Purpose: This study evaluated the nutrition and food intake status among adults in Jeju, Republic of Korea, based on their sociodemographic characteristics and obesity. Methods: Nine hundred and forty-nine adults aged 19 years or older were included based on the 2022 Jeju Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey data. A dietary assessment was conducted using a one-day, 24-hour recall method, and the nutrition status was evaluated using the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. The sociodemographic status included sex, age, education, and household income, and obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . Results: The mean age of the subjects was 49.8 years, and the overall prevalence of obesity was 48.4% (59.5% for males and 37.2% for females). The top three insufficient nutrients consumed at less than the estimated average requirement were calcium (77.7%), vitamin A (77.3%), and vitamin C (61.3%), while 40.9% of the subjects consumed fat as more than 30% of their total energy intake. The sodium intake was approximately 1.5 times higher than the chronic disease risk reduction intake level. In terms of food groups, the participants consumed more meat (148.2 g/day), seafood (69.0 g/day), potatoes, and starches (41.6 g/day) but consumed fewer vegetables (214.3 g/day) and less dairy (62.0 g/day) than Korean adults. The nutritional status and food intake patterns differed by the sociodemographic status. In addition, the obese group consumed more poultry and beverages than the non-obese group (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Adults in Jeju under-consume essential nutrients while over-consuming certain nutrients, such as fat and sodium. The nutritional status also varied according to the sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that sociodemographic factors should be considered carefully when developing nutritional policies and programs to improve the nutritional status and address obesity among adults in Jeju.

Purpose: This study evaluated the nutrition and food intake status among adults in Jeju, Republic of Korea, based on their sociodemographic characteristics and obesity. Methods: Nine hundred and forty-nine adults aged 19 years or older were included based on the 2022 Jeju Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey data. A dietary assessment was conducted using a one-day, 24-hour recall method, and the nutrition status was evaluated using the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. The sociodemographic status included sex, age, education, and household income, and obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . Results: The mean age of the subjects was 49.8 years, and the overall prevalence of obesity was 48.4% (59.5% for males and 37.2% for females). The top three insufficient nutrients consumed at less than the estimated average requirement were calcium (77.7%), vitamin A (77.3%), and vitamin C (61.3%), while 40.9% of the subjects consumed fat as more than 30% of their total energy intake. The sodium intake was approximately 1.5 times higher than the chronic disease risk reduction intake level. In terms of food groups, the participants consumed more meat (148.2 g/day), seafood (69.0 g/day), potatoes, and starches (41.6 g/day) but consumed fewer vegetables (214.3 g/day) and less dairy (62.0 g/day) than Korean adults. The nutritional status and food intake patterns differed by the sociodemographic status. In addition, the obese group consumed more poultry and beverages than the non-obese group (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Adults in Jeju under-consume essential nutrients while over-consuming certain nutrients, such as fat and sodium. The nutritional status also varied according to the sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that sociodemographic factors should be considered carefully when developing nutritional policies and programs to improve the nutritional status and address obesity among adults in Jeju.

Purpose: This study evaluated the nutrition and food intake status among adults in Jeju, Republic of Korea, based on their sociodemographic characteristics and obesity. Methods: Nine hundred and forty-nine adults aged 19 years or older were included based on the 2022 Jeju Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey data. A dietary assessment was conducted using a one-day, 24-hour recall method, and the nutrition status was evaluated using the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. The sociodemographic status included sex, age, education, and household income, and obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . Results: The mean age of the subjects was 49.8 years, and the overall prevalence of obesity was 48.4% (59.5% for males and 37.2% for females). The top three insufficient nutrients consumed at less than the estimated average requirement were calcium (77.7%), vitamin A (77.3%), and vitamin C (61.3%), while 40.9% of the subjects consumed fat as more than 30% of their total energy intake. The sodium intake was approximately 1.5 times higher than the chronic disease risk reduction intake level. In terms of food groups, the participants consumed more meat (148.2 g/day), seafood (69.0 g/day), potatoes, and starches (41.6 g/day) but consumed fewer vegetables (214.3 g/day) and less dairy (62.0 g/day) than Korean adults. The nutritional status and food intake patterns differed by the sociodemographic status. In addition, the obese group consumed more poultry and beverages than the non-obese group (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Adults in Jeju under-consume essential nutrients while over-consuming certain nutrients, such as fat and sodium. The nutritional status also varied according to the sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that sociodemographic factors should be considered carefully when developing nutritional policies and programs to improve the nutritional status and address obesity among adults in Jeju.

