidity of the two conditions were similar, and employment status and years of schooling were associated with all three conditions.

Gender Differences in the Association of Smoking and Drinking with the Development of Cognitive Impairment

Modifiable lifestyle-related factors such as smoking and alcohol drinking are associated with cognitive impairment in the elderly population but the relationships have shown various results. To evaluate the relationship of alcohol drinking and smoking in the early 60 s with the risk of developing incident cognitive impairment. In 1999, we evaluated cognitive function, smoking, and drinking status in 3,174 inhabitants aged 60–64 years in a rural area of Korea, with a follow-up assessment of cognitive function 7 years later. A total of 1,810 individuals who did not show cognitive impairment at baseline were included. A stratified analysis was applied to evaluate how smoking and alcohol drinking affected the risk of developing cognitive impairment based on gender. Current smokers showed a higher risk for developing cognitive impairment than did never smokers (odds ratio [OR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–2.15). The OR for female current smokers compared with never smokers was 1.62 (95% CI, 1.05–2.52), and smokers with higher pack-years were more likely to develop cognitive impairment than never smokers, showing a dose–response relationship (P for trend = 0.004). Frequent alcohol consumption increased the risk of developing cognitive impairment (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.01–2.78), and a dose–response relationship was observed among male subjects (P for trend = 0.044). Infrequent drinking in females decreased the odds of developing cognitive impairment (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.42–1.00), whereas frequent drinking tended to increase the odds, although this trend was not significant, suggesting a U-shaped relationship. Although the sample was small for some analyses, especially in female, our data suggest that smoking and drinking in the early 60 s are associated with a risk of developing cognitive impairment, and this relationship is characterized by gender differences.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Myopia in a Rural Korean Population

To assess the prevalence and risk factors of myopia in 19-year-old males in Jeju, a rural area of Korea. A total of 2805 subjects were included. Refractive examination was performed with cycloplegia to test for myopia (< -0.5 diopters [D]) and high myopia (< -6.0 D). Possible associated factors were evaluated including height, weight, educational level, and color vision deficiency. The prevalence of myopia and high myopia were 83.3% and 6.8%, respectively, in 19-year-old males in Jeju. University students in their fourth to sixth years showed a higher risk for myopia (odds ratio [OR] 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52-2.71, P < 0.001) than those with lower academic achievement. The prevalence of myopia was relatively high (83.3%) in a rural area of Korea, while the rate of high myopia was relatively low (6.8%) compared with that (20.6%) in an urban area of Korea.

Background level and composition of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in creek and subtidal sediments in a rural area of Korea

To study background levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Korea, concentrations of PBDEs were measured for creek and subtidal sediments around Goseong Bay. Total concentrations of PBDEs (Σ19PBDE) in creek sediments ranged from 0.18 to 13.95ng/g dry weight and were about twice those in subtidal sediments. PBDE concentrations were about two orders of magnitude lower than those reported in industrially active regions of Korea and other countries. BDE 209 was a major congener, accounting for 79.0% and 78.5% of total PBDEs in creek and subtidal sediments, respectively. This is consistent with the high consumption of deca-BDE in Korea and the very high octanol–water partition coefficient of deca-BDE. The relative compositions of PBDEs in creek and subtidal sediments were similar. BDE 209 and Σ19PBDE had statistically significant correlations with total organic carbon, the lower brominated congeners had a poor correlation with total organic carbon.

Factors Related to Increasing Trends in Cigarette Smoking of Adolescent Males in Rural Areas of Korea

ObjectivesCigarette smoking prevalence among adolescent males in rural areas of Korea has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to explore the factors related to increasing trends in cigarette smoking among adolescent males living in rural areas.MethodsThe raw data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey from 2006 to 2009 were used. Data were analyzed by using the method of complex survey data analysis considering complex sampling design. Multiple logistic regression models were used to explore the factors affecting cigarette smoking. We evaluated the linear time trends in the prevalence of factors that were related to current smoking status and the linear time trends in cigarette smoking in groups stratified by the exposure to each factor using logistic regression models. Finally, we examined the contributions of the factors to the time trends in cigarette smoking by adjusting for each of those factors in the baseline regression models and changes in the adjusted odds ratio by survey year.ResultsA statistically significant increasing trend in smoking was observed after adjusting for the factors affecting cigarette smoking. Significant factors related to cigarette use were perceived stress, experience with depression, current alcohol drinking, exposure to secondhand smoke, and academic performance. The factor related to increasing trends in cigarette smoking was academic performance.ConclusionsStress about academic performance is an important factor affecting the increase in cigarette smoking among adolescent males in a rural area of Korea.

A cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between daily alcohol consumption and serum adiponectin levels among adults aged 40 years or more in a rural area of Korea

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption has been proposed to raise serum adiponectin levels, but this view is controversial. There is little information on the effect of heavy drinking. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and serum adiponectin levels in healthy Koreans. The design of the study was cross-sectional, using data from the Korean Multi-Rural Communities Cohort Study (MRCohort), which is a part of the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES). The subjects were 1542 individuals (635 men and 907 women) aged ≥ 40 years who were recruited in Yangpyeong-Gun, Kyunggi province, South Korea, in 2005 and 2006. Daily alcohol consumption was calculated from average frequency of alcohol consumption and the amount of alcohol consumed per occasion using a structured questionnaire and serum adiponectin levels were measured. Although adiponectin levels appeared to be higher in those consuming moderate levels of alcohol than in nondrinkers, the difference was not statistically significant. Heavy drinking (≥ 90.0 g/day) was significantly related to reduced serum adiponectin levels (P=0.003), although the significance of the relationship was reduced after adjusting for potential confounders (P=0.061) such as age, waist/hip ratio, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, current smoker, higher education, protein intake, vitamin C intake and vitamin E intake in men. The relation seemed to be stronger in individuals consuming alcohol in the form of takju (Korean rice wine; P=0.022). Heavy alcohol drinking (≥ 90.0 g/day) may be related to lower serum adiponectin levels in Korean men.

Harmful Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Brachial Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity : No Favorable Zone for Vascular Damages

Arterial stiffness and increased intima‐media wall thickness is one of the biggest predictors of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated whether brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and common carotid artery intima‐media wall thickness (CCA‐IMT) are correlated with alcohol consumption among men and women aged 40 years and over in a rural area of Korea(2,216 men and 3,428 women). The baPWV was positively correlated with alcohol consumption in men (p for trend &lt;0.0001), but not in women. Age (middle‐aged or elderly) modified the effect of alcohol consumption on PWV and the relation was more evident in the elderly. There was no favorable zone of alcohol consumption in relation to baPWV. CCA‐IMT was likely to decrease with alcohol consumption in both men and women and a linearly decreasing trend for CCA‐IMT with alcohol consumption was found for women, but there was no statistically difference across alcohol consumption groups. In conclusion, there may be not only a linear harmful relationship between alcohol consumption and the arterial stiffness but also neutral effect of alcohol on carotid atherosclerosis without any favorable zone. The effect of alcohol on arterial stiffness may be stronger among elderly men.

Relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in the elderly of a rural area in Korea

Relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in the elderly of a rural area in Korea

Suicide, an Urgent Health Issue in Korea

Suicide, an Urgent Health Issue in Korea

Prevalence of vitamin · mineral supplement use and its related factors among Korean adolescents

This study is conducted in order to investigate the prevalence of vitamin?mineral (VM) supplement use and its related factors among Korean adolescents. Using a cross-sectional study design, information was obtained by questionnaires from adolescents selected by stratified sampling in large, small and middle-size cities, as well as rural areas of the whole country, followed by convenience sampling. The total number of participants in this study was 1,407 adolescents (15.2 ± 1.6 years) attending middle or high schools, chosen from various cities and rural areas in Korea. The prevalence of VM supplement use was 65.5%, and there was no significant difference between the genders. City dwellers took VM supplements more frequently than those adolescents from rural areas (p ＜ 0.01). The VM supplement users tended to have higher family income, parents’ academic background, and socioeconomic status, respectively (p ＜ 0.001). The greater part of VM supplement users replied that they acquired their nutritional information from their parents, relatives and friends, while many nonusers replied that they did it from school classes (p ＜ 0.05). Compared to nonusers, VM supplement users had greater ‘self concern about health’ (p ＜ 0.05), ‘parents’ concern about child’s health, growth, and nutritional intake’ (p ＜ 0.001), and ‘parents’ concern about child’s grade point’ (p ＜ 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between users and nonusers when it came to ‘self perception of body shape’ or ‘BMI’. In addition, users significantly had greater nutritional beliefs concerning VM supplements than nonusers (p ＜ 0.001). These results showed that VM supplement use has been common among adolescents in Korea, and supplement use of subjects has been related with various factors. Among them, it was shown that especially parents great influence the use of VM supplements by adolescents. Thus, not only education for adolescents, but also that for parents is needed to help adolescents take VM supplements properly.

국제결혼을 한 한국남성과 여성결혼이민자의 결혼만족도와 삶의 질 비교

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between marital satisfaction and the quality of life for women and men who live in a rural area in Korea through an international marriage. Methods: A descriptive correlational research design was used. Ninety-one women and 56 men were surveyed from May 1st., 2007 to April 6th., 2008. Data were analyzed by t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and Fisher's exact test. Two types of questionnaires were used: Marital satisfaction scale (MSS) and WHO quality of life-brief (WHOQOL-BREF). Result: There is a gap between men's age and women's in the average of their marriage ; 37 vs 24. In addition, men's marital satisfaction was much higher than women's (t =2.16, p=.032) and quality of life was also higher than women's (t=-0.85, p=.005). According to this survey, therefore, it has been shown that there is a positive correlation between marital satisfaction and the quality of life (r =.435, p<.001). Conclusion: In order to improve the quality of life, marital satisfaction should be promoted by practical family nursing programs and it is necessary for the internationally married women to be continuously provided with language education and cultural awareness.