The Association between Frailty and Frequency of Eating Alone among Korean Older Adults

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between frailty and frequency of eating alone among older adults in Korea.Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2014 to 2019, focusing on individuals aged 65 years and older. Frailty was assessed using Fried phenotype of frailty criteria. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between frailty and frequency of eating alone.Results: Among 9,031 older adults, those in the 65-74 age group (young-old) who ate alone every meal had a 1.4-folds higher risk of frailty compared to those who did not eat alone (odds ratio, OR = 1.4, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.06-1.90). Particularly, women aged 65-74 who ate alone every meal had a 1.5-folds higher risk of frailty compared to those who did not eat alone (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.06-2.01).Conclusions: This study reveal a significant relationship between frailty and the frequency of eating alone among older adults. Specially, young-old women who ate alone were found to be more vulnerable to frailty than those who did not. Therefore, government policies should be implemented to support older people living alone in order to mitigate their risk of frailty.