국내 일부 재가 노인의 식욕부진 실태와 관련 인자 분석

Abstract

This study assessed the risk and prevalence of anorexia as well as associated factors among home-dwelling elderly adults. The subjects were 419 elderly men (116) and women (303) aged 65 years and older (76±5.6 yr) living in Korea. Data were collected by personal interviews using questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Pearsons correlation. The prevalence of anorexia was 35.1% among participants. Male elders (74.1%) had higher proportions of anorexia than female elders (20.1%) (P<0.001). Significant differences in the appetite were observed according to type of disease, depression, and activities of daily living (ADL) index. In the poor appetite group, central nervous system diseases were the primary illness in male elders (P<0.01), whereas endocrine diseases were the primary illness in female elders (P<0.01). Elders with good appetites had less symptoms of depression (P<0.001) and greater independence in ADL (P<0.001). These results explored the high prevalence of anorexia in geriatric populations in Korea and its impact on elderly nutritional status and health. Further research should be performed to identify the causes of anorexia and establish an intervention protocol allowing the early diagnosis of anorexia.