Health status of urban and rural elders in Korea

The main purpose of this study was to describe the differences in health status between urban and rural elders in Korea. The sample consisted of one thousand one hundred non-institutionalized individuals, aged 65 or over, living in three metropolitan cities and two rural provinces. The modified Cornell Medical Index, ADL, IADL, and existing medical diagnosis were used to measure the health status of the elders. Rural elders reported significantly more health problems than urban elders. Differences in ADL and IADL scores were not statistically significant. There was a difference in the types of health problems between the urban and rural elders. While more rural elders reported that they were diagnosed as having neuralgia and arthritis, more urban elders reported that they had diabetes. The results of this study demonstrated that rural elders had significantly more health problems than urban elders even after all the other variables were controlled. However, in Korea, most health care resources available to elders are concentrated in large urban cities. This study suggests that it is important to invest more health care resources in rural areas to meet the needs of all elders in Korea.

A Comparative Study for Delinquents and Nondelinquents at Nanakuli Family Planning Clinic in Hawaii, U.S.A

Family planning is a very complex matter and has many ramifications so that one may expect a variety of problems besetting operation of family planning programs. One of the problems advocated so far is the drop-out rate or delinquent appointment rate of family planning clinics which is known to be as high as to deserve special attention. It is an urgent issue to be studied so that the family planning clinics could take measures to insure the continued optimal utilization of the services offered. Hence, the Nanakuli Family Planning Clinic was chosen as a sample to study and find out any differences and similarities between the "Delinquents" and "Non-delinquents" of the clinic, hoping that any meaningful facts brought out by this study could get the clinic to have the optimal utilization of the services by it's clients. Specific conclusions resulting from this study are the optimal utilization of family planning service by clients could not be expected without providing provisions for the biological, situational, and environmental problems of the clients as well as the administrative and managerial problems besetting the clinic operation itself.

The National Family Planning Program as a Strategic Platform for the Improvement of Maternal and Child Health in Kore

The health conditions under which the mothers and children of Korea live are not adequate. We realize that the needs in the field of MCH a re enormous, but that it is unrealistic and unwise to use the entire health budget of 4.9 million dollars to build maternity and pediatric hospitals. There must be an extensive program to reduce the number of births as well as the number of deaths if the living standrds in Korea are to improve. The success of Korea's health program is closely related to the general economic development. Without a reduction in the number of births it seems impossible that a successful economic development program can be planned, or executed. In the first five years of the program the group successfully reached by the family planning program was largely the receptive, motivated women in the older child bearing age group. A strategic platform for the success of the next five year plan would be to concentrate on the younger less motivated mothers; to educate them to better family spacing and child care. Inclusion of family planning in a comprehensive, total maternal and child care program seems a rational and effective approach. Therefore a successful national family planning program would seem to be a sound basic platform on which to base maternal and child health work as well as the economic development program in Korea. We need not repeat here the merits of family planning in Korea. A1ready the national program has accomplished much towards improving the health of Korea's mothers and children. It is hoped that in the coming decade the family planning program will go beyond the immediate aim of curbing the explosive population growth and adopt as its long-term objective promotion of total maternal and chi1d health. This objective can only be achieved by good organization, careful planning, competent staff and an adequate budget. A comprehensive maternal and child health program should include better care of children, responsible parenthood, marriage guidance, maternity care, and sterility correction all leading to better mental and physical health.