Protein Intake by Korean Adults through Meals

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the adequacy of protein intake through meals and present the major protein sources of Korean adults.Methods: Cross-sectional data of 15,639 adults aged 19 years or older from the 2016-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were obtained. The total, animal, plant protein intakes were assessed using 1-day 24-hour recall. The distinction between breakfast, lunch, and dinner was based on the subjective answers of the participants.Results: The adequacy of protein intake based on the Recommended Nutrient Intake was 67.4±1.2% and 62.9±1.1% in young men and women, respectively; it was 51.9±1.4% and 35.7±1.3% in older men and women, respectively. For men, the proportions of proteins through meals were 17.4±0.3%, 32.6±0.3%, 38.4±0.3%, and 11.6±0.2% for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, respectively. The women showed a similar distribution. In both men and women, as the age group progressed from the young (10.9±0.4 g/day, 12.2±0.4%) to the old (16.9±0.3 g/day, 27.3±0.4%), their intake of proteins and their proportions in meals taken as breakfast also increased, while their dinner protein intake and proportion decreased. The highest-ranked and the 2nd highest-ranked protein sources among the young and middle-aged groups were meat and grains, respectively; the third sources were fish and shellfish. In the old-age group, grains were the highest-ranked protein sources across all three meals.Conclusions: Despite the increase in protein intake, one out of three young people and two out of three older adults in Korea had inadequate protein intake and uneven meal distributions of protein intake.