Purpose: Recently, high-protein diets have become highly popular, and the market for protein products has steadily increased in Korea together with the development of various types of such products. However, there is limited information on the consumption of protein supplements (PS) or protein-fortified foods (PF). Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the use of PS/PF among young adults in Jeju. Methods: A total of 350 adults (140 men and 210 women) aged 19–39 years voluntarily participated in this study from June 2022 to May 2023. PS/PF use was measured using a questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall. Results: Approximately 31.4% of the participants (n = 110) had consumed PS/PF for more than 2 weeks during the past year and 71.8% of them (n = 79) were still consuming these products (PS/PF consumers). The PS/PF consumers tended to be male and physically active (p < 0.05 for all). The most frequent reason for PS/PF use was muscle gain (59.5%), followed by protein supplementation (19.0%) and body fat loss (13.9%), and the most frequent type of PS/PF consumed was powders (70.6%), followed by drinks (17.7%) and bars (8.8%). The PS/PF consumers tended to consume a high-protein low-carbohydrate diet compared to the non-consumers. The prevalence of consuming dietary protein less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) was significantly lower in PS/PF consumers (13.9%) compared to non-consumers (25.4%; p = 0.0316). Conclusion These findings indicate that the necessity of protein supplementation should be determined based on the current dietary protein intake and individual requirements. The study also provides the basic information for establishing guidelines for appropriate protein intake.

Purpose: The use of food delivery services is increasing continuously in Korea, which may lead to nutritional problems and obesity. Despite this, the research on the association between delivered food consumption and obesity has been insufficient. This study examined the relationship between delivered food consumption and dietary behaviors and obesity among young adults in Jeju. Methods: An online survey was conducted from March 15 to April 5, 2023; 312 participants aged 19–39 years were included in the final analysis. The frequency, types, and time of delivered food consumption were measured using a questionnaire. The dietary behaviors included the following: eating out, breakfast consumption, recognition of nutrition labels, and eating salty foods, vegetables, and fruit. Obesity was defined using the body mass index based on self-reported body weight and height. Results: Approximately 59.3% of the participants ordered delivery foods more than one time/ week. The frequency of delivered food consumption was higher in people who consumed breakfast < 5 times/week than those who consumed ≥ 5 times/week (p = 0.0088). People who usually eat salty foods tended to consume delivered food more frequently than those who did not (p = 0.0377). On the other hand, people who consumed fruits ≥ 1 time/day had a higher frequency of delivered food consumption than those who consumed fruits < 1 time/day (p = 0.0110). After adjusting for the confounding variables, the group who consumed delivered foods more than three times/week had an increased odds ratio (OR) of obesity compared to those who consumed less one time/week (OR, 2.38; 95% confidence intervals, 1.12–5.06). Conclusion Young adults in Jeju who frequently consume delivered foods tended to have poor dietary habits including skipping breakfast and eating salty, and they had an increased odds of obesity. The overall dietary patterns can be improved by providing nutrition education and developing policies to promote or support healthy food choices when ordering delivered foods or eating out.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has become the standard modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients. However, consensus is lacking regarding the criteria for discontinuing CRRT. Here we validated the usefulness of the prediction model for successful discontinuation of CRRT in a multicenter retrospective cohort. Methods: One temporal cohort and four external cohorts included 1,517 patients with acute kidney injury who underwent CRRT for >2 days from 2018 to 2020. The model was composed of four variables: urine output, blood urea nitrogen, serum potassium, and mean arterial pressure. Successful discontinuation of CRRT was defined as the absence of an RRT requirement for 7 days thereafter. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.76). The probabilities of successful discontinuation were approximately 17%, 35%, and 70% in the low-score, intermediate-score, and highscore groups, respectively. The model performance was good in four cohorts (AUROC, 0.73–0.75) but poor in one cohort (AUROC, 0.56). In one cohort with poor performance, attending physicians primarily controlled CRRT prescription and discontinuation, while in the other four cohorts, nephrologists determined all important steps in CRRT operation, including screening for CRRT discontinuation. Conclusion: The overall performance of our prediction model using four simple variables for successful discontinuation of CRRT was good, except for one cohort where nephrologists did not actively engage in CRRT operation. These results suggest the need for active engagement of nephrologists and protocolized management for CRRT discontinuation.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The diet is an important route of exposure to endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs). However, few studies have investigated the association between dietary intake and EDC exposure levels among Koreans. In an earlier study, we showed that the bioactivity of serum aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands (AhRLs) could be a surrogate biomarker to indicate exposure to EDCs and that they inhibit mitochondrial function. We also found that the mitochondria-inhibiting substances (MIS) in serum ascertained by intracellular adenosine triphosphate (MIS-ATP) and reactive oxygen species (MIS-ROS) levels could be biomarkers of exposure to EDCs, as they showed a strong correlation with AhRL and the levels of EDCs in the blood. Here, we investigated the association between the consumption of specific foods and surrogate serum biomarkers for EDCs, namely AhRL, MIS-ATP, and MIS-ROS, among middle-aged Korean adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 1,466 participants aged 45–76 yrs from the Ansung cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were included. Food consumption, including that of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits, was measured using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Fish intake was positively associated with AhRL (β = 0.0035, P = 0.0166), whereas cruciferous vegetable intake was negatively associated with AhRL (β = −0.0007, P = 0.0488).Cruciferous vegetable intake was positively associated with the MIS-ATP levels (β = 0.0051, P = 0.0420). A higher intake of fish was significantly associated with an increased risk of high AhRL (tertile: odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 1.08–2.06; P for trend = 0.0305). In addition, the second-highest tertile of cruciferous vegetable intake had lower odds of high AhRL than the lowest tertile (OR, 0.73; 95% CIs, 0.54–0.97), although no significant linear trend was observed. CONCLUSION Consumption of different types of foods may be differentially associated with EDC exposure in middle-aged Korean adults.

