This study aimed to determine the association between household types and healthy dietary practices among Korean adults. A cross-sectional analysis was performed using nationwide data on 23,488 participants from the 2017-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Based on self-reported data, the participant household types were classified into single- and multi-person households. The adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for healthy dietary practices according to household types were calculated by applying multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting for confounders. Of total, 11.21% and 88.79% were single- and multi-person households, respectively. Compared with individuals living in multi-person households, those in single-person households had lower odds of adhering to healthy dietary practices (AOR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79-0.98) and consuming adequate saturated fatty acids (<7% of energy) (AOR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69-0.88). In addition, men and individuals aged 65 years living in single-person households exhibited lower odds of consuming adequate saturated fatty acids and 500 g of fruit and vegetables per day than those in multi-person households. Single-person households often find it a challenge to practice a healthy diet. Hence, nutritional policies and educational support that help individuals living alone consume healthier diets are warranted.

Considering that the number of middle-aged single-person households is increasing, this study investigates dietary behaviors, nutrient intake, and mental health according to household type. Data were procured from the 2015-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Totally, 5,466 participants aged 50-64 years were classified into 2 groups: a household with one member was defined as a single-person household, and households with two or more members were described as multi-person households. Single-person households comprised 10.63% of the total, with a higher average age, and lower income and economic levels than multi-person households. Compared to multiperson households, single-person households had a higher frequency of skipping breakfast, eating alone, and dining out, the moderately and severely food insecure group was more than 5 times, and nutrient intake and dietary quality were poorer. In the fully adjusted model, the odds ratios (ORs) of depressive symptoms were 2.35 times (95% CI: 1.39-3.96), and suicide ideation was 1.95 times (95% CI: 1.35-2.82) in single-person compared to multi-person households. Our results lead us to conclude that poor dietary intake in middle-aged single-person households affects the mental health, and the above factors should be considered when framing the dietary policy.

We performed a study to examine the association between diet quality and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our study included 3,586 women aged 40-64 years who participated in the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study subjects were classified into the NAFLD group (n=816) and the normal group (n=2,770) using the hepatic steatosis index. The anthropometric indices, blood profiles, and dietary intake data of the subjects were obtained. The waist circumference, body mass index, and the serum levels of triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in the NAFLD compared to the normal groups (p<0.001, respectively). The intakes of protein (g/kg body weight, p<0.001), potassium (p<0.001), and vitamin A (p=0.006) were significantly lower in the NAFLD group. It was observed that the higher the total Korean Healthy Eating Index score, the lower the risk of NAFLD. A reverse relationship was shown between the NAFLD risk and the intakes of total fruits, total vegetables, vegetables excluding Kimchi and pickled vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and beans. Therefore, it is recommended that middleaged women in Korea increase their intakes of fruits, vegetables, and foods high in protein for the proper management of NAFLD.

In this study, we aimed to explore whether eating alone is associated with mental health conditions in Korean adolescents. The data of 2,012 Korean adolescents aged 12-18 years were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2019. Participants were classified into three groups based on the frequency of eating alone: none (all meals with others); 1 meal/day alone; and 2 meals/day alone. Mental health conditions were assessed based on stress recognition, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Multivariable logistic regressions were employed to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of poor mental health conditions according to the frequency of eating alone. Adolescents who ate 2 meals/day alone had higher odds of stress recognition (AOR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.94- 3.63), depressive symptoms (AOR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.47-4.42), and suicidal ideation (AOR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.05-6.08) than those who ate all their meals with others. In addition, having breakfast or dinner alone increased the odds of stress recognition. Considering the continuous increase in the social phenomenon of eating alone, nutritional educations are needed to develop adolescents' ability to choose more nutritionally balanced and healthy meals when eating alone.

This study investigated the association between dietary intake and 10-year risk for CHD predicted from Framingham risk score in Korean adults using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019-2020. Eight thousand subjects (3,382 men and 4,618 women) aged 30 years or older were classified into three groups according to the 10-year CHD risk (%). The sociodemographics, anthropometrics indices, blood profiles, and dietary intake were collected. After adjusting for confounding variables, the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) decreased for both men and women as the disease risk increased. The high–risk group was below the MAR criteria, indicating that the overall quality of the meal was not good. The highest consumers of legumes (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.84), fruits (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.93), and fish (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.87) had a 44%, 33%, and 40% lower 10-year CHD risk than lowest consumers in men, respectively. In women, there is no significant relationship between food groups and disease risk. Therefore, improving lifestyle habits such as weight control, increased activity, and adequate food intake, especially legumes, fruits, and fish rich in antioxidant nutrients and bioactive substances, appears to have a potential association with preventing coronary heart disease in Korean adults.

