J Korean Acad Nurs.  2003 Aug;33(5):544-552.

Health Status among Community Elderly in Korea

• Kim HR

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study examined the health status among elderly in community. METHOD: This is a survey using cross-sectional design. The subjects were 531 elders who were 65 and over in Pusan, Korea. Data were collected by 17 trained interviewers from April 10 to August 26, 2000. Functional status for physical health status, depression, loneliness, self-esteem for psychological health status, and social support for social health status were measured. RESULT: About forty three percent of the subjects were found as the elderly who need support in physical status. About fifty six percent of the subjects were depressed. The mean score on the Loneliness scale was 40.4, which means relatively higher. For self-esteem, its score was lower than that of elderly who were examined in other studies. The subjects were living in the state of lower social support. The risk factors for vulnerable health status were being female, becoming older, lower income and education, and living alone. CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that the elderly subjects in Korean community were in poor health status in physical, psychological and social aspects.

Keyword

Elderly; Health status