Korean J Health Promot.  2022 Sep;22(3):123-130. 10.15384/kjhp.2022.22.3.123.

Eating Alone and Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-Based Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2019

• Lee J
• Hyun M
• Suh Y
• Kim D
• Hong S

• KMID: 2534132
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2022.22.3.123

Abstract

Background
With the increase in the number of single-person households, the number of people eating alone is increasing, and several previous studies have been published that this eating culture affects health, including the latest data on the risk of metabolic syndrome caused by eating alone.
Methods
Of the 24,229 people who participated in the 2017-2019 National Health and Nutrition Survey, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 10,717 adults under the age of 65 who responded to questions to determine whether they ate together and metabolic syndrome for 1 year.
Results
It was found that the risk of metabolic syndrome increased when eating alone, and further analysis by gender showed that the risk of metabolic syndrome increased in women as they ate alone (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.210-1.771). As a result of dividing the metabolic syndrome indicators, it was found that men showed significant differences only in neutral fat levels, while women showed significant differences in all indicators.
Conclusions
According to the results of this study, it is found that eating alone affects the risk of metabolic syndrome in adults under the age of 65, especially women, so it is considered necessary to prevent and manage metabolic syndrome in the population of eating alone in the future.

Keyword

Metabolic syndrome; Dietary habits; Diabetes mellitus; Hypertension; Dyslipidemia; Abdominal obesity

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