목적 : 본 연구는 소아·청소년의 나트륨 섭취와 굴절 이상 사이의 연관성을 조사하였다. 방법 : 본 연구에서는 2016년 국민건강영양조사에 5~18세 소아·청소년 968명의 데이터를 사용하였다. 나트 륨 섭취량은 24시간 식단 회상에서 식품 항목에 대한 데이터로 측정하였다. 굴절 이상은 우안의 등가구면 굴절력 (SE)을 사용하였다. 잠재적인 교란 요인을 조정한 후 로지스틱 회귀 분석을 사용하여 나트륨 섭취와 굴절 이상 간 의 연관성을 분석하였다. 결과 : 나트륨 섭취량과 굴절 이상은 상관관계가 있었고(p<0.001), 나트륨 섭취가 높을수록 굴절 이상도 함께 높은 것으로 나타났다(p<0.001). 특히 나트륨 섭취량은 근시에서 유의하게 높았다. 잠재적인 교란 요인을 보정한 후 다변량 로지스틱 회귀 분석에서 높은 나트륨 섭취가 근시 위험 증가와 유의하게 관련이 있는 것으로 나타났다 (OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.12-2.33, p=0.010). 결론 : 국내 소아·청소년의 나트륨 섭취와 굴절 이상 사이에 유의한 연관성이 있는 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 높 은 나트륨 섭취량은 근시와 관련이 있는 것으로 나타났다.

목적 : 본 연구는 40세 이상 한국 성인의 수면시간과 안구건조의 관련성을 알아보기 위해 시행하였다. 방법 : 국민건강영양조사 제7기에 참가한 성인 16,119명 중 성인 2,506명을 대상으로 하였다. 수집된 자료는 복합표본설계방법으로 평균, 표준 편차, t-검정을 분석하였다. 수면시간과 안구건조의 연관성은 카이제곱으로 분석하였다. 일반적 특성이 안구건조에 영향을 분석하기 위해 로지스틱 회귀 분석하였다. 성별, 연령, 학력, 가구소득, 직업, 근무시간대, 체질량지수, 흡연, 음주 등의 변수를 통제하였다. 결과 : 분석 결과 전체 수면시간은 7시간이었다. 수면시간과 안구건조는 관련이 있는 것으로 나타났다. 안구건조에 영향을 미치는 요인을 로지스틱 회귀분석 한 결과 안구건조는 7시간보다 5시간 이하에서 증가하였다(OR 1.93[95% CI: 1.38-2.71]). 안구건조는 남성보다 여성에서 증가하였다. 저체중보다 비만에서 증가하였으며(OR 1.89[95% CI: 1.11-3.19]), 음주에서 주 4회 이상이면 안구건조가 증가하였다(OR 2.43[95% CI: 1.42-4.16]). 결론 : 안구건조와 수면시간과의 연관성을 확인하였다. 그러므로 적절한 수면시간으로 안구건조를 예방해야 할 것이다.

Unhealthy dietary behavior such as insufficient calcium intake can be one of risk factors of osteoporosis and chronic diseases in older people. This study evaluated the recent trends in dietary calcium intake and the food source in Korean adults aged 50 years or older using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2015-2019) data. This study used 24-hour recall survey data to investigate the calcium intake, the major food groups and main dishes contributing to the calcium intake. The mean calcium intake was 479.55-506.81 mg/day. The major food groups that contribute to calcium intake were vegetables, milks and fishes. Dairy and frozen desserts and kimchi were the major dish groups that contributed to the calcium intake. Calcium intake from milk in dairy and frozen dessert group has been high in last 5 years (50-64 years old: 34.71-47.68 mg, 65-74 years old: 29.72-43.65 mg, over 75 years old: 22.91-42.93 mg). In addition, baechu-kimchi is the most contributed to the calcium intake in kimchi group (50-64 years old: 35.10-41.47 mg, 65-74 years old: 29.62-34.96 mg, over 75 years old: 23.79-29.13 mg). In conclusion, various source of calcium needs to be recommended to increase intake calcium in over 50 years, which may reduce chronic diseases and improve quality of life.

