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.

본 연구는 중장년층 1인가구의 사회자본이 삶의 만족도에 어떠한 영 향을 미치는지 검증하는 것이다. 이를 위해 한국복지패널의 16차 자료 (2021년도)를 활용하여 40세이상 64세 이하 중장년층 344명을 최종 분 석대상으로 선정하였다. 분석방법은 SPSS 26.0을 활용하여 위계적 회 귀분석 등을 실시하였다. 주요 분석결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 중장년 층 1인가구의 삶의 만족도는 사회자본의 수준에 따라 다르게 나타나는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 둘째, 사회자본의 하위요인 중 네트워크만 중장년층 1인가구의 삶의 만족에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 반 면, 신뢰와 호혜성은 삶의 만족에 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났 다. 이상의 연구결과를 바탕으로 중장년층 1인가구의 사회자본 축적과 삶의 만족도 증진을 위한 정책적, 실천적 방안을 제안하였다.

In this study, data from the 7th (2016~2018) and 8th (2019) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were used, which included 5,325 subjects. Health behavior, dietary and nutrient intake status, physical measurement and biochemical characteristics, and risk factors for elderly related chronic diseases were classified and analyzed according to the changing composition of single households and other households in the current society. As a result, the ratio of current smokers and drinkers in young adult single households, walking less than 30 minutes per day, subjective health status was poor, breakfast rate less than three times per week, eating out frequency more than once a day, lipid intake ratio to total calories, saturation fatty acid intake were significantly higher. In addition, waist circumference, and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher. However, dietary fiber intake level was significantly lower. The results for hypertension, which is the representative chronic disease that causes old age-related chronic diseases, were significantly higher in single households (ORs=1.400 (95% CI: 1.095, 1.791), p=0.007). Although young adults may not have showed particularly serious health problems yet, education is believed as important to recognize and prevent age-related disease risk factors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparison of nutrient intake and metabolic syndrome between single person households and non-single person households in elderly subjects. We analyzed data from 2,903 subjects ≥ age 65 who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2013~2015. As a result, single-person households had lower income and economic ability, overall nutrient intake was deteriorated, and the proportion of high-carbohydrate intake was high, compared to non-single person households. After adjusting for potential confounders (sex, age, education, household income, economic activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, walking frequency, health status, depression status, and dietary factors), the singleperson household showed a tendency of 1.22-fold higher ORs of metabolic syndrome and 1.3-fold higher ORs of hypertriglyceridemia than the non-single-person household. We suggest that the single-person household may be associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and hypertriglyceridemia in the elderly subjects.

The aim of this study was to examine indoor fungal concentration and fungal volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in single-person households. A total of 22 houses occupied by one person were investigated in this study. 19 VOCs detected in the field were estimated as fungi-derived VOCs through a review of the literature, and 11 VOCs were confirmed as fungal VOCs by laboratory experiments. Exposure to fungal VOCs in the indoor environment has been confirmed to be highly influenced by airborne fungal concentration and indoor humidity. 3-octanone was characterized by a clear generation profile in Aspergilus versiocolor, and n-decane in Pencillum chrysogenum. ntetradecane emitted by Stachybotrys chartarum exhibited a tendency to occur consistently. The observations made in this study demonstrated that single-person households can easily be exposed to fungi, and MVOCs can be used as an indicator of fungal exposure in indoor environments.