Introduction
Relevance of the Topic and Research Questions
The process of industrialization has led to the creation of new generations of elderly people in wealthy nations. Notably, increased living standards and medical technology improvements have contributed to this demographic transformation (Han et al., 2021). Accompanying these changes has been an increase in people’s life expectancy and a decline in birth rates (Lim, 2021; Statista, 2022). South Korea has reported these effects because, since the 1960s, it has experienced decades of economic growth, which has led to changing lifestyle patterns (Han et al., 2021).
In 2021, it was estimated that the elderly population in South Korea accounted for about 17.5% of the country’s national population (Jung et al., 2020). Relative to these statistics, the percentage of elderly people, as a function of the national population, has increased since 2010. Today, it is estimated that an increase of about 0.9% in the elderly population will occur annually in South Korea (Statista, 2022). Figure 1 below demonstrates this trend.
Based on the growing influence of elderly people in society, the current investigation strives to examine successful aging practices in South Korea as a function of people’s well-being. Based on this background, the primary research question that will be investigated in the present study is as follows.
What are the milestones of successful aging in South Korea?
Understanding the goals of successful aging will define the scope of this research study, which will be defined by health practices influencing the well-being of the elderly population in South Korea. In this regard, issues relating to traditional Korean medicine, physical health, and nutritional habits will be explored. These areas of research form the premise for developing the research questions underpinning the present probe. These questions seek to understand factors contributing to successful aging in South Korea. Consequently, the secondary research question is constructed in the following manner.
What health practices of the elderly in South Korea support successful aging?
Structure of Paper
Chapter two discusses what other researchers have written about the topic of study. Emphasis is made to highlight theoretical constructs and models explaining the aging processes and their implications on society. The third chapter will highlight unique drivers of change in the management of South Korean elderly populations, including perceptions and views regarding their health and well-being.
The fourth chapter presents and discusses a list of select articles that address the research questions. The findings will be interpreted from the perspective of successful aging practices in South Korea and the broader Asian culture. Comparisons between South Korean and Western aging practices will be made to understand areas of convergence or divergence, with explanations provided to understand discrepancies.
The fifth section of this study summarizes the findings and assesses their implications for practice. Limits of the current study, including recommendations for improving aging practices in South Korea, are equally provided in this chapter.
Methodology and Positionality
The findings of this paper were developed after undertaking a thorough review of the extant literature. Secondary data was obtained from various sources, including books, journals, websites, and organizational databases. The inclusion criterion for these materials was based on the year of publication. Notably, articles published earlier than 2018 were excluded from the probe because they were deemed outdated and less relevant to the current discussions than the updated sources.
At the same time, amateur publications, yellow, press, and personal blogs were excluded from the investigation due to their low reliability. The goal was to get the most accurate data. The current research will play a pivotal role in highlighting health-based lifestyle patterns for the South Korean elderly. This review expands the broader body of literature on non-Western aging practices and their impact on the well-being of the elderly relative to their Western counterparts.
Literature Review
Successful aging requires a thorough understanding of models and theories that explain factors affecting the aging process and well-being of the elderly. This study presents three theories as the bedrock of understanding successful aging practices in South Korea – activity, disengagement, and epidemiological transition theory. The Rowe and Kahn model was included in the review to provide a broader outlook of the project. However, before delving into the core tenets, it is important to understand the definitions of successful aging in Western and non-Western contexts.
Concept of Successful Ageing
As highlighted in the first chapter of this study, the world is grappling with the problem of managing a growing population of elderly people. This trend has led to a renewed focus on developing successful or healthy aging practices. In this study, elderly people are defined as those who are older than the age of 65 years (Jung et al., 2020).
Focusing on successful aging within the healthcare community is a relatively new study area. Its goal has morphed from a desire to attain a healthy aging status to one that maximizes longevity (Lim, 2021). Western and Asian definitions of successful aging have followed these principles of engagement.