This study examined the nutrient intake of Korean adults by considering the lunch type, categorized as home meals (HM), eating out (EO), and institutional meals (IM). Data was obtained from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Totally, 3,786 adults (1,643 men, and 2,143 women) aged between 19-64 years were included in the study. Subjects with daily energy intake of less than 500 kcal or over 5,000 kcal, and those who skipped lunch, were excluded. The percentage of subjects in the HM, EO, and IM were 31.9, 53.6, and 14.4%, respectively. The daily energy intakes of the HM, EO, and IM groups were determined to be 2,185, 2,360, and 2,339 kcal, respectively, in men, and 1,622, 1,731, and 1,741 kcal, respectively, in women. Among the three groups, men in the EO group had more intake of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and riboflavin, and less dietary fiber, and whereas women consumed more fat and less dietary fiber and potassium. In the IM group, the men consumed more dietary fiber, potassium, and thiamine, whereas consumption of carbohydrate, unsaturated fatty acid, sodium, potassium, and thiamine was more in women. Energy contributions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat were all within the AMDR (acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges) for all lunch types, except for the percent of energy provided from saturated fat in EO (7.4% in men, and 8.2% in women). Our results indicate that the dietary habit of frequently eating out increases the fat intake, thereby resulting in increased health risks for adults. Thus, implementation of a nutritional education program to encourage balanced dietary habits is required to improve the nutritional status of individuals eating out.

This study investigates the relationship between vitamin C intake and obesity prevalence among Korean adults. Based on data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2017), a total of 1,356 participants were included in this analysis. Increasing the dietary vitamin C intake resulted in a significantly decreased occurrence of BMI obesity prevalence (p for trend=0.0194) and WC obesity prevalence (p for trend=0.0452). Moreover, increasing the dietary vitamin C intake of Korean adults having a high frequency of eating breakfast resulted in significantly decreased BMI obesity prevalence (p for trend=0.0406) and WC obesity prevalence (p for trend=0.0432). Among the Korean adults who ate out frequently, decreased BMI obesity prevalence was determined with increased intakes of dietary vitamin C (p for trend=0.0193) and total vitamin C (food and dietary supplements) (p for trend=0.0429), whereas significant decrease in WC obesity prevalence was observed with increased dietary vitamin C intake (p for trend=0.0484). Our results provide conclusive evidence that consumption of dietary vitamin C is associated with obesity prevalence in Korean adults, according to their habits of eating breakfast and frequency of eating out.

The intake of processed foods containing high levels of sugar increases the incidence of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Limiting sugar intake is important for a healthy life at all ages. Therefore, this study analyzed food sources and sugar intake by the different age groups based on the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We used 24-hour recall survey data to investigate the daily sugar intake and the major food groups and main dishes contributing to sugar intake. The mean sugar intake was 58.9-66.8 g/day. The three major food groups contributing to sugar intake were fruits (15.2-19.9 g/day), beverages (10.7-12.4 g/day), and milk and milk products (7.6-7.8 g/day). Teas and other non-alcoholic beverages (14.7-17.3 g/day), fruits (12.5-16.2 g/day), and dairy products (7.0-7.6 g/day) were the major food groups that contributed to the sugar intake. Carbonated drinks, apples, and milk were the top sources of sugar intake in each group. In conclusion, the sugar intake of Koreans is mainly from carbonated drinks, fruits, and milk. These results provided the basic data for nutrition education and nutrition program development according to the different age groups of the Korean population.

Although fine dust pollution in Korea is increasing, there is no information regarding nutritional standards for fine dustrelated disease patients. This study analyzed the food and nutrient intake status in adult men with disease associated with fine dust in the area with the increased level of fine dust pollution using the sixth and seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2017). The daily intakes, and average nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR) values of energy were significantly increased in the control group compared with patient groups. Compared with the control group, protein, fat and cholesterol intakes were significantly increased in the patient groups. Daily intakes of cereals and grain products in the control group were increased, whereas seasoning intake was decreased in the control group compared with patient groups. The patient groups had low daily water and vitamin B1 intakes, and the niacin intake of patient groups was significantly lower than that of the control group. Nutrition density and nutritional quality of vitamin C were significantly reduced in patient groups. This study can be used as basic data for nutrition education that emphasizes sufficient calorie, water and antioxidant vitamin intakes for patients related to fine dust pollution.

