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.

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.

The labor environment in Korea has changed and problems related to employment types are treated as important issues. Especially, the ratio of irregular workers has not only increased relatively, but the labor conditions in Korea also have worsened in the current years. Studies have reported an association between temporary workers and the prevalence of diseases. However, there is insufficient research on chronic disease and employment types. Methods: The current study examines the prevalence rate of diseases and health behavior by categorizing employment types among Korean adults. Data were obtained from the 2016-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Totally, the data of 2,366 workers (1,239 regular and 1,127 irregular) were analyzed in the study. The types of employment were classified by a questionnaire querying about working conditions. The results showed that irregular workers earned less than regular workers and had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. We propose that if discrimination related to working conditions were relieved, irregular workers would be able to invest more time to exercise and doing check-ups regularly. In addition, individual nutrition consultations considering the knowledge and personal environmental factors of each individual are necessary for the improved health of all workers.

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 potential role of dietary factors associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Koreans. The scoping review method was used to evaluate the studies that utilized the secondary data sets comprising the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Articles published between 2012 and 2022 were identified using RISS, KISS, DBpia, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. In all, there were 32 published articles on obesity and 119 on MetS. Obesity research included eight articles on nutrients, 12 on food items/food groups, two on dietary patterns, nine on dietary behavior/eating habits, and one on the dietary index. MetS studies comprised 34 articles on nutrients, 43 on food items/food groups, seven on dietary patterns, 25 on dietary behavior/eating habits, and 10 on the dietary index. Carbohydrates, alcohol, and coffee consumption were the most frequently studied dietary factors for obesity and MetS. The primary areas of study were largely focused on nutrients and food items/food groups. Thus, to overcome the paucity of information on the relationship of dietary patterns and dietary indexes with obesity and MetS, there is a need for further research using the KNHANES and KoGES data sets.

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.

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 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.

목적 : 40세 이상 한국 성인에서 녹내장과 따른 아토피피부염의 위험요인을 알아보고자 하였다. 방법 : 국민건강영양조사 제7기(2017년) 조사대상자의 건강 설문조사와 안과 검진을 받은 40세 이상을 대상으로 녹내장 검사를 받고 성별과 연령, 체질량지수, 사회학적 요인인 월평균 가구소득, 교육, 월간음주율, 현재흡연율을 보정하였고, 통계는 SPSS 18.0을 이용하여 로지스틱 회귀분석을 수행하였으며 유의수준은 0.050미만으로 하였다. 결과 : 40세 이상 녹내장 유병률은 3.46%였다. 녹내장에 대해서 나이(OR=1.03 p=0.007)와, 성별(OR=0.52 로, p=0.009) 및 아토피피부염(OR=3.43, p=0.023)은 유의하게 나타났다. 결론 : 녹내장과 아토피피부염과의 관계에서 사회학적인 요인을 보정한 후 통계적으로 나이와 성별 및 아토피 피부염은 유의미한 결과를 확인하였다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between dietary macronutrient intakes and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. Data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2017), and a total of 11,600 Korean adults (4,918 men, 6,682 women) aged 50 years and older were analyzed. The daily intakes and percentages of energy from carbohydrates or fat in men or women with MetS were significantly lower than in normal subjects, respectively. High carbohydrate or fat percentages were negatively associated with MetS based on adjusted odds ratios (OR) of 0.804 in men (p=0.034) and 0.820 in women (p=0.045), respectively. A high percentage of energy from carbohydrates was positively associated with reduced waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in men. On the other hand, a high percentage of energy from fat was positively related with elevated HDL cholesterol and reduced triglycerides in women. In conclusion, our study indicates that high carbohydrate or fat intake is associated with risk of MetS in Korean men or women aged 50 years and older, respectively. Further prospective studies are necessary to elucidate the association between macronutrient intakes and MetS among Korean adults according to age.

There is only limited evidence for the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health in Korea. This study examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health according to physical activity among Korean adult women. Based on data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014-2016), a total of 5,332 participants were included in this analysis. With increasing fruits and vegetables consumption, the prevalence of depressive mood was significantly decreased (p for trend=0.0248). The prevalence of stress perception (p for trend=0.0422) and the prevalence of depressive mood (p for trend=0.0300) were decreased with increasing fruit consumption. The prevalence of depressive mood was significantly decreased when fruit and vegetable consumption (p for trend=0.0370) and fruit consumption (p for trend=0.0356) were increased for those Korean women with low intensity of physical activity. For the obesity group (Body mass index 25 kg/m2), the prevalence of depressive mood was decreased with increasing fruit and vegetable consumption (p for trend=0.0111) and increasing fruit consumption (p for trend=0.0165). In conclusion, fruit and vegetable consumption were associated with mental health according to physical activity among Korean adult women. Further prospective studies are warranted to explore the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health among Korean adult women.

