As a time period of old ages increases due to an increase of average life span and early retirement, an attention on how to spend a successful old ages, rather than a mere longevity keeps increasing. This study is intended to analyze quality of lives ...
As a time period of old ages increases due to an increase of average life span and early retirement, an attention on how to spend a successful old ages, rather than a mere longevity keeps increasing. This study is intended to analyze quality of lives via comparison with Japan where has experienced population aging ahead of us. In order for this, considering economical aspects such as insurance and saving along with physical and social aspects, it is intended to analyze to see if there is a discrepancy of such factors influencing on psychological and quality aspects of lives for seniors between Korean and Japan. As for an analysis, a survey was conducted on seniors more than 65 years old without having difficulties in physical activities using either welfare center for the aged or senior clubs in Korea and Japan. As for the final procedure, 201 copies of survey in Korea and 172 copies of survey in Japan were statistically processed, and the summary of the results for analysis are as follow.
First of all, as for a basic statistical analysos for seniors in Korea and Japan, most of them were in their 60's or 70's, showing a higher education backgrounds in Japan than in Korea. Both countries were shown that there were many of seniors living with their spouses, and, as for Korea, a proportion of seniors living with their sons or daughters turned out to be little higher than the one in Japan.
Second of all, the results of an analysis of economical, physical, social, psychological and quality aspects of lives for seniors in Korea and Japan are as follow. After inspecting on source of income of seniors in Korea and Japan, most of seniors in Korea had a source of income from supports of their sons or daughters or relatives, while it turned out that there were various methods for preparing for old ages of most of seniors in Japan, most likely having a source of income from public pension.
Thirdly, the results for an analysis of the differences of standards of living, health, physical activities, social supports, psychological, and quality aspects from groups of seniors in Korea and Japan are as follow. It turned out that seniors in Japan perceived their standards of living higher than those of seniors in Korea, while it did not show a statistically significant discrepancy. Daily standard of living turned out to be higher from seniors in Korea than seniors in Japan, while health conditions turned out to be higher in Japan. This showed a statistically significant difference.
Emotional supports and instrumental supports turned out to be higher from seniors in Korea than seniors in Japan, but it did not show a statistically significant discrepancy. A degree of self-esteem and quality of lives turned out to be higher from seniors in Korea than seniors in Japan, while showing a higher degree of depression in Japan than in Korea. This showed a statistically significant difference. Fourthly, an analysis of multi groups of seniors in Korea and Japan was conducted, comparing determination factors for a degree of self-esteem, depression, and quality of lives along with a significance of path coefficients. The summary of the results is as follow.
Factors influencing on the quality of lives for seniors in Korea and Japan are standards of living, self-esteem, and depression, showing that standards of living and psychological conditions were important for quality of lives. Factors making a discrepancy in groups of seniors in Korea and Japan were elements for social supports, showing no positive influence or significant influence on seniors in Korea, while indicating a negative influence on psychological elements
and quality of lives for seniors in Japan. Such routes turned out to have a significant discrepancy from groups in both Korea and Japan. In addition, both groups of seniors in Korea and Japan had psychological factors act as mediated effects.