Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40951592›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of public health2025

Patterns of Living Alone in South Korea Compared to Other Countries: A Public Health Perspective and YouTube Topic Modeling Analysis.

Heesook Son, Sangmin Song, YoungBin Kim, Joohyun Chung

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Heesook SonRed Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-gu, Republic of Korea.
Sangmin SongGraduate School of Advanced Imaging Sciences, Multimedia and Film, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-gu, Republic of Korea.
YoungBin KimGraduate School of Advanced Imaging Sciences, Multimedia and Film, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-gu, Republic of Korea.
Joohyun ChungElaine Marieb College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: This study explored the experiences, challenges, and social dynamics of middle-aged individuals living alone in South Korea, compared with English-speaking individuals. From a public health perspective, this study examined cultural and generational factors influencing wellbeing. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study used topic modeling with natural language processing to analyze YouTube video comments related to single-person households collected from 30 Korean and 88 English-language channels. Results: Distinct cultural and generational differences emerged. Korean participants, particularly women, frequently expressed concerns about social stigma surrounding marriage and singlehood. English-speaking participants emphasized careers and personal independence. Themes included employment, financial security, travel, and food. Younger Koreans showed interest in leisure activities (mukbang, solo drinking). Older Koreans expressed concerns about economic stability and societal expectations. Conclusion: Understanding the cultural and generational context of living alone is essential for developing public health strategies addressing social isolation, mental health, and health equity. Digital platforms function as alternative social spaces, offering insights into socially isolated individuals' needs. Public health interventions should consider online engagement to support wellbeing and reduce health disparities in this population.

Indexed as

Public HealthSocial IsolationSocial MediaAdultAgedCross-Cultural ComparisonCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRepublic of Koreacultural differencesmiddle-aged adultssingle-person householdstopic modelingYouTube analysis

Identifiers

PMID40951592
PMCPMC12427026

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.