Abstract
Objectives: Adequate nutrition is an important factor to prevent sarcopenia in older adults. The purpose of this study was to identify the regional differences in the association between dietary pattern and muscle strength in older Korean adults. Methods: This study was based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) in 2014–2016. Muscle strength was measured by grip strength, and dietary patterns were derived by a cluster analysis using the k-means algorithm. Multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to determine the associations between factors (dietary patterns and residential areas) and grip strength. Results: Most participants in the rural area group (50.4%) had the Cluster Three dietary pattern (diet dominant in white rice and kimchi), while most people in the urban area group (43.8%) and the metropolitan area group (53.2%) had the Cluster One dietary pattern (diet dominant in fruits and fish). Those having poor hand grip strength represented 25.8% of the total in rural, 20.6% in urban, and 17.9% in metropolitan (p = 0.009) areas. Upon adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and co-morbidity, the odds ratio of Cluster Two (diet dominant in meat) was 1.601 (95%, CI: 1.001–2.563, p = 0.050) compared to the Cluster Three dietary pattern, but there was no significant difference in residence. Conclusions: Muscle strength in the elderly was more related to dietary pattern than was residence. Education and support for conveying the importance of protein intake in the elderly are required to motivate adequate nutrition. In addition, these actions should lead to prevention of muscle weakness and further prevent frailty.
Highlights
According to Statistics Korea, the proportion of Koreans aged 65 years or older has increased steadily and represented 14.2 percent of the Korean population in 2017 [1]
Muscle strength in the elderly was more related to dietary pattern than was residence
This study was based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) in 2014–2016
Summary
According to Statistics Korea, the proportion of Koreans aged 65 years or older has increased steadily and represented 14.2 percent of the Korean population in 2017 [1]. Rural areas are especially experiencing a post-aged society, with 32.5 percent of the population aged over 65 years [1]. Differences in socioeconomic and physical environment, as well as available health care resources, between rural and urban areas act to weaken the physical, mental, and social health of older adults, resulting in frailty. A recent study presented that the prevalence of frailty in Korean older adults, aged 65 or older, differs depending on residential area. Frailty prevalence was 17.4 percent in rural areas but only. As the health outcome of older adults varies from rural to urban areas, it is necessary to consider regional differences when studying older adults
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