This study was conducted to survey on health status of the elderly for the aged 60 years and over during July in 1984 in Korea as a part of the four country study sponsored by the WHO regional office of the Western Pacific for Fiji, Korea, Malaysia and Philippines.
The purpose of this study was to obtain the basic data for policy development for primary health care services including family and community support, self health care program to the aged for year 2000 within region and cross-cultural comparision.
The subjects were sampled 560 elderlies (male 280, female 280) in Seoul and 417 aged for rural inhabitants (male 209, female 208) from the eight provinces except Chejudo.
The results of the survey are summarized as follows:
1. The marital status showed that 66% of male and 41% of female in Seoul City have their spouses while 82% of male and 45% of female in rural residents.
2. In occupation, only 2% of the total surveyed were the professionals, 11% clerical and administrators, 5% skilled workers, the remainders were the unskilled and farmers.
3. In education, 46% of male and 67% of female in Seoul City and 54% of male and 91% of female in rural answered that they had no formal education because there were no such an education system when they were young.
4. Self-rated assessment on their own health, 54% of male and 45% of female answered that they are healthy.
5. Having health problems causes difficulties in daily living were 40% of the total;
chewing difficulties - 59% of male, 61% of female,
dental problems - 38% of male, 39% of female
vision difficulties - 31% of male, 34% of female
hearing difficulties - 17% of male, 17% of female
low extremities - 16% of male, 21% of female
walking difficulties for 300m distance - 15% of male, 9% of female
cataracts - 11% of male, 9% female
6. Activities of Daily Living, ten item of questions asked and 71% of the total answered that they ecn perform for all of ten items.
7. Cognitive Function Test conducted in 15 item of questions including four mental health status assessment questions. Those who had correct answers in 12 items and over were 63% of male and 48% female in Seoul City and 59% of male and 35% of female in rural,
Correct answers for less than 3 items were 2% in male and 4% in female of Seoul City and 2% of male and 6% of female in rural.
insomnia - 40% of male, 43% of female
worry and strain - 40% of male, 41% female
loss of interest - 38% of male, 40% female
depression - 32% of male, 36% female
fatigue - 51% of male, 61% female
loss of memory - 48% of male, 56% of female
8. Uae of health services in past one-month period;
visit to doctors - 21% of male,17% female
visit to phumacist - 25% of male, 29% female
hospitalization - 5% of the total
taking herbmedicine - 29% of male, 29% female
take prescription medicine - 26% of male, 21% female
take drugs without prescription - 38% of male, 45% of female
9. use of glasses - 59% of male, 37% female
use of denture - 44% of male, 32% female
10. Three fourth of the total lived with their children.
Living alone - 1% of male, 3% of female in urban
2% of male, 3% of female in rural.
11. Living conditions - 22% of total answered they feel unsafety at night.
unsatisfied with their living conditions - 14% of total
12. Way of life.
- smoking - 47% (61% male, 36% female)
- membership in community organization - 28% of total
- consult decision making in family affairs -75% of male, 65% of female
- no one available to take care when they become sick - 16% of male, 20% of female
- feely loniliness - 22% of the total
- dependency of living to the family - 60% of male and 74% of female
- living with their own income - 28% of male, 10% of female
- living with pension - 5% of male, 6% of female
- feel financial poverty - 30% of total
- ownership of house - 44% of total.
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