The effect of Health Inequality Factors on Health Level of the Rural Elderly.
10.7586/jkbns.2017.19.2.98
- Author:
Dong Hee CHOI
1
;
Young Ran CHAE
Author Information
1. Department of Nursing, Gangneung Yeongdong University, Gangneung, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Rural Areas;
Elderly;
Health Inequalities;
Level of health
- MeSH:
Aged*;
Gangwon-do;
Health Resources;
Health Status*;
Humans;
Negotiating;
Social Class;
Socioeconomic Factors*;
Sociological Factors
- From:Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
2017;19(2):98-106
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the relationships between the factors affecting health levels of the elderly in rural areas. METHODS: Subjects were 257 elderly people residing in rural areas of six cities and Gangwon Province. Data was collected through questionnaires (demographic and socioeconomic status, social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, psychological tendency and general health levels) and was analyzed by using multiple regression and Sobel test. RESULTS: The demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the subjects exerted statistically significant influence on their social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, and psychological tendencies. The demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, and psychological tendencies, in turn, exerted a statistically significant influence on the health level. The social resources had mediating effects on the relationship between income, one of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and health level. The residential environments had mediating effects on the relationship between income and health level. The psychological tendency had mediating effects on the relationship between income and health level. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that income is an important factor affecting health level among rural elderly people. In addition, social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, and psychological tendencies among them also affect health level, so it is necessary to make strategies to improve these factors.
