This purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrient intake, the health status as determined self-assessment checklist, biochemical indicators of elderly Korean women. We interviewed and 55 female subjects living alone in the Urban aged over 65 years. Information on their dietary intake was collected by 24-hour Recall method. Their health status was determined by a NSI checklist. Biochemical indicators were performed in whole blood and plasma of subjects. Except for protein, Fe, all of the elderly subjects belonged to over moderate nutritional risk. The average daily nutrient intake of the elderly was below the level of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for Koreans. A relationship between their health risk score and nutrient intake was observed negatively (not significantly). They had a risk of anemia as hemoglobin and hematocrit of subjects were under the normal value. Therefore, the reason that health risk score and health status badly was thought for lower nutrient intake.
In this study, anthropometric and biochemical indicators and related factors for community dwelling elderly living alone (ELA). as well as for elderly not living alone (ENLA) were explored. The subjects were 140 elderly females (70 living alone, 70 not living alone) residing in Bucheon. Anthropometric measurements revealed significant differences between the two groups (ELA/ENLA) for height, weight, BMI, triceps skinfold thickness, suprailiac skinfold thickness, subscapular skinfold thickness, and body fat percentage. The ELA showed significantly lower data for most of the anthropometric indices, except PIBW. Biochemical indicators of iron status (hemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation) were significantly lower for the ELA, whereas the total serum cholesterol, LDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, for the ELA were significantly higher. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (240 mg%) was 30%. The latter three are not in accordance with general malnutrition among the ELA. The hemoglobin of the ELA was positively correlated with energy, fat, iron and cholesterol intake, but negatively correlated with height. The serum cholesterol of the ELA was positively associated with most of their nutrient intake.