ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND@#Supporting the elderly population is presented as a social issue, and it affects age discrimination, which forms a negative perception and avoids the elderly. Since age discrimination lowers the quality of life of the elderly and hinders social unity, it may be important to research related factors. This study examined the physical function as a factor that influences discrimination experiences and aimed to identify the relationship between physical function factors and discrimination experiences.@*METHODS@#In this study, we analyzed 20,225 elderly from the 2014 and 2017 survey of living conditions and welfare needs of Korean older persons, conducted nationwide among older than 65 years. Physical function factors are activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, sight discomfort, hearing discomfort, chewing discomfort, and leg strength as factors of interest. We performed multivariable logistic regression that reflected survey characteristics, adjusting for socio-demographic factors, health related factors, and social-support factors.@*RESULTS@#The number of elderly who faced discrimination experiences was 1,175 (5.8%). The results showed that the odds ratio of facing a discrimination experience in the dependent group was significantly higher compared to the independent group when being transferring out of the room (4.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50–10.88) and difficulty in hearing (1.25; 95% CI, 1.05–1.49). Even with respect to chewing ability, which was significant in models 1 and 2, they face more discrimination experiences (1.30; 95% CI, 1.11–1.53).@*CONCLUSION@#These research results indicate that an important strategy for preventing age discrimination is to understand the physical function conditions of the elderly and promote the physical functions of the elderly related to transferring, hearing, and chewing; it is necessary to develop a practical intervention plan that considers these aspects.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND@#As South Korea is becoming an aged society very rapidly, the increase in osteoarthritis prevalence raises various public health issues in this country. This study aimed to explore the socio-demographic factors associated with osteoarthritis in the current Korean elderlies.@*METHODS@#Using the National Survey of Korean Elderly data (2014, 2017), we analyzed 20,326 elderlies (males, 8,248; females, 12,078) and conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses by sex. The dependent variable is whether a participant was diagnosed with osteoarthritis or not. Independent variables of interest is socio-demographic factors such as age, marital status, household type, residential area, household income, religion, the longest job, the number of close relatives, the number of close friends, and survey year. Control variables are various health behavioral factors and disease-related factors.@*RESULTS@#Prevalence of osteoarthritis was 19.2% in male elderlies and 47.0% in female elderlies. According to the results of the multivariate logistic regression adjusted for all studied control variables, the odds ratio (OR) for having osteoarthritis of under-elementary school graduates (their counterpart was college graduate group) was 1.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–2.52) in males and 1.67 (95% CI, 1.12–2.47) in females. The OR of those having a job in agriculture & forestry fishery as their longest job (their counterpart was those who had never participated in labor force during their lifetime) was 5.07 (95% CI, 1.46–17.58) in males and 1.49 (95% CI, 1.27–1.74) in females. In males, the second-low quartile group in household yearly income (their counterpart was the highest quartile group) had the OR of 1.22 (95% CI, 0.98–1.53). In females, the OR of those having a religion of Buddhism (their counterpart was those having no religion) was 1.20 (95% CI, 1.07–1.35) and the OR of those who had no relatives (their counterpart was those having more than 3 close relatives) was 1.31 (95% CI, 1.10–1.56).@*CONCLUSION@#This study found that in Korean elderlies, education, the longest job, household income, religion, and the number of close relatives are associated with their suffering from osteoarthritis. Further study and designing appropriate interventions are needed to alleviate current and future individual and socioeconomic burdens of osteoarthritis in an aged society like South Korea.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to estimate mean daily iron intake and its bioavailability and to assess nutrition knowledge for 144 pregnant women in the last trimester. Serum ferritin concentration was analyzed to estimate their iron stores. Dietary intakes of iron(heme iron and nonheme iron), the amounts of MPF(meat, poultry and fish) and ascorbic acid were assessed by modified 24-hr recall method. The food frequency questionnaire was used to assess subjects usual food consumption patterns. The mean value of serum ferritin was 21.3+/-15.3ng/ml and 26.4% of the pregnant women had a serum ferritin level<12ng/ml(i.e. depleted iron stores). The mean daily intake of total orin in the pregnant women was 56.5%(17.0 mg) of RDA and heme iron intake was 0.94 mg which was 5.5% of total iron intake. Total absorbable iron calculated by the method of Monsen was 2.41 mg and bioavailability of dietary iron was 2.41%. Food frequency test score of meats group was positively correlated(r=0.443) with the bioaavailability of dietary iron. The mean score on the nutrition knowledge test of subjects was 12.76(out of a possible 20 points). These results indicate that the nutritional iron status may be improved by increasing either the amount of iron in the diet or its availability.