This study was conducted to examine the status of food consumption and nutrition intake of young adults according to food security using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2008~2018). A total of 10,655 young adults aged 19~34 years participated in the study. The subjects in the moderately/severely food insecure group consumed less fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts and seeds than those in food secure/mildly food insecure group after adjusting for confounding factors. The moderately/severely food insecure group significantly decreased mean adequacy ratio (MAR) and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) for protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and iron compared to the food secure/ mildly food insecure group. The percentages of the participants consuming a daily diet with carbohydrate, protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, phosphorus and iron less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) increased in the moderately/severely food insecure group compared with the food secure group. This study suggested that the nutrition intake of young adults was related to food security status. These findings can be used as basic data for developing nutritional policies for young adults.

This study was conducted to investigate the intake status of beverages and water in Korean adults using data from the 8th National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The ‘total water’ intake was 2,250.6 g for men and 1,871.2 g for women. Men and women consumed an average of 314.9 g of ‘total beverages’, of which ‘coffee’ was the largest at 107.5 g, followed by ‘others’(65.4 g), ‘milk’ (44.8 g), ‘soda’ (44.1 g), ‘teas’ (20.9 g), and ‘fruits and vegetables’ (18.5 g). The intake of ’plain water’ was 1,059.9 g, and the intake of ’water from food’ consumed was 547.3 g. The ‘total water’ intake decreased with increasing age in males and females (p<0.001). Both men and women showed a tendency toward increased ‘total water’ intake as income levels increased. ‘Plain water’ intake accounted for 51.4% of the ‘total water’ intake in males and females. The intake of all nutrients significantly increased from the Q1 group to the Q4 group by quartile ranges of total water intake. The results of this study showed that the intake of healthy water should be considered, and care and educational programs are needed, especially for older people, to ensure adequate water intake.

Diet is important for muscle health and offers a protective effects against the loss of skeletal muscle mass and physical functions with advancing age. We analyzed the relationship between diet, metabolic disease risk, and sarcopenia in Korean female adults using the 2009-2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 2038 adult women aged 50-64 years were classified into four groups based on the diagnosis of menopause and sarcopenia. The groups were the non-menopause and non-sarcopenia group (NMNS, n=249), the non-menopause and sarcopenia group (NMS, n=14), the menopause and non-sarcopenia group (MNS, n=1,653), and the menopause and sarcopenia group (MS, n=122). The socio-demographics, anthropometrics, blood profile, and dietary data of the subjects were collected. Those who were in both the sarcopenia groups were more obese (p<0.001), had greater waist circumferences (p<0.001), higher body mass index (p<0.001), and higher obesity rates (p<0.001) after adjustment for covariants. Both the sarcopenia groups also had higher plasma levels of total cholesterol (p<0.001), HbA1c (p=0.001), and vitamin D (p=0.020) than both the non-sarcopenia groups. Both the sarcopenia groups demonstrated a decreased intake of calcium (p=0.05), potassium (p=0.008), and niacin (p=0.008) than both the non-sarcopenia ones. Among the four groups, the NMS group showed the highest levels of total cholesterol, obesity, and lowest intake of micronutrients such as calcium, niacin, and potassium. Thus, muscle mass maintenance through weight control and adequate nutrient intake appears to demonstrate a potential association with preventing sarcopenia in Korean middle-aged women.

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in the quality of dietary and life across age groups of Korean adults. According to life cycle, four age groups (20~29, 30~49, 50~64, ≥65) were created. Anthropometric indices showed significant differences according to age group (p<0.001). Energy intake significantly decreased according to age group as a result of decreased protein and fat intake (p<0.001). The intake levels of minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber per 1,000 kcal were the lowest in the 20~29 age group (p<0.001). Whereas saturated fatty acids, MUFA, and PUFA intake levels were the highest for those in the 20~29 age group (p<0.001). The quality of dietary (DQI-I) increased with age group, but the quality of life (EQ-5D index) decreased (p<0.001). The quality of dietary showed 5.8% explanation power on the quality of life (p<0.001). Additionally, diet moderation was shown as having a negative effect, but the diversity and balance of diets had a positive effect on the quality of life. By age group, the relationship between quality of dietary and quality of life was the highest in ≥65 age group. These results suggest that practical dietary education is needed from the 20’s to ensure the quality of healthy life for the elderly.

