J Nutr Health.  2024 Aug;57(4):418-434. 10.4163/jnh.2024.57.4.418.

Folate intake in Korean adults: analysis of the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with newly established folate database

• Park EJ
• Han I
• Yu KH
• Ly SY

• KMID: 2559313
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2024.57.4.418

Abstract

Purpose
The nutritional status of folate in Korean adults was evaluated using the newly established folate database (DB) and data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Methods
This study analyzed the folate intake of 15,054 people (6,278 men and 8,776 women) and the relationship with serum folate concentration of 5,260 people (2,272 men and 2,988 women).
Results
The average daily folate intake among Korean adults was lowest in the 19 to 29-year age group and highest in those in their 50s. Folate intake was higher in groups with higher education and household income, non-smokers, participants in aerobic physical activity, and dietary supplement users regardless of sex. Among men, office workers consumed more folate than physical workers. Vegetables and grains were the first and second most contributing food groups to folate intake. The serum folate levels were higher in women than men and lowest in the 19–29 year age group for both sexes. After adjusting for energy intake, age, income, smoking, physical activity, and dietary supplement intake, serum folate concentration increased significantly as intake increased (p < 0.001). The explanatory power (R² ) of folate intake on the blood folate concentration was 0.183 and 0.141 in men and women, respectively.
Conclusion
The proportion of participants consuming less than the estimated average requirement was 48.1% and 65.3% in men and women, respectively. In particular, the folate intake and serum levels of young men aged 19–29 years were the lowest. Therefore, it is necessary to improve their folate nutritional status through a balanced diet. In addition, the newly established folate DB may be useful for evaluating the folate nutritional status of Koreans.

Keyword

folate; micronutrient intakes; nutrition survey; Korean adults