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.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined trends in the dietary intake and food sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) in Korean adults from 2007 to 2018. METHODS: In total, 46,307 adults (aged 19-64 years) were selected from the 2007-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Dietary data were obtained using 24-hour dietary recall. Intake levels and food sources of LC-PUFAs, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and linoleic acid (LA), were evaluated across the survey years and assessed based on compliance with dietary recommendations over the 2007-2018 period. Linear trends in LC-PUFAs intake levels over time were examined through multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: From 2007 to 2018, ALA and LA consumption increased from 1.1 g (0.5% of energy) to 1.4 g (0.6% of energy) and from 8.6 g (3.9% of energy) to 10.0 g (4.5% of energy), respectively. EPA intake decreased from 0.14 g to 0.12 g, and EPA+DHA intake showed a decreasing trend. The proportion of individuals who did not meet the recommended intake of EPA+DHA (250 mg/day) increased (64.4 to 68.4%). Regarding changes in food sources of ALA and LA, the contributions from mayonnaise, eggs, and bread increased, while those from plant food sources decreased. Among food sources of EPA and DHA, anchovy, saury, and Atka mackerel showed lower contributions over time. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that strategies to encourage the consumption of EPA and DHA from healthy food sources are necessary to improve cardiovascular health in the Korean population.

OBJECTIVES: Stress during adolescence is related to undesirable nutritional intake and negatively affects the growth and development. This study was performed to investigate the relationship among life stress, dietary behaviors and the intake of high-fat containing snacks in male and female high school students in Gyeonggi-do area. METHODS: The subjects were 700 high school students (350 males, 350 females) in Gyeonggi-do from July to September 2014 and the survey was performed by using questionnaire that included general characteristics, dietary behaviors, high-fat containing snacks intake, and daily life stress. RESULTS: There was a gender difference in health-related life style and dietary behaviors, and the life stress was significantly higher in female students than in male students. For health-related life style, exercise frequency, hours of sleep and conversation time with parents had significantly negative correlations with life stress, while smoking and perceived stress had significantly positive correlations with life stress. For dietary behaviors, the frequency of eating-out had a significantly negative correlation with life stress, while the changes in amount of meal intake under stress had a significantly positive correlation with life stress. The fat intake of ‘high-stress group’ was significantly higher and high-fat containing snacks consumed by this group consisted of cookies, honey bread and fried foods. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to develop appropriate programs for the emotional stability and stress relief of adolescents that provide continuous nutrition education focused on proper snack intake, desirable dietary behaviors and nutritional aspects.
Adolescent ; Bread ; Education ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Honey ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Meals ; Parents ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Snacks* ; Stress, Psychological*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to address the working conditions of home health nurses through a nationwide home health agency survey conducted at hospitals. METHOD: The mail surveys were sent to 303 home health nurses nation wide and returned with a response rate of 71.8%. RESULT: (a) Seventy-five percent of home health agencies were established within the past5 years and half of home health nurses are over 40 years old. (b) Working conditions were considered as follows: Seventy-one percent of respondents were full-time employees, sixty-sixpercent of home health nurses had unscheduled visits on a regular day of duty and forty-eight percent were on vacation. Fifty-one percent of home health nurses have experienced traffic accidents and paid penalties (65.9%). Self-reported monthly income level per year was an average of 28,364,000 won. (c) Rates were significantly higher for shoulder pain (61.5%), lower back pain (54.1%), knee pain (39.4%), and gastrointestinal problems (33.0%). CONCLUSION: These baseline results show the importance of improving home health nursing working conditions, a comprehensive prevention system and safeguards from physical discomfort.