There is little information on the nutrient intake according to the city size and small town in Korean elderly. This study analyzed the nutritional consumption of older people in metropolitan, middle and small cities, and rural areas according to four income levels. The recent data from the 2016~2018 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used. The final analysis included 4,325 individuals (Male: 1,856, Female: 2,469) over 65 years old. Multivariable regression with a complex sample design was conducted to compare the nutrient intake among the groups. In a comparison within regions, the nutrition status of the elderly in small towns was more vulnerable than metropolitan and middle & small cities. The energy intakes were similar between the groups. The carbohydrate intake of middle & small cities was significantly higher than the other regions. The intake of other nutrients in metropolitan and middle & small cities appeared to be higher than in rural areas. The number of nutrients with statistical significance between low and high-income levels were 19 in metropolitan, 11 in middle & small cities, and 5 in rural areas. Each contribution of carbohydrate, fat, and protein to the total energy intake was lower in the low-income level than the high-income level in metropolitan and middle & small cities. On the other hand, in rural areas, only the contribution of protein to energy intake was lower in the low-income level than the high-income level. Cities with higher levels of urbanization had more severe nutritional inequality in relation to the income level. There was also nutritional inequality present in rural areas but it was to a lesser extent. Moreover, the generally low level of nutrient intake was problematic in rural areas. These findings could be used as fundamental evidence for developing community nutritional policies for the elderly.

This study compared the lifestyle patterns, dietary patterns, and health care practices of Korean middle-aged people by household type, and ultimately analyzed their relationship with different risk factors for the prevalence and severity of metabolic syndrome. We analyzed the data from 4,755 subjects who were from 40 to 64 years old, and gathered our sample from participants of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2015. Our results showed that single-person households had lower economic income levels, lower subjective health statuses, and higher levels of food instability than households with two or more individuals. The incidence of metabolic syndrome was 1.64 times higher in single-person households than in households with two or more individuals. After adjusting for potential confounding factors (sex, age, education, household income, smoking status, health status, and dietary factors), single-person households showed 1.75 times higher hypertriglyceridemia ORs than non-single-person households. In the conclusion of our study, we suggest that middle-aged people in single-person households may be at greater risk for metabolic syndrome and hypertriglyceridemia.

This study assessed yearly trends of food and nutrient intake among high school students aged 16 to 18 years (n=2,377) using the 2007~2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Yearly trends of food or nutrient intake were analyzed via logistic regression analysis. The results showed that consumption of sugars & sweets, and beverages & alcohols was increased rapidly during this period (p<0.0001). Intake of meat & meat products, and fish & shellfish also was increased (p=0.0008). Intake of grains and grain products was increased until year 2011 but declined after 2012 (p=0.0025). Consumption of vegetables, and milk & milk products was decreased (p=0.0395). Intake of protein, fat, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron was increased (p=0.0445). Carbohydrate energy ratio was decreased, whereas fat energy ratio was increased (p=0.0235). Most nutrient intakes satisfied the dietary reference intakes for Koreans except dietary fiber (19.6~26.2%), calcium (46.9~55.2%) and sodium (more than 221.4%) during this period. There was a significant positive correlation between most food group intakes and most nutrient intakes (p=0.0468). Therefore, it is crucial to increase dietary fiber and calcium intake and decrease consumption of sugars, fats and sodium through diverse eating of food groups to ensure balanced nutrition of subjects.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of chronic diseases according to obesity in the elderly older than age 65 using data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016~2018). The subjects of the survey were 3,245 elderly older than age 65 who participated in the health survey and nutrition survey, 45.8% of the subjects were males and 54.2% of the subjects were female. 37.5% of all the elderly were obese, and the females (42.4%) were more obese than the males (31.8%) (p<0.001). Diabetes, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia had a similar prevalence of 24.6%, 63.0%, and 12.7% in males and females, respectively. Hypercholesterolemia was higher in the elderly females (44.2%) than in the elderly males (24.9%) (p<0.001). Through the logistic regression analysis, it was found that the prevalence of chronic diseases was higher in obesity than normal in elderly males and females (p<0.001). The total food intake increased from ‘under weight’ to ‘obesity’ in males (p<0.01) and females (p<0.001). In the case of the elderly males, the higher the degree of obesity, the higher the energy intake (p<0.05), and ‘pre-obesity’ consumed the most energy in elderly females. As a result of this study, the higher the obesity rate of the elderly, the higher the prevalence of chronic diseases.