The Associations between income, informal social networks, and health among older adults in South Korea: A multi‐group analysis based on the level of age‐friendly environments

Sue‐Lynn Kim,Ju‐Hyun Kim,Kyong‐Hee Ju 한국사회복지학회 2019 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.13 No.3

The aim of the present study was to empirically investigate the role of age-friendly environments (AFE) on the associations between income, informal social networks, and health among South Korean older adults. We used data from the “2017 Age Integration Survey” collected nationally and ultimately analyzed 615 older adults over 50 years of age. Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis were used to test the hypothesis. Specifically, two groups of perceived levels of AFE (top 25%, bottom 25%) were compared in order to examine the moderating effects. The results indicated that poor income and scarce informal social networks each had a significantly adverse impact on health. However, the effect of income on health was no longer significant for older adults living in environments that were more age-friendly. In both groups, the presence of fewer informal social networks adversely impacted health, although the sizes of the effects decreased when the level of AFE perceived by older adults was improved. Finally, several implications of the study findings were discussed.

Relationships between objective and subjective socioeconomic status and physical health among adolescents in South Korea

Kim Sue‐Lynn,Yoo Joan P. 한국사회복지학회 2022 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.16 No.2

This study seeks to broaden the understanding of socioeconomic health disparities among Korean adolescents. Specifically, we examine the pathways from objective SES and subjective SES to physical health through a psychosocial perspective. To this end, stress and self-efficacy, which have been identified as critical psychosocial factors associated with SES, and physical activity, one of the most representative health behaviors during this period, are included as mediating variables in the research model. We utilize data from the 3rd year survey of the Seoul Education and Health Welfare Panel (2016), which consists of responses from 680 adolescents and parents. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the responses. The results show that sSES is directly associated with the physical health of adolescents. Meanwhile, oSES is indirectly associated with physical health and has two distinct psychosocial pathways to physical health according to whether or not the effect is mediated by sSES. Finally, we discuss the implications of the study findings.

소득이 고령층의 우울에 미치는 영향

김수린(Kim, Sue-Lynn),주경희(Ju, Kyong Hee),정순둘(Chung, Soon-dool) 한국지역사회복지학회 2018 한국지역사회복지학 Vol.0 No.65

본 연구는 고령층의 소득이 우울에 미치는 영향에 대한 사회적 자본의 조절효과를 실증적으로 분석하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 전국 만 18세 이상 인구 중 성별과 연령을 고려해 비례할당 및 가중표집방식으로 수집한 「2017 연령통합 설문조사」자료의 50세 이상 성인 615명을 분석하였다. 사회적 자본의 조절효과 검증에는 Preacher와 동료들(2007)의 SPSS PROCESS Macro를 이용한 단계적 회귀분석이 활용되었다. 분석결과, 소득은 우울에 부적 영향을 미쳤으며, 그 효과는 사회적 자본의 수준에 따라 유의미하게 달라졌다. 즉, 낮은 소득이 우울을 증가시킬 가능성은 사회적 자본이 열악할 때 증가하였다. 이 같은 결과를 바탕으로, 본 연구는 저소득 고령층의 우울 위험을 낮추기 위한 몇 가지 실천적 함의에 대해 사회적 자본의 강화를 중심으로 논의하였다. This study empirically explored the moderating effects of social capital on the relationship between income and depression among older adults. With this purpose, 615 adults aged 50 years and over from ‘2017 age integration survey’ data which had been collected through proportional allocation and weighted sampling taking sex and age into account were analyzed. Stepwise regression analysis was conducted to examine the moderating effects of social capital, using Preacher"s SPSS PROCESS Macro. Analysis results show that income has a negative effect on depression, which is significantly moderated by the level of social capital. That is, the likelihood of depression caused by low income increases as social capital decreases. On the basis of these findings, several practical implications, based on the enhancement of social capital, to lower the risk of depression among low-income older adults were discussed.