Middle Aged ; Korea ; Humans ; Home Care Services, Hospital-Based ; *Home Care Services ; Home Care Agencies ; Female ; Data Collection ; *Community Health Nursing ; Adult

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to investigate the degree of perceived stress by sex in middle-aged people, and to provide basic data for appropriate nutrition education and interventional measures for middle-aged subjects through comparative analysis of association between stress and dietary habits, emotional eating behavior, and insomnia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A survey was conducted in 670 middle-aged subjects (320 men and 350 women) aged 40–64 years, resided in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 25.0 program. RESULTS: Perceived stress in middle-aged subjects was not different by sex. Stress was higher in men with low dietary habits level compared to other groups (P < 0.001), and was higher in women with low and moderate dietary habits level compared to women with high dietary habits level (P < 0.05). Stress in men was higher in the group with emotional eaters (P < 0.05), and the same result was shown in women (P < 0.001). Stress was higher in both men and women with poor sleep quality (P < 0.001). Stress score was positively correlated with emotional dietary behavior and insomnia (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with dietary habits (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS It is considered that proper nutrition education and interventional measures according to sex are needed for stress control and proper dietary behavior and lifestyle in middle-aged people population, along with projects and policies at the national level.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the quality of lunches provided in senior leisure service (SLS) facilities and compared institutional foodservice (IF) and noninstitutional foodservice (non-IF). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data of 390 adults aged 65 years or older who ate lunches in SLS facilities were analyzed using the information from the 2013–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants were classified into IF (n = 129) and non-IF (n = 261) groups according to meal type provided. The intake of major food groups, energy and nutrients, and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were analyzed. The diversity of meals was evaluated by food group patterns, dietary diversity score (DDS) and dietary variety score (DVS). Energy intake was adjusted in model 1, while energy and sex were adjusted in model 2. All confounding variables were adjusted in model 3. RESULTS: The intake of seafoods (P < 0.001 in models 1, 2, and 3), seaweeds (P < 0.01 in models 1 and 2), and dairy products (P < 0.05 in models 1, 2, and 3) was significantly higher in the IF group. No significant difference existed in energy intake; however, the intake of all nutrients except carbohydrate and vitamin C was significantly higher in the IF group. NAR of all nutrients, excluding vitamin C, was higher in the IF group, and MAR was also higher in the IF group (P < 0.001 in models 1, 2, and 3). The IF group had significantly higher DDS and DVS than the non-IF group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The lunches provided in SLS facilities were better in terms of quantity and quality when provided through IF than through non-IF. More systematic foodservice programs should be implemented in SLS facilities, especially in facilities wherein users prepare their own meals.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to investigate health-related lifestyle, dietary habits, and depression according to exercise frequency to understand complex factors that affect effective health management. Thus, exercise frequency, health-related lifestyle, dietary habits, and depression were evaluated in college students in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do areas. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A survey was conducted on college students, aged 19–29, in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do areas from May 13 to May 31, 2020. A total of 594 questionnaires were collected and 566 (269 from males, 297 from females) were statistically analyzed, except 28 with incomplete responses. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: The sex distribution of the 3 groups according to exercise frequency was significantly different; the ratio of males in over 3 times/week group was significantly higher than those in 1–2 times/week group and no-exercise group (P < 0.001). The height (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.001), and body mass index (P < 0.05) were significantly higher in over 3 times/week group compared to no-exercise group. The ratio of subjects who answered ‘good’ or ‘very good’ for subjective health condition was significantly high in the order of ‘over 3 times/week’ group (59.1%), ‘1–2 times/week’ group (34.5%), and ‘no-exercise’ group (25.0%) (P < 0.001). The ratio for meal regularity was high as 56.6% in ‘over 3 times/week’ group and the ratio for irregular meals was significantly higher in ‘no-exercise’ group (67.2%) and ‘1–2 times/week’ group (54.9%) (P < 0.001). Among questions on dietary habits, ‘Eat meat, fish, egg or beans’ (P < 0.01) and ‘Eat fruit’ (P < 0.01) were significantly higher in ‘over 3 times/ week’ group compared to ‘no-exercise’ group. ‘Drink more than 2 liters of water’ (P < 0.001) was 0.70 in ‘over 3 times/week’ group, which was significantly higher than 0.54 in ‘1–2 times/ week’ group and 0.38 in ‘no-exercise’ group. Moderate depression and severe depression that need treatments were significantly lower in ‘over 3 times/week’ group (18.7%) compared to ‘1–2 times/week’ group (26.0%) and ‘no-exercise’ group (29.7%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is considered that combined intervention for exercise habits, proper dietary habits, and depression management is needed for effective health management.

