OBJECTIVES This study was undertaken to compare dietary life of the elderly living alone and in a family, and to compare differences based on gender, for the 2013-2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS The subjects included 2,612 elderly people aged over 65 years who participated in the health survey, health examination and nutrition survey. Subjects on a diet therapy were excluded. This study analyzed the general characteristics, dietary habits, daily energy and nutrient intakes, CPF ratio, estimated average requirement (EAR), nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR), index of nutrient quality (INQ), and food consumption of the elderly living alone and in a family. We also compared the differences based on gender. RESULTS Daily intake of food, water, dietary fiber, potassium, retinol, and riboflavin were low in the male elderly subjects living alone. The elderly living with family revealed higher NAR and MAR as compared to the elderly living alone. Although all MAR values were <1, the elderly living alone had lower values. Considering the intake of food, the consumption of seaweed, fish and shellfish, and oils (animal) was higher in elderly men living with families, whereas women living with families consumed more vegetables, fruits, seaweeds and seafood, as compared to their counterparts living alone. Furthermore, analyzing the foods consumed by the elderly people living alone, female subjects consumed more seaweed, milk and animal oil as compared to male subjects. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that the elderly living alone have poor nutrient intake as compared to the elderly living with families. Based on this research data, we recommend that it is necessary to improve the health and nutritional status of the elderly living alone.
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The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional status of iron of the elderly residing in the Jeonju area. The anthropometric parameters, nutrient intake and biochemical status of iron, were measured for 60 Korean elderly(23 elderly men and 37 elderly women aged 60 - 79 years old). The level of hemoglobin(Hb), hematocrint(Hct), serum iron(Fe), total iron binding capacity(TIBC) and serum ferritin(Ferritin) were measured and transferrin saturation(TFsaturation) was calculated. Mean values of Hb, Hct, Fe, TIBC, TFsaturation and Ferritin were 14.49+/-0.93g/dl, 42.47+/-2.59%, 125.48+/-52,.46 microgram/dl, 338.13+/-45.92 microgram/dl, 193.00+/-125.03 microgram/l in elderly men and 12.82+/-0.99 microgram/dl, 37.66+/-2.90%, 100.08+/-42.82 microgram/dl, 356.41+/-54.65 microgram/dl, and 99.35+/-117.22 microgram/l in elderly women, respectively. Prevalence of iron deficiency varied greatly with biochemical indices of iron. It was 13.0% when judged by Fe(60 microgram/dl) and TFsaturation(15%) whereas 34.78% by Hct(41%) in elderly men. However 13.5% of the elderly women showed iron depletion(Ferritin<20 microgram/l) and 43.2% showed suppressed erythropoiesis with iron deficiency(TIBC>360 microgram/dl). The anemic subjects assessed with TFsaturation(<15%) represented 13.5% of the elderly women, whereas 18.9% of the subjects possessed less than 12g/dl of Hb. The Hb concentration was positively correlated with Hct(r=0.980, p<0.001), Fe(r=0.384, p<0.01) and TFsaturation(r=0.349, p<0.01). On the other hand, Ferritin concentration showed a significantly negative correlation with TIBC(r=0.349, p<0.05) and a positive correlation with TFsaturation(r=0.362, p<0.01). Major food groups of iron intake in the elderly were vegetables, cereals, and fish. The mean daily intake of iron was not significantly different between elderly men and women(12.82mg vs 10.35mg). Intake of heme iron however, was significantly higher(p<0.01) in elderly men(1.03mg) than women(0.42mg). Total absorbable iron caculated by the method of Monsen was 0.55mg, 0.40mg in elderly men and women, respectively and bioavailability of dietary iron 4.29% and 3.87%.