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Lee, Kwon, Baek, and Lee: Comparative analysis of food intake according to the family type of elderly women in Seoul area∗
Research Article

J Nutr Health 2015;48(3):277-288.

Published online: 19 January 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2015.48.3.277

Comparative analysis of food intake according to the family type of elderly women in Seoul area∗

Yeon Joo Lee1, Min Kyung Kwon1, Hee Joon Baek2, Sang Sun Lee1, †

1Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea

2Department of Nutrition, Hanyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul 133-792, Korea

†To whom correspondence should be addressed. tel: +82-2-2220-1206, e-mail: leess@hanyang.ac.kr

∗ This work was supported by grants from the HYU Institute of Aging Society in 2011.

Received 10 February 2015       Revised 18 March 2015       Accepted 12 May 2015

Copyright © 2015 The Korean Nutrition Society

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose:

As the rate of senior citizens living alone increases in the current aging society, there is much concern regarding the health and nutritional intake of solitary senior citizens. Therefore, this study compared the nutritional intake of senior citizens according to their family type.

Methods:

In July and August of 2011, two senior citizen welfare centers in Seoul were visited to survey 267 elderly women. Excluding 54 subjects for which the data were incomplete, information from 213 subjects was analyzed. The subjects were divided into three family types, living alone (LA, n = 74), living with spouse (LS, n = 78), and living with children (LC, n = 61).

Results:

The mean age of the LA group was the highest, while the mean age of the LS group was the lowest (p < 0.001), and WHR of the LC group was the highest (p = 0.049). Income was the highest in the LS group (p < 0.001). Frequency of eating out was the lowest in the LA group (p = 0.031). By Duncan's multiple analysis, the amounts of energy intake, vegetable protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, Vit D, Vit E, Vit B2, niacin, Vit B6, Vit B12, and cholesterol were significantly higher in the LS group compared with the LA or LC group (p < 0.05). The intakes of calcium, Vit D, Vit B12, and cholesterol were still significantly different among the three groups, even after adjustment for age and monthly income. The LA group ate less fruit and fish than the LS or LC group (p < 0.05). The LA group showed the lowest dietary diversity and the LS group showed the highest diversity (p = 0.014), however, the significance of dietary diversity score among the three groups disappeared after adjustment for age and monthly income.

Conclusion:

Elderly women living with spouse were receiving better nutrition than elderly women living alone or living with children. Therefore, solitary elderly women who do not live with their spouse or children should be offered greater opportunities to receive a balanced meal at a congregational kitchen or welfare center. To ensure their healthy diet, it is essential to provide continuous nutrition education with these groups in mind.

Keywords: elderly women, family type, food intake, nutrition

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Table 1.
General characteristics and anthropometric measurements of the elderly women according to the family type
  LA1) (n = 74) LS2) (n = 61) LC3) (n = 78) p-value6)
Age (yr.) 75.9 ± 0.64) c5) 70.3 ± 0.9a 73.7 ± 0.7b <0.001
Height (cm) 150.7 ± 0.7 151.9 ± 0.9 151.3 ± 1.3 0.749
Weight (kg) 56.0 ± 0.9 58.2 ± 1.1 57.2 ± 0.8 0.289
WC (cm)7) 86.5 ± 1.1 86.6 ± 1.1 87.1 ± 1.0 0.929
HC (cm)8) 97.2 ± 0.8 97.8 ± 0.8 95.2 ± 1.3 0.368
WHR9) 0.89 ± 0.01a 0.89 ± 0.01a 0.91 ± 0.01b 0.049
BMI (kg/m²)10) 24.6 ± 0.4 25.4 ± 0.4 24.4 ± 0.4 0.228
Income (10,000 won/mo) 67.7 ± 10.6a 185.4 ± 18.9c 121.9 ± 23.4b <0.001
Disease Status
  Normal 9 (12.1)11) 12 (19.6) 13 (16.7) 0.950
  CVD12) 35 (47.3) 27 (44.3) 37 (47.4)  
  DM13) 13 (17.6) 10 (16.4) 13 (16.7)  
  Arthritis & etc. 17 (23.0) 12 (19.7) 15 (19.2)  