This study was undertaken to identify dietary patterns of Korean elderly people living alone, and to compare the quality of diet consumed. Data of 821 elderly people aged 65 years or older who were living alone, was obtained from the 2016∼2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey. The percentage energy intake from 24 food groups was calculated, and a cluster analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns. General characteristics, energy and nutrient intake, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ) were analyzed. Dietary variety score (DVS) and dietary diversity score (DDS) were subsequently calculated. The rice-centered diet group and mixed diet group were characterized as consuming higher intake of rice and a wider variety of food groups, respectively. The mean age and percentage of participants living in rural areas were higher, whereas education level and monthly income were lower, in the rice-centered diet group (P＜0.001 for all). Intakes of energy and all other nutrients (except carbohydrate and thiamine) were lower in the rice-centered diet group (P＜0.001 for all). The NAR for all nutrients (except thiamine), MAR, and INQs (except thiamine and iron) were significantly lower in the rice-centered diet group (P＜0.001 for all). The rice-centered diet group had significantly lower DVS (P＜0.001) and DDS (P＜0.001), as compared with the mixed diet group (P＜0.001). Due to the insufficient energy and nutrient intake in the rice-centered diet group, it is necessary to develop nutritional monitoring and customized nutrition policies for these individuals.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to investigate the degree of perceived stress by sex in middle-aged people, and to provide basic data for appropriate nutrition education and interventional measures for middle-aged subjects through comparative analysis of association between stress and dietary habits, emotional eating behavior, and insomnia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A survey was conducted in 670 middle-aged subjects (320 men and 350 women) aged 40–64 years, resided in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 25.0 program. RESULTS: Perceived stress in middle-aged subjects was not different by sex. Stress was higher in men with low dietary habits level compared to other groups (P < 0.001), and was higher in women with low and moderate dietary habits level compared to women with high dietary habits level (P < 0.05). Stress in men was higher in the group with emotional eaters (P < 0.05), and the same result was shown in women (P < 0.001). Stress was higher in both men and women with poor sleep quality (P < 0.001). Stress score was positively correlated with emotional dietary behavior and insomnia (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with dietary habits (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS It is considered that proper nutrition education and interventional measures according to sex are needed for stress control and proper dietary behavior and lifestyle in middle-aged people population, along with projects and policies at the national level.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the quality of lunches provided in senior leisure service (SLS) facilities and compared institutional foodservice (IF) and noninstitutional foodservice (non-IF). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data of 390 adults aged 65 years or older who ate lunches in SLS facilities were analyzed using the information from the 2013–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants were classified into IF (n = 129) and non-IF (n = 261) groups according to meal type provided. The intake of major food groups, energy and nutrients, and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were analyzed. The diversity of meals was evaluated by food group patterns, dietary diversity score (DDS) and dietary variety score (DVS). Energy intake was adjusted in model 1, while energy and sex were adjusted in model 2. All confounding variables were adjusted in model 3. RESULTS: The intake of seafoods (P < 0.001 in models 1, 2, and 3), seaweeds (P < 0.01 in models 1 and 2), and dairy products (P < 0.05 in models 1, 2, and 3) was significantly higher in the IF group. No significant difference existed in energy intake; however, the intake of all nutrients except carbohydrate and vitamin C was significantly higher in the IF group. NAR of all nutrients, excluding vitamin C, was higher in the IF group, and MAR was also higher in the IF group (P < 0.001 in models 1, 2, and 3). The IF group had significantly higher DDS and DVS than the non-IF group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The lunches provided in SLS facilities were better in terms of quantity and quality when provided through IF than through non-IF. More systematic foodservice programs should be implemented in SLS facilities, especially in facilities wherein users prepare their own meals.