As a non-western concept, successful aging is a relatively underexplored and multi-layered area of research (Kim et al., 2021). Comparatively, in Western literature, it is regarded as a multifaceted idea because it contains aspects of mental and physical soundness (Lim et al., 2021). In this context of the analysis, successful aging in Western literature is referred to as “healthy aging,” it involves attempts to encourage people to live an active lifestyle despite age-related health challenges. Several models and theories have been developed and used to explain people’s lifestyles and social expectations of the elderly relative to their overall well-being.
Different frameworks and models have addressed the concept of unsuccessful aging. Rowe and Kahn were the first scholars to describe the concept. They said it should have three key tenets – the absence of major chronic ailments or illnesses, the presence of cognitive and physical functioning, and having an active social life (Rogerson & Stacey, 2018). Based on this definition, Rowe and Kahn propagate that aging is not an end unto itself. Instead, it represents a continuum of adaption to people’s psychosocial and physical environments (Rogerson & Stacey, 2018). In this regard, successful aging is a long and dynamic process involving various phases of change and different trajectories of human evolution over time.
Based on the principles of successful aging highlighted above, anthropological literature has similarly examined the concept of unsuccessful aging. They have associated it with adverse health outcomes, including depression, social isolation, and poor physical health (MacIntyre et al., 2023; Tuicomepee et al., 2018). Indeed, depression is one of the major drivers of suicide among the elderly population (Kim et al., 2021). Therefore, it is of importance to public health when analyzed within the context of understanding the successes or failures of standard aging practices.
Relative to the above-mentioned facts, a research article authored by Nari et al. (2021) investigated the prevalence of depression among the elderly and used data drawn from a longitudinal study, which started in the year 2006 and ended in 2018. Information was obtained from a Korean longitudinal study of aging, and all participants were older than 45. The findings revealed that the presence of depressive symptoms among South Korean elderly populations was higher (35.5%) than their Western counterparts (28%) (Nari et al., 2021). Therefore, it was important to understand the factors that led to these discrepancies. These discussions will be explored in subsequent sections of this probe.
In the quest to understand social challenges affecting elderly populations, researchers have examined external factors influencing older adults’ mental and physical health. From an anthropological perspective, MacIntyre et al. (2023) and Montesi and Calestani (2022) suggest that loneliness and social isolation are some of the most common psychological problems affecting the elderly. They believe that these conditions could cause neglect and the worsening of health conditions for the elderly. Most victims cannot access community services or identify social groups they can be a part of (Ng & HoSelf, 2020).
In this regard, community development goals are undermined, and more significant social problems, such as the lack of adequate housing, are likely to fester. These findings were developed after interviewing older adults in a UK-based outreach program (MacIntyre et al., 2023). They revealed that older adults suffer from isolation and neglect because of bereavement and retirement.
The process of disengagement involves freeing oneself from the social limits of society that influence behavior. Losing touch with social norms completes the process of disengagement, thereby severing social ties between the elderly and the general population (Rogers, 2022). This statement explains why isolation and neglect disproportionately affect the health of the elderly relative to other demographic groups (Heslop & Meredith, 2020). If applied in the context of the present probe, disengagement from social life undermines the goals of successful aging.
The adverse effects of disengagement can be realized when the process comes with a destructive social cost due to a loss of social grounding (Rogers, 2022). Therefore, healthcare workers and social service providers are encouraged to find and engage adults in social activities to minimize the negative social effects of isolation (MacIntyre et al., 2023). However, the fear of loss of independence and suspicion are some concerns that older people have when interacting with social service workers. Therefore, there is a need to implement a customized approach to providing social support to this population.
In a different study authored by Tuicomepee et al. (2018), the role of emotional regulation in promoting successful aging is highlighted as a tool for realizing improved health outcomes among the elderly. Cognitive reappraisal was touted as a strategy for achieving this goal, while expressive suppression was another. These two strategies are believed to account for up to 6% of all variances reported in successful aging outcomes (Tuicomepee et al., 2018). These findings were developed after examining aging practices among 150 older Thai adults (Tuicomepee et al., 2018). Broadly, the adoption of the two strategies identified above has the potential to improve the cognitive functions of the elderly.