The purpose of this study was to analyze a cohort, age, and time effects on sodium and sodium-calorie intake using the 2007~2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). For analysis, we have constructed cohort panel data that combine KNHANES data in a time series. The age effect gradually increased from age 45~49 and then decreased afterwards. The time effect showed an increase in average sodium intake until 2010 followed by a subsequent decrease. The cohort effect showed that the sodium intake was the highest for the War of Liberation 1946~1953, and that the younger the latter, the lower the sodium intake. According to a cohort analysis, the younger the generation, the lower the sodium intake compared to the calorie intake, according to the baby boomers. Based on the results of this study, efforts should be made to educate and promote the dieting and providing low-salt meals to reduce sodium intake by generation. An analysis of the health hazards including sodium by generation and age is thought to enable the establishment relevant policies.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association nutrition education experience in regards to metabolic risk and nutrition intake in Korean adult male using the 2016~2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey as the reference. The study involved a total of 1,978 male subjects aged 40~64 who were classified into the 2 groups based on their nutrition education experience: Educated group (n=88) and non-educated group (n=1,890). The household income and education level of educated group were higher than those of the non-educated group. The two groups showed no significant difference in the level of fasting blood sugar, blood lipid profile including total cholesterol and triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, and hypertension. Vitamin C intake of the educated group (127.5 mg) was higher compared to the non-educated group (88.2 mg) (p<0.05). The percentage of the subjects utilizing nutritional labels was higher in the educated group. The nutrition education experience was inversely proportional to lower Odds Ratio in hyperLDL-cholesterolemia (OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.84) and HypoHDL-cholesterolemia (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.87). This result indicates that nutritional education can be used as an effective tool to avert chronic diseases and develop healthy eating habits.

The objective of this study was to compare nutrients intake, health indices, and prevalence of chronic diseases by occupation in middle-aged men, using results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were divided into two groups by their occupation (Office worker (OW) and Agri-fishery worker (AFW)) and their percentages were 75.5% and 24.5% respectively. In health-related factors, drinking rate was higher in OW (p<0.001), while smoking rate was higher in AFW (p<0.001). Walking and strength exercise were both higher in OW group. In dietary behavior, the rate of skipping breakfast and eating out was higher in OW (p<0.001). Food supplement usage were consumed by OW more than AFW (p<0.001). Daily energy intake was higher in AFW (p<0.05). There were significant differences in nutrient density per 1,000 kcal of minerals and vitamins between the two groups (p<0.05~p<0.001), except calcium, potassium, vitamin A and thiamin. In body weight, BMI, waist circumference and blood pressures, OW was higher than AFW (p<0.05~p<0.001). Whereas, HDL and LDL-cholesterol were higher in AFW (p<0.001). The prevalence of diabetes was higher in AFW (p<0.001). The results of this study can be used as data to establish nutrition and health strategies for occupation in middle-aged men.

We investigated coffee consumption in relation to the abdominal obesity as defined by waist circumference in Korean women aged 19~64 years, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2012~2016. The participants to the study were classified according to 3-in-1 coffee consumption level (none-coffee, ≤1 time/day of 3-in-1 coffee, >1 time/day of 3-in-1 coffee) by a food frequency questionnaire. The analysis was conducted by the following age groups: <50 years and 50≤ years. The 3-in-1 coffee consumption group had significantly more smokers and more alcohol consumption frequency as compared to the none-coffee group. The energy intake from the participants in the 3-in-1 coffee consumption of ≤1 time/day of 3-in-1 coffee group, and >1 time/day of 3-in-1 coffee group were 131.2 kcal/day and 123.1 kcal/day. In the 50 years or over age group, >1 time/day of 3-in-1 coffee group was at a lower risk of abdominal obesity as defined by waist circumference, compared with the non-coffee group multivariable adjustment (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.25~0.77). Our findings suggest that the 3-in-1 coffee consumption may be related to abdominal obesity as defined by waist circumference in Korean females aged 50 years or over.