1) living alone

2) living with spouse

3) living with children

4) Mean ± SE

5) Significance by Duncan's multiple test at p < 0.05

6) p-value as determined by ANOVA for continuous variables or by χ² -test for categorical variables

7) waist circumference

8) hip circumference

9) waist hip ratio

10) body mass index

11) N (%)

12) cardiovascular disease

13) diabetes mellitus

Table 2.
Eating and life behavior of the elderly women accordin to the family type
  LA1) (n = 74) LS2) (n = 61) LC3) (n = 78) p-value4
Health status
  Good 19 (25.7)5) 18 (29.5) 16 (20.5) 0.525
  Moderate 26 (35.1) 26 (42.6) 34 (43.6)  
  Bad 29 (39.2) 17 (27.9) 28 (35.9)  
Exercise
  No 24 (32.4) 16 (26.2) 28 (335.9) 0.476
  Yes 50 (67.6) 45 (73.8) 50 (64.1)  
Smoking status
  Non-smoking 68 (91.9) 58 (95.1) 75 (96.1) 0.618
  Ex-smoking 4 (5.4) 3 (4.9) 2 (2.6)  
  Smoking 2 (2.7) 0 (0) 1 (1.3)  
Drinking status
  Non-drinking 62 (83.8) 55 (90.2) 60 (76.9) 0.101
  Ex-drinking 3 (4.1) 0 (0) 1 (1.3)  
  Drinking 9 (12.1) 6 (9.8) 17 (21.8)  
Nutritional education
  No 46 (62.2) 40 (65.6) 48 (61.5) 0.921
  Yes 27 (36.5) 21 (34.4) 29 (37.2)  
Nutritional supplement
  No 23 (31.1) 15 (24.6) 27 (34.6) 0.441
  Yes 51 (68.9) 46 (75.4) 51 (65.4)  
Number of meal
  3 /day 60 (81.1) 55 (90.2) 67 (85.9) 0.327
  ≤ 2 /day 14 (18.9) 6 (9.8) 11 (14.1)  
Frequency of eating out
  > 1 /day 1 (1.4) 3 (4.9) 1 (1.3) 0.031
  1 ~ 6 /week 13 (17.6) 8 (13.1) 15 (19.2)  
  1 ~ 3 /month 21 (28.4) 33 (54.1) 30 (38.5)  
  < 1 /month 39 (52.7) 17 (27.9) 30 (38.5)  
Frequency of snack
  ≥ 3 /day 3 (4.1) 4 (6.6) 5 (6.4) 0.807
  ≤ 2 /day 41 (55.4) 35 (57.4) 47 (60.3)  
  < 1 /day 8 (10.8) 3 (4.9) 4 (5.1)  
  < 3 /week 22 (29.7) 16 (26.2) 21 (26.9)  
Kind of snack
  Fruit 31 (41.9) 29 (47.5) 33 (44.0) 0.199
  Fruit & others 17 (23.0) 13 (21.3) 24 (32.0)  
  Rice cake 6 (8.0) 1 (1.6) 1 (1.3)  
  Bread, cookie 4 (5.4) 7 (11.5) 3 (4.0)  
  Etc. 5 (6.8) 1 (1.6) 2 (2.7)  
  No snack 11 (14.9) 10 (16.5) 15 (16.0)  
Favorite drink
  Coffee 32 (43.2) 28 (45.9) 37 (47.4) 0.037
  Coffee & others 3 (4.1) 1 (1.6) 6 (7.7)  
  Sweet rice drink 0 (0) 2 (3.3) 4 (5.1)  
  Soda 0 (0) 3 (4.9) 2 (2.6)  
  None 39 (52.7) 27 (44.3) 29 (37.2)  