Epidemiological Transition Theory
The epidemiological transition theory describes changing social patterns based on prevailing fertility, mortality rates, and general conditions of life. It does so by understanding the distribution of disease and death patterns in communities (Celemin & Velázquez, 2022). Its founder, Kurt Mayer, argued that no meaningful interpretations of population changes could occur in isolation or by accessing data alone; instead, a more holistic approach would be adopted to avoid further integration (Jacobsen, 2022). The epidemiological transition theory has two phases of development. The presence of an infection defends the first stage, while the presence of degenerative diseases describes the second stage.
This epidemiological transition theory categorizes successful aging into three classes. The first is characterized by the age of patients, the second by accessibility, and the third by social support (Williams, 2022). In this analysis context, the mortality rate decreases when epidemics reach high rates. This phase of development is part of service delivery standards offered by different organizations.
In the present analysis, the epidemiological transition theory oversees changes in health patterns and diseases over time (Arnold-Forster, 2022). The interaction between these patterns of diseases and the prevailing environmental factors are equally conducted within a controlled environment, and the economic and social costs are affirmed. Overall, the epidemiological transition theory can only be compared with the effects of technology or demographic changes on society.
Case Studies
South Korea has reported significant demographic changes that have raised concerns about the growing population of elderly people in the country. The share of demographic diversity in the country’s national population was expected to stabilize over time, but this did not happen. Instead, a decline in the country’s fertility rate persisted throughout the 1980s up to date (World Economic Forum, 2021). For example, in 2020, the birth rate in South Korea decreased by 10%, which meant that 272,400 people were born against a death rate of 305,000. These statistics indicate that South Korea is experiencing a population decline (World Economic Forum, 2021). This degeneration in population numbers is skewed in favor of the elderly because their numbers are increasing.
There is a rising economic burden of having a predominantly elderly population. The phenomenon is likely to increase healthcare costs, as more people will be seeking palliative care services, thereby adding to the economic burden of healthcare in the country (Cha et al., 2019). Adding to this finding, Park et al. (2022) suggest that this cost is likely to present a significant economic burden for South Korea.
Park et al. (2022) developed these findings after analyzing patterns in healthcare costs for 14,456 patients in South Korea between the years 2010 and 2017 (Park et al., 2022). Data relating to health care costs were retrieved from the Health Insurance, Review, and Assessment (HIRA) databases. The pieces of information retrieved related to medical claims made in the country (Cho et al., 2021). The findings revealed that the highest economic burden of healthcare was linked to patients between 70 and 79 years – old (Park et al., 2022). Medical personal records were also found to be more profound for male patients than their female counterparts.
Income-based inequality among communities has undermined the quest for a collective response to health-related challenges affecting the elderly. The situation has led to widening inequality levels across different demographic groups, including men and women (Lim et al., 2020). Exposure to negative communication and engagement was identified as one of the reasons for the worsening inequalities (Shin, 2019).
This analysis was developed after collecting health and economic data from a nationally representative sample of 10,014 adults in South Korea. Data relating to these individuals were extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Korean Air Quality Forecasting System. These agencies started the survey in 2012 and ended it in 2013.
Broadly, these case studies indicate preliminary research has been done to understand the plight of elderly people in South Korea. However, these research studies have failed to highlight relationships across different lifestyle segments that would influence the overall well-being of the elderly. Table 1 below summarizes key articles that were relevant in filling this research gap.
Results/Discussion
This research section highlights the findings developed after analyzing four anchor studies. A comparative analysis of the findings is presented in Table 2 below, highlighting three broader thematic areas that helped answer the research questions: traditional medicine, physical health, and nutrition. As stated, successful aging in South Korea could be determined by how well a person scores on the three thematic areas defined above.
Table 2. Results.
Source: Own Representation based on the works of Yoo et al. (2018), Shim (2021), Park et al. (2021), Yun & Lachman (2018).