본 연구는 제6기(2013년~2015년) 국민건강영양조사 결과 중에서 중년남성 882명을 대상으로 밀가루음식 주당 섭취빈도에 따른 건강관련요인, 영양소 섭취, 식행동, 건강지표의 차이를 비교하고자 하였다. 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 밀가루음식 저섭취군(54.0%)의 비율은 고섭취군(46.0%) 보다 높았다. 그리고 전체의 밀가루음식 주당 섭취빈도는 4.80회이었으며, 저섭취군(1.78회)과 고섭취군(7.83회)의 섭취빈도 간에 큰 차이를 보였다(p<0.001). 밀가루음식 종류별 섭취빈도를 보면 면류, 과자류, 빵류 순이었다. 2. 건강관련 요인에서 살펴본 월 1회 이상 음주 여부와 현재 흡연 여부, 스트레스 인지율, 1일 평균 수면시간, 1주일간 근력운동과 걷기 일수에서 밀가루 섭취빈도에 따른 유의적인 관련성과 차이는 없었다. 3. 1일 에너지 평균섭취량은 1,970.45 kcal이었고, 저섭취군 보다 고섭취군에서 약 630 kcal 정도 더 높았다(p<0.001). 그리고 고섭취군에서 상대적으로 당질 섭취비는 낮은 반면, 지방과 단백질 섭취비는 더 높았다(p<0.001). 무기질과 비타민의 1,000 kcal당 영양소 밀도에서 칼슘, 인, 나이아신을 제외하고, 모두 유의적인 차이가 있었다. 칼륨, 철분, 비타민 A, 비타민 B1, 비타민 C에서는 저섭취군의 섭취가 더 많았던 반면, 나트륨, 비타민 B2에서는 고섭취군의 섭취가 더 많았다 (p<0.01, p< 0.001). 4. 식행동에서 1일 식사횟수는 밀가루음식 저섭취군에서 고섭취군에 비해 3회 비율이 더 높아 관련성을 보였다(p<0.05). 외식빈도는 저섭취군(46.9%)보다 고섭취군(43.2%)에서 더 낮은 경향을 보였으나, 유의성은 없었다. 구입 시 영양표시 이용 여부는 고섭취군(20.5%)이 저섭취군(15.7%)에 비해 더 이용하고 있었으나, 유의적인 관련성은 아니었다. 5. 건강지표에서 신장과 체중, 허리둘레 값이 고섭취군에서 더 높은 경향이 있었으나, 신장(p<0.01)에서만 유의적인 차이가 있었다. 그리고 총콜레스테롤과 LDL-콜레스테롤에서 고섭취군이 저섭취군보다 더 높은 값을 나타내었다(p<0.01). 혈청 중성지방에서는 저섭취군이 고섭취군보다 10.5 mg/dL 정도 더 높은 값을 보였으나, 유의적인 차이는 아니었다. 본 연구결과는 국민건강영양조사 자료를 활용한 횡단면적 연구이어서 인과관계를 밝히기 어렵고, 밀가루음식 섭취량이 아닌 섭취빈도만을 가지고 연구를 행했다는 제한점이 있다. 그러나 대상자 선정에서 교란인자를 제외하였고, 통계분석에서도 보정함으로써 밀가루음식 섭취빈도와 영양소 섭취, 건강지표와의 차이를 독립적으로 측정하고자 하였다. 현재 우리나라에서는 밀가루음식의 섭취가 계속 증가되고 있어 이에 대한 우려가 있다. 실제로 본 연구에서 밀가루음식을 자주 먹는 경우 에너지 영양소의 섭취는 더 많았던 반면 나트륨과 비타민 B2를 제외한 대부분의 무기질과 비타민의 섭취는 더 적은 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 건강지표에서 총 콜레스테롤과 LDL-콜레스테롤 농도가 더 높게 나타나 우려가 현실화 되고 있음을 알 수 있었는데, 본 연구결과가 밀가루음식의 과잉 섭취 시 문제점을 알리는데 활용되었으면 한다.

목적: 제 5기 국민건강영양조사(2011년, 2012년) 자료를 기반으로 우리나라 나이관련황반변성(age-related macular degeneration)과 비타민과 무기질의 섭취의 상관성을 분석하였다. 방법: 국민건강영양조사 제 5기 과정 중 2011, 2012년도 조사대상자 중 건강 검진, 안과 검진과 영양검진 조사를 받은 45세 이상 성인을 대상으로 나이관련황반변성과 비타민, 무기질섭취량의 상관성을 분석하였다. 나이관련황반변성의 연관성은 교차분석과 카이제곱 검정으로 분석하고, 위험비(odds ratio)는 로지스틱 회귀분석으로 구하고 유의수준은 0.05 이하로 하였다. 결과: 국민건강영양조사를 받은 45세 이상의 한국인 6,219명 중 나이관련황반변성 유병률은 9.6%로 나타 났다. 초기 나이관련황반변성은 비타민 A, B1, B2, B3 및 C와 칼슘, 인, 철, 나트륨, 칼륨의 섭취와 상관성이 있었으며, 비타민 B3 섭취량이 평균 미만인 경우는 평균이상인 경우보다 초기 나이관련황반변성의 발생 위험이 1.35배(95% 신뢰구간:1.03~1.78) 높았다. 나이관련황반변성 말기 환자 군에서는 칼륨과 비타민 B2 섭취량이 평균보다 적으면 유병률이 높았으며, 칼륨 섭취량이 평균 미만인 경우는 발병 위험이 4.3배(95% 신뢰구간:1.76~10.59) 높았다. 결론: 비타민과 무기질의 섭취는 나이관련황반변성의 발병 위험과 병의 진행을 억제하는 것으로 사료된다.