Gender and age group differences in nutrition intake and dietary quality of Korean adults eating alone: based on Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data, 2013–2016

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This study investigated gender and age differences in nutrient intake and dietary quality of people eating alone. SUBJECTS/METHODS From Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2016 data, 2,305 adults aged 20 years and older that ate meals alone were included in this study. Their energy and nutrients intakes, as well as their nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ) were analyzed. Food group consumption pattern, dietary variety score (DVS), dietary diversity score (DDS) were also analyzed. All data were compared among gender and age groups. RESULTS Men consumed more energy and nutrients than women, except for vitamin C, and the NARs showed similar gender differences. The INQs of 4 nutrients (calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and riboflavin) were lower than 1.0 in men, whereas only the calcium INQ was lower than 1.0 in women. Men had a lower DDS (3.6) than women (3.9) ( P < 0.001) and had more ‘undesirable’ food group consumption patterns than women ( P < 0.001). The intakes of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C were relatively low in the young-aged group (INQs less than 1.0). In the old-aged group, the MAR level was relatively low, and the INQs of calcium, riboflavin, and niacin were below 1.0. The old-aged group consumed more menu items, but their DVS was the lowest. CONCLUSIONS Compared to women, the dietary quality and food diversity among men were poorer. There were poorer quality and diversity patterns in the young-aged group compared to those of the older groups. An overall low intake of nutrients and the low nutrient density of meals were the main dietary problems among the old-aged group who eat alone. Therefore, men, particularly young- and old-aged, need to be prioritized in nutritional policies directed toward those who eat alone.

Physical activity levels and energy intake according to the presence of metabolic syndrome among single-household elderly in Korea: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018

“…However, in females, the total energy intake (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) was significantly different between the MetS and non-MetS groups. This result is supported by a previous study, which reported that the dietary quality and food diversity of females was better than that of males (44). Moreover, the overall low nutrient intake and low nutrient density of meals were the major nutritional problems in the group of ESH.…”

How Does the Frequency of Eating-Alone among Older People in Korea Affect Their Health and Dietary Behavior?

“…Other studies reported that the greater the number of solo meals, the higher the rate of depression. Notably in a previous study on older adults, eating alone was reported as a significant risk factor for high PHQ-9 scores, indicative of depression [30,44,48]. This result is consistent with a previous study using the geriatric depression scale (GDS) in the elderly over 65 years of age, which indicated that older adults who ate alone had higher rates of depression than those who ate with others [46].…”

“…Several previous studies have reported that eating alone negatively influences health for various reasons without clarifying the reasons behind its increase [18,24,[41][42][43]. Reports suggest that a lack of diverse nutrient and food intake should be associated with increased levels of social isolation, depression, and decreased quality of life [24,44]. This study identified 7037 older adults from the 2016-2020 KNHANES database and examined their health, diet, food and nutrient intakes, depression, and quality of life that depended on the frequency of eating alone.…”

“…Thus, the higher the frequency of eating alone, the higher the age. In research involving adults and eating alone, the average age of those who ate alone for one meal per day and three meals per day was 45.3 and 54.7 years, respectively [44]. Previous studies reported that 7% or 12.2% of Korean adults eat three meals alone a day, whereas our study targeted older adults and found that those eating all three meals alone per day (3/day eating alone) were as high as 13.95%, higher than the adult group [45,46].…”

Physical Activity Levels and Energy Intake According to the Presence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Single-household Elderly in Korea: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016‒2018

“…However, in females, the total energy intake (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) was signi cantly different between the MetS and non-MetS groups. This result is supported by a previous study, which reported that the dietary quality and food diversity of females was better than that of males [44]. Moreover, the overall low nutrient intake and low nutrient density of meals were the major nutritional problems in the group of ESH.…”