학령후기 아동이 인지한 주관적 사회경제적 지위와 신체건강과의 관계

김수린(Kim, Sue-Lynn),유조안(Yoo, P. Joan) 한국아동복지학회 2017 한국아동복지학 Vol.- No.57

절대적 소득을 강조하는 물질적 관점으로 사회경제적 지위에 따른 건강 격차를 설명하는 것에 대한 한계가 지적되면서, 비교적 최근 개인의 주관적인 사회경제적 지위와 건강의 관계에 주목한 연구들이 등장하기 시작하였다. 이들 연구는 주로 성인을 대상으로 수행되었으나, 자기평가를 위한 사회적 비교를 활발히 수행하는 학령후기 아동 역시 자신의 사회경제적 지위를 주관적으로 인식할 가능성이 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 아동이 인지한 주관적 사회경제적 지위와 그들의 신체건강과의 관계는 물론, 구체적으로 어떠한 경로를 통해 영향을 미치는지를 심리사회적 관점에 기초하여 살펴보았다. 이를 위해 서울교육건강복지패널 1차 년도(2014) 자료의 초4 아동 394명 및 그들 부모의 응답에 대해 구조방정식분석을 실시하였다. 그 결과, 학령후기 아동의 주관적 사회경제적 지위가 신체건강에 직접적으로 미치는 영향은 유의미하지 않았지만, 심리사회적 관점에 근거한 매개변인인 스트레스, 자기효능감, 및 건강행동을 통해 신체건강에 간접적으로 유의미한 영향을 미침을 확인하였다. 본 연구는 이상의 연구 결과를 바탕으로, 낮은 주관적 사회경제적 지위가 심리사회적 요인에 부정적인 영향이 미침으로써 열악한 신체건강을 초래하는 것을 예방하기 위한 노력을 비롯하여, 아동기 건강증진을 위한 몇 가지 고려사항들을 제안하였다. As material perspective that stresses absolute income has limitations in explaining socioeconomic gradients in health, research on the relationship between an individual’s subjective socioeconomic status(SSS) and health has emerged in recent years. Although previous research has been conducted mostly on adults, late school-aged children, who frequently evaluate themselves using social comparisons, are likely to subjectively perceive their socioeconomic status and be affected by their perception. Accordingly, this study examined the relationship between late school-aged children’s SSS and their physical health, and its underlying path based on a psychosocial perspective. For this purpose, data from the first year survey of the Seoul Education and Health Welfare Panel (2014), which consisted of responses from 394 children (4th graders in elementary school) and their parents, were analyzed utilizing structural equation modeling. The results showed an indirect but significant relationship between late school-aged children’s SSS and their physical health, via stress, self-efficacy, and health behaviors, which are mediating variables grounded on a psychosocial perspective. No direct relationship was found between late school-aged children’s SSS and physical health. Based on these findings, we suggested several implications to improving children’s health, including efforts to prevent adverse effects of low SSS on physical health through psychosocial factors.

주관적 건강상태가 고령층의 우울에 미치는 영향 : 고령친화적인 공적서비스 자원과 연령의 조절효과를 중심으로

김수린 ( Kim Sue-lynn ),김주현 ( Kim Juhyun ),주경희 ( Ju Kyonghee ) 한국사회복지연구회 2018 사회복지연구 Vol.49 No.2

It has been well known that there is a close relationship between health and depression among older adults. Under the purpose to mitigate and prevent the risk of depression caused by poor health, the changes in subjective health status’effects on depression depending on the level of age-friendly public service resources, and age were respectively examined in this study. Moderating effects analysis was conducted using 492 adults aged 55 years and over from ‘2017 age integration survey’ data which had been collected nation-widely. Major findings are as follows. The inadequate subjective health status raises the level of depression. This tendency is weakened when the better age-friendly public service resources are presented. In contrast, age has no statistically significant effects on the relationship between two variables. As a result of reviewing the specific conditions to bring out the interaction effects, frail subjective health status increased depression of all age groups as the level of age-friendly public service resources is low. Particularly, for the participants aged average(age 66.6) and older, the negative effects of subjective health status on depression are likely to be lowered by the improvement in poor age-friendly public service resources. That is, the buffer effects of age-friendly public service resources are proved. Based on theses findings, several suggestions for health promotion and depression prevention of older adults were discussed.