Traditional Medicine
The theme of traditional medicine was widely mentioned by researchers, including Zhu et al. (2022), Zhao et al. (2021), Zhang et al. (2021), and Xiang et al. (2021). The findings of Zhao et al. (2020) indicate that the elderly in South Korea use acupuncture to improve their physical health and to treat ailments. Therefore, it is a common form of traditional medicine adults use in their regions. Although the findings of Zhao et al. (2020) are insightful in explaining the extent to which traditional medicine is widely adopted among South Korean elderly people, one should understand that the mean age of his subjects was 56 years, meaning that the informants were relatively young.
An article authored by Park et al. (2021) investigated the extent to which acupuncture is used to treat elderly patients with knee problems. They equally sought to understand the reasons for the limited application of traditional medicine among other demographic groups. Most research studies designed to understand the efficacy of traditional medicine among the elderly fail to highlight these concerns because they focus on its efficacy more than any other variable. The above findings were developed after reviewing medical reports from 50 patients who were undergoing acupuncture treatment. A control group was similarly established to understand the effects of traditional and regular treatment plans.
The investigation outcomes were analyzed using a scale developed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index, and a South Koran version was adopted. The patients were exposed to eight acupuncture treatment sessions spread over 2 weeks. Their findings drew attention to Western perceptions of acupuncture as an unsafe practice. Some of them argued that patients who see acupuncture as retrogressive may harbor rigid views regarding its adoption or use (Park et al., 2021). Therefore, elderly patients with no such views are likely to adopt it.
Physical Health
The physical health of the elderly emerged as one major theme in this investigation. It refers to the ability of people to move and conduct their daily duties without assistance. Failure to improve the physical health of the elderly undermines their well-being. South Korean patients do not have physical health needs that differ from those of others.
Seeking to explore this issue more intricately, a study by Rose (2019) suggests that age, like other natural variables affecting one’s quality of life, can be associated with different life expectancies. Mortality changes in non-communicable diseases have been the major causes of an increase in the percentage of the elderly population in South Korea (Manheimer et al., 2018). At the same time, unlike other countries worldwide, South Korea has a comprehensive healthcare plan that takes care of the medical interests of its citizens and non-citizens. This universal model of healthcare planning is all-inclusive. Therefore, in case of risk of accident or injury, elderly people have unlimited access to healthcare services under such a healthcare plan.
The Rowe-Kahn Model is helpful in this analysis because it was developed to understand factors that lead to successful aging. The framework indicates that the absence of disease, healthy mental condition, and continuous engagement were top concerns for developing successful aging priorities. The absence of diseases among elderly people is related to the focus on the physical health of elderly patients, as described in this analysis. Therefore, the findings of the investigation relating to the physical health of elderly South Koreans are supportive of the goal of maintaining sound physical health. The Rowe and Kahn Model addresses the same issue – the physical health of the elderly population.
The focus on physical health as a tool for understanding the well-being of elderly patients further draws attention to the environment in which elderly people live. The article by Yoo et al. (2018) is useful in understanding diseases and conditions likely to affect the elderly. Given that the study was based in Chuncheon, a city in South Korea, it can be assumed that the findings are directly relevant to the target population.
Having analyzed health data from 504 residents of Chuncheon City aged 50 and older who underwent knee radiography participants, the researchers established that gender and education levels were risk factors affecting the respondents’ physical health. Particularly, Yoo et al. (2018) associated poor health outcomes in radiographic therapy with female respondents and patients with low levels of academic attainment. This finding means that education levels and gender played a significant role in defining the health outcomes of the elderly in South Korea.
The findings of this investigation are essential in understanding the blend of treatment therapies adopted by South Korean adults to treat their ailments. Acupuncture and knee radiography mentioned in the two journal articles highlighted above represent traditional and modern forms of medicine. Thus, it can be deduced that South Korean elderly patients use both techniques to improve their physical health. Still focused on understanding the role of physical health in assessing effective aging practices in South Korea, these investigation findings reveal that the elderly are disproportionately physically vulnerable to diseases and injuries compared to people from other age groups.