Purpose: Proteins are major components of the body and essential nutrients for proper growth and development. However, studies on protein intake in children and adolescents are insufficient. A few previous studies have reported the relationship with growth indicators, but results vary depending on the source of protein. Therefore, the current study investigates the relationship between protein intake and overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Korea. Methods: Based on the 2014–2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 5,567 children and adolescents aged 6–18 years, who participated in a 24-hour dietary recall with information on height and weight, were included in this study. Protein intake was estimated as percentage of total energy (% of energy) and was classified into animal and plant protein according to the food source. Overweight and obesity were defined using the 2017 pediatric and adolescent growth chart. Results: Total protein intake of the subjects was estimated as 14.5% of total energy (animal protein 8.3% and plant protein 6.3%). The group with the highest total protein intake had a higher odds ratio (OR) of overweight/obesity than those with the least protein intake (OR, 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-1.67, p for trend = 0.003). When classified by food source, the group with the highest animal protein intake had a significantly higher OR of overweight/obesity than subjects with the lowest intake (OR, 1.30, 95% CI, 1.05-1.61, p for trend = 0.016). However, plant protein was not significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Conclusions These findings suggest that a high intake of animal protein in children and adolescents increases the risk of being overweight and obese. In order to develop normal growth and prevent obesity in the future, it is necessary to determine an appropriate protein intake level through nutrition education programs and prospective studies on balanced protein intake.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate dietary protein intake and its adequacy among Korean adults during recent 10 years. Methods: Based on the 2010 ~ 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data, a total of 51,296 adults aged 19 years old or more who participated in a one-day 24-hr dietary recall were included. Dietary protein intake was estimated as percentages of total energy (% of energy) and grams per body weight (g/kg/ day) and compared with the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans to evaluate the adequacy of protein intake. In addition, proportions of people whose protein intakes were less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) and above the upper limit of the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR) (> 20% of energy) were calculated according to sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Protein intake was increased from 14.7% of energy in 2010 to 15.6% of energy in 2019 among Korean adults. However, there was no increase in protein intake relative to the recommended nutrient intake (% RNI) during the recent 10 years. Protein intake relative to the RNI was decreased from 130.2% in 2010 to 121.1% in 2019 (P for trend < 0.0001) among total participants, and a significant decreasing trend was observed in all age groups except for over 65 years old. However, protein intake relative to the RNI was lowest in the elderly (98.6%). Proportions of low protein intake (< EAR) and high protein intake (> AMDR) increased in the past 10 years (P for trend < 0.0001 for all), and these were associated with socioeconomic statuses, such as education and household income levels. Conclusions These findings suggest that protein adequacy in Korean adults has not been improved over the past decade compared with recommended levels. Nutritional education and intervention programs should consider different intake levels according to sociodemographic characteristics.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Regional disparities in dietary factors might be related to regional disparities in cardiometabolic health. Therefore, this study investigated the associations of cardiometabolic risk factors and dietary factors with regional types in Korean adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Based on data from the 2007–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the study included 39,781 adults aged ≥ 19 years who completed the dietary survey and a health examination. Healthy and unhealthy dietary factors (fat, sodium, fruit, and vegetable intakes) were evaluated using 1-day 24-h dietary recall method, as well as the use of nutrition labels with a questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the participants, 48.7%, 36.0%, and 15.2% lived in metropolitan, urban, and rural areas, respectively. Adults living in urban and rural had higher odds ratios (ORs) for obesity (OR for urban, 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–1.14; OR for rural, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05–1.24) than adults living in metropolitan areas; these associations were significantly observed in middle-aged adults. Compared to metropolitan residents, rural residents had lower ORs for hypertension in middle-aged (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76–0.96) and metabolic syndrome in older adults (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67–0.91). Regarding urban residents, a lower OR for diabetes in middle-aged adults (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74–0.97) and a higher OR for hypertension in older adults (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02–1.39) were observed. Overall rural residents had higher ORs of excessive carbohydrate, low fruit, and high salted-vegetable intakes than metropolitan residents. Low fruit intake was positively associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension, after adjustment for regional type and other confounders in total participants. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that cardiometabolic risk and unhealthy dietary factors differ among regional types and age groups within Korea. Nutritional policy and interventions should consider regional types for prevention and management of cardiometabolic risk factors.