Purpose: This paper is a basic study done to establish a theory of health according to Korean culture. The focus is on identifying perceived concepts of health in older Korean women. Method: The Q-method, which is effective in measuring individual subjectivity, was used in this study. Results: Perception of the concept of health was found to have 4 independent types, as follows. 1. Type I : natural & couple-oriented type. Women with this type not only have a naturalistic view of health but also put weight on being couple-centered. 2. Type II: oriental & children-oriented type. These women have traditional oriental views of the world, and are strongly dependent on their children. 3. Type III: western & altruistic type. These women do not agree with oriental concepts of health. They are positive altruists, pursuing the meaning of life. 4. Type IV: modern & self-oriented type. Women with this type not only interpret the concepts of health within western medicine, but also positively accept oriental views of the world. Conclusions: Health concepts of older Korean women are complicated, not only with western-medical concepts of health, but also more strongly complicated with concepts from oriental medicine.
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