To demonstrate this point, COVID-19 fatality rates in South Korea should be examined. Following this trail of thought, data from the second and third waves of the disease revealed that Case Fatality Risk (CFR) was highest among elderly people aged 80 years or older (Shim, 2021). The COVID-19 incidence rate was also the highest among people of this age group.
This assessment was completed in February 2021, when 87,324 COVID-19 cases, including 1,562 deaths, were reported in South Korea during the pandemic (Shim, 2021). This finding means that health-based interventions should target the elderly more than any other age group. At the same time, the weaker physical health of the South Korean elderly population means that physical health is a risk factor that could affect their state of happiness and the overall well-being of the group.
The weaker physical position of elderly people and the implications of their poor health on their well-being can be explained by the epidemiological transition theory, which was highlighted in the second chapter of this document. This theory is appropriate for the current selection because it explains patterns of change in elderly behavior based on prevailing fertility rates, mortality rates, and general conditions of life. The general conditions of life were highlighted by examining social factors contributing to their mental and physical health.
Notably, participating in social activities was highlighted as a critical part of successful aging practices because it highlights the role of social bonds in promoting productivity and happiness among senior citizens. Concisely, scholars have affirmed that older people are happier and more vibrant when engaging in activities or participating in significant social events (Rogers, 2022). However, given that they often experience serious health challenges, it may be difficult to meet the same enthusiasm as younger people.
At the same time, insights drawn from this probe have drawn attention to the importance of maintaining physical soundness as a prerequisite for successful aging. Relative to this assertion, scholars have suggested that elderly people disengage from social activities as a natural step in their life due to age-related factors and retirement (Rose, 2019). Therefore, the high rates of social isolation reported among this demographic group highlight the vulnerability of elderly people to physical ailments and neglectful practices as some of the main challenges affecting their well-being.
Focusing on South Koreans’ physical health as the basis for undertaking the current probe establishes that traditional medicine is commonly practiced as a tool for maintaining physical health. Attention was paid to Moxibustion, a form of South Korean traditional medicine with roots in Chinese herbal medicine (Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2022). In traditional Chinese medicine, Moxibustion is regarded as a powerful treatment with the same level of attention as dieting, exercising, and meditation (Mosher Optimal Health, 2022).
Safety concerns abound, but scholars believe that when competent personnel properly administer this form of treatment, the safety and health risks are significantly reduced (Zhao et al., 2021). The practical implementation of Moxibustion is associated with using a competent healthcare practitioner. The personnel burns plant materials close to the surface of the skin to harness their therapeutic effects.
This type of treatment has benefited patients with dietary illnesses and those who live in harsh climates (Nielsen et al., 2022). For example, Moxibustion has been associated with reducing cold levels and dampness. This type of treatment has also been linked with improved reproductive health because it has a positive record of improving female health issues, such as irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. Broadly, health practitioners caring for elderly populations have used Moxibustion to improve their client’s health outcomes, including achieving pain relief from injury and arthritis (Kim et al., 2022). Digestive problems have similarly been reduced using this type of treatment, as have obstetrical conditions.
By triggering the body’s natural healing capacity, Moxibustion helps traditional healers target specific pain points among elderly patients. In this regard, Moxibustion is a supplementary treatment plan because it is often used with acupuncture or as an appendage of traditional medical practices (Koe, 2021). Concisely, Moxibustion has its unique properties, but this type of treatment is associated with acupuncture and has widespread use among the elderly population in South Korea due to various benefits, including soothing the skin and releasing toxins from the body.
Based on the above findings, acupuncture is another common form of traditional medicine used in South Korea. This type of treatment has a wide application in the country because of its high success rate of about 85% (Mosher Optimal Health, 2022). This type of treatment is consequently associated with positive health outcomes, including boosted immunity systems and increased blood flow. Critical pain relief is also associated with this type of treatment (Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2022). Therefore, it is widely accepted as a mainstream form of treatment among the elderly in South Korea.