1) living alone

2) living with spouse

3) living with children

4) p-value as determined by χ² -test

5) N%

Table 3.
Daily nutrient intakes of the elderly women according to the family type
  LA1) (n = 74) LS2) (n = 61) LC3) (n = 78) p-value6)
Energy (kcal) 1,320.1 ± 42.74)a5) 1,476.2 ± 53.5b 1,374.5 ± 34.3ab 0.044
Carbohydrate (g) 233.8 ± 7.6 252.7 ± 8.7 236.2 ± 6.7 0.185
Fiber (g) 16.7 ± 0.7 19.9 ± 1.1 18.5 ± 0.9 0.058
Protein (g) 49.2 ± 2.1 56.7 ± 2.6 53.5 ± 2.1 0.068
Vegetable 28.4 ± 1.1a 33.1 ± 1.5b 30.6 ± 1.1ab 0.034
Animal 20.8 ± 1.7 23.7 ± 2.0 22.9 ± 1.9 0.526
Fat (g) 22.9 ± 1.5a 30.1 ± 1.9b 26.8 ± 1.6ab 0.014
Vegetable 12.9 ± 0.9a 16.9 ± 1.4b 14.6 ± 1.0ab 0.039
Animal 10.0 ± 1.0 13.2 ± 1.4 12.1 ± 1.1 0.154
Kcal %
Carbohydrate 71.4 ± 1.1 69.0 ± 0.9 69.0 ± 1.1 0.182
Protein 14.9 ± 0.4 15.3 ± 0.4 15.5 ± 0.4 0.511
Fat 15.1 ± 0.8a 17.9 ± 0.8b 17.3 ± 0.9ab 0.049
Ca (mg)∗ 305.9 ± 21.5a 372.8 ± 22.2b 347.1 ± 19.3ab 0.024
Vegetable 166.4 ± 7.6 194.3 ± 15.4 166.8 ± 7.3 0.101
Animal∗ 132.1 ± 19.7a 194.7 ± 22.7b 197.1 ± 20.9b 0.023
P (mg) 716.2 ± 29.4a 829.4 ± 36.4b 776.6 ± 28.1ab 0.043
Na (mg) 2,810.3 ± 154.9 2,955.2 ± 190.9 2,986.3 ± 138.7 0.697
K (mg) 1,952.4 ± 77.6a 2,295.6 ± 102.1b 2,085.7 ± 77.1ab 0.021
Fe (mg) 10.14 ± 0.37 11.04 ± 0.51 10.66 ± 0.35 0.302
Vegetable 7.94 ± 0.31 8.74 ± 0.44 8.01 ± 0.26 0.193
Animal 2.19 ± 0.19 7.96 ± 0.33 2.65 ± 0.24 0.320
Zn (mg) 7.41 ± 0.24 7.96 ± 0.33 8.09 ± 0.29 0.186
Cu (mg) 0.86 ± 0.03 0.98 ± 0.04 0.92 ± 0.03 0.065
Se (μg) 61.8 ± 3.7a 74.1 ± 4.2b 64.7 ± 3.9ab 0.049
Vit A (μgRE) 468.0 ± 36.4 589.3 ± 42.0 494.5 ± 38.7 0.055
Vit D (μg)∗ 1.78 ± 0.46a 3.64 ± 0.52b 2.67 ± 0.48ab 0.037
Vit E (mg) 8.07 ± 0.48a 10.32 ± 0.72b 9.56 ± 0.59ab 0.029
Vit K (μg) 116.45 ± 7.70 111.03 ± 7.88 107.71 ± 7.04 0.695
Vit B1 (mg) 0.81 ± 0.03 0.92 ± 0.04 0.85 ± 0.04 0.052
Vit B2 (mg) 0.62 ± 0.03a 0.78 ± 0.05b 0.68 ± 0.03ab 0.010
Niacin (mg NE) 10.2 ± 0.4a 12.0 ± 0.6b 10.2 ± 0.4a 0.014
Vit B6 (mg) 1.11 ± 0.05a 1.36 ± 0.09b 1.16 ± 0.05a 0.013
Folic acid (μgDFE) 333.6 ± 13.9 372.5 ± 16.2 361.3 ± 14.6 0.171
Vit B12 (μg)∗ 4.20 ± 0.58a 6.72 ± 0.67b 5.86 ± 0.62ab 0.025
Vit C (mg) 66.1 ± 5.2 76.0 ± 5.7 65.1 ± 3.9 0.245
Cholesterol (mg)∗ 141.1 ± 13.2a 196.2 ± 22.4b 182.0 ± 17.1ab 0.049

1) living alone

2) living with spouse

3) living with children

4) Mean ± SE

5) Significance by Duncan's multiple test at p < 0.05

6) p-value determined by the results of one-way ANOVA

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