J Korean Diet Assoc.  2015 Nov;21(4):308-319. 10.14373/JKDA.2015.21.4.308.

Food Insecurity and Related Risk Factors in the Elderly: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 Data

• Lee HS

• KMID: 2183394
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14373/JKDA.2015.21.4.308

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess risk factors associated with food insecurity in the Korean elderly aged over 65 years using data from the Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 (KNHANES VI). A total of 1,200 subjects were analyzed among the participants of the KNHANES 2013 by using SPSS statistics complex samples (ver. 21.0). Food insecurity was measured by using the modified US Household Food Security/Hunger Survey Module. Thirteen percent of subjects lived in food insecure households. There were differences in the prevalence of food insecurity according to sex, educational level, income level, and household structure. Mean age of the food insecurity group was significantly higher than that of the food security group. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that food insecurity was significantly associated with alcohol intake (OR: 1.82), prevalence of melancholy (OR: 2.07) and suicidal thoughts (OR: 2.67), and intake deficiency of energy (OR: 1.60), calcium (OR: 1.97), iron (OR: 1.97), potassium (OR: 1.96), riboflavin (OR: 1.76), and niacin (OR: 1.64), while not with smoking, physical activity, chronic diseases including obesity, anemia, diabetes, and osteoarthritis, and deficiency of protein, vitamin A, thiamin and vitamin C. These findings suggest that food insecurity is strongly related to mental health and certain nutrient intakes. Prospective research is needed to establish the effects of food insecurity on chronic diseases.

Keyword

KNHANES; food insecurity; elderly; mental health; nutrition

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Anemia
Ascorbic Acid
Calcium
Chronic Disease
Family Characteristics
Food Supply*
Humans
Iron
Korea*
Logistic Models
Mental Health
Motor Activity
Niacin
Nutrition Surveys*
Obesity
Osteoarthritis
Potassium
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Riboflavin
Risk Factors*
Smoke
Smoking
Vitamin A
Ascorbic Acid
Calcium
Iron
Niacin
Potassium
Riboflavin
Smoke
Vitamin A