Traditional Korean medicine is an alternative medicine, but its adoption should not be misconstrued to mean that mainstream healthcare practices are ignored or not in use. Instead, the evidence generated in this study revealed that the elderly in South Korea use a combination of the two techniques (Zhao et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2021). This hybrid healthcare model could partly explain the positive health outcomes among some senior citizens. Figure 4 below summarizes rates of adoption of traditional medicine typologies used in South Korea and the place of acupuncture and Moxibustion as forms of traditional medicine.
Nutritional Habits
The physical health of the elderly was associated with the theme of nutrition, which emerged in this probe. This link is drawn from the relationship between healthy food and good health (Korea Health Pages, 2022). Abstractly, this relationship implies that healthy eating is likely to lead to positive physical health outcomes among the elderly. Indeed, nutrition plays an important role in improving patients’ health, well-being, and outcomes. It defines the nutritional value they get from consuming specific foods (Arnold-Forster, 2022).
Analysis of the nutritional values of South Korean elderly people is important in understanding its connection with common ailments and successes in aging. Although nutrition is an individual matter, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is Korea’s state agency mandated to oversee nutrition management problems in hospitals. This organization sets a national nutritional standard and develops organic food for its clients (Arnold-Forster, 2022). Elderly people often seek to fulfill their nutritional requirements as a prerequisite to good health.
Broadly, the nutritional regimen practiced or adopted in South Korea contains a combination of local and international essences. Residents are encouraged to consume foods and organic compounds on the local front. However, these products are too expensive to acquire and could sometimes be in low supply.
Consequently, there has been a need to merge traditional and mainstream nutritional channels for better health outcomes. For example, milk formulas and nutritional beverages are commonly used to improve the health and well-being of elderly populations in western counties (Arnold-Forster, 2022). While the agency has sanctioned the stipulation, the nutritional values of the product bought are in contention.
The MFDS has helped improve the health and safety of aging people in South Korea by setting new production and consumption standards for elderly people. They strive to provide a comprehensive plan for promoting nutritional health outcomes that the elderly can follow or use to assess their performance. Relative to this assertion, MFDS has listed 19 nutritional requirements for the elderly, which can be used to maintain high physical strength and energy (Arnold-Forster, 2022). Vitamin D and calcium have equally been highlighted in South Korean texts as some of the most common nutritional requirements for elderly people (Yoon et al., 2018). The same statement is true for calcium and fatty acids because they comprise 19 nutritional compounds for elderly populations.
In South Korea, people often recommend these nutritional requirements to be part of mainstream food. Fish is their primary food source, and they have abundant quantities of nutritional value in daily food (Yoon et al., 2018). Proteins, vitamins, and calcium have been highlighted as some of the most preserved nutritional components of elderly populations. Relative to this assertion, the required amount for protein intake of elderly people in South Korea is set by the MFDS at between 37 and 63 grams (Yoon et al., 2018). Comparatively, the required dose of Vitamin D is set at 11 to 56 grams, and the larger nutritional value option is linked to calcium intake (Koe, 2021).
Relative to the above findings, the nutritional requirement of older people suffering from Dementia in South Korea was analyzed and reported in a journal article authored by Park et al. (2018). The research includes data obtained from a 2011 national-wide commission study on households. This analysis occurred between December 2010 and August 2010 to retain the strength of existing interventions on the patient’s overall care plan.
The investigation obtained a sample of the views of 3,472 people who suffered from dementia (Park et al., 2018). The respondents who took part in the investigation were recruited from more than 248 healthcare facilities. All participants were older than 60, and the mean age was 81.24 (Park et al., 2018). The findings of the investigation revealed that the nutritional status of people who had come to visit them was poor.
Based on the findings highlighted above, two types of people are required to manage the nutritional requirements of elderly people. They include people who need nutritional assistance and nutrition management services (Koe, 2021). There is room for improvement in optimizing nutritional effectiveness for better aging outcomes. Relative to the need to develop food with nutritional requirements for the elderly, South Korea has allocated the Foods of Special Medical Service (FSMP) responsible for ascertaining the nutritional requirements of inpatients, especially those suffering from cancer (Kim et al., 2020).
The widespread adoption of FSMP services has significant implications for the health and social affairs of the public (Koe, 2021). This agency has been focused on addressing the needs of the affected population, especially those with unique healthcare needs. This organization has equally made it possible for elderly people to order food from the comfort of their homes. They make the nutritional requirements followed by healthy adults achievable.
Conclusion
This research investigation sought to determine the major milestones of successful aging in South Korea. The findings showed that having a vibrant social life, meeting state nutritional requirements, and using traditional medicine are the most practiced activities for successfully aging people. The milestones stem from an analysis of South Korean culture and the scope of policy influence and authority people had on daily social life. Therefore, cultural and legal support should support the goals to be achieved in successful aging. These broader milestones set the stage for understanding the place of smaller age-related practices used to care for the elderly. Indeed, from the milestones, it was easy to understand the place of traditional medicine, nutrition, and physical health in maintaining the well-being and happiness of the elderly.
The theories mentioned in the literature review were meant to explore the broader body of literature on aging. The link between the theories mentioned and the study’s overall findings is based on their ability to explain lifestyle factors/patterns among the elderly, including their lifestyle choices and their impact on well-being. This approach to examining the research topic explains why traditional medicine practices are discussed and mentioned in connection to the lifestyle practices of Korean elderly populations.
A different research question explored in the present study sought to find out the health practices of the elderly in South Korea and their impact on successful aging. This probe mentioned nutrition, physical health, and traditional medicine as fundamental areas of practice affecting the health of the elderly in South Korea. These key areas of research were examined relative to their impact on the well-being of the elderly. The key independent variable underpinning this study has been changed regarding successful aging status. The findings of his study indicate that factors leading to successful aging in South Korea depend on several environmental conditions.
At the same time, the concept of age emerged as a self-deterministic idea because several structural factors influence one’s life course. Despite the growing levels of modernization in South Korea, some aspects of its medical culture still rely on traditional medicine, and the elderly are satisfied with using it. However, there is a consensus that South Korean traditional medicine is not used in isolation because aspects of Western medicine are often incorporated into mainstream practice (Xiang, 2021). Broadly, despite Western medicinal practices in South Korea, traditional medicine is still partially adopted among patients suffering from life-long ailments.
Several factors cause the decline in fertility rates among South Koreans, but changing priorities of women from household activities to corporate pursuits have significantly contributed to the trend. Similarly, harsh economic conditions have forced some men to delay marriage, thereby denting the population demographic in favor of a burgeoning aging population. Economic inequalities and high costs of living have similarly contributed to the high rates of delayed marriages and low rates of childbearing among young women in South Korea. Consequently, a decline in natural population has affected the industrialized nations, and the aging population has significantly increased.
The presence of extrinsic factors on successful aging outcomes demands a policy-centric approach toward improving the health and well-being of the elderly in South Korea. Indeed, the country is taking its aging population as a serious demographic challenge, which requires a comprehensive response. Establishing policies that support successful aging would be a positive step toward establishing the administrative authority of new health leaders in society. For example, transforming health programs into national vaccination programs is likely to increase the uptake of such products and promote community buy-in in the process.
The findings of this study are indicative, making it difficult to generalize across other settings. Stated differently, the statements highlighted in this study do not represent the actual environment and situation affecting elderly people in South Korea. Therefore, it is essential to contextualize the investigation’s findings to the practices and lifestyles of the South Korean elderly population.
Similarly, the findings of this study are limited to the South Korean social environment. This analysis approach is limited to attitudes and policies affecting the elderly population in South Korea. Therefore, the findings of this study are limited to the indicative nature of the conclusions and the limited environmental factors affecting the elderly in South Korea.
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