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Association between eating alone and cardiovascular diseases in elderly women a cross-sectional study of KNHANES 2016 data
The elderly population faces unique dietary challenges. For example, the influence of factors such as a companion’s physical presence on eating and cardiovascular health in a geriatric population remains poorly understood. Thus, Han-Gyo et al. (2022) set out to investigate potentially existing differences in health habits, nutrition, and the odds of suffering from cardiovascular diseases or the presence of cardiovascular disease risk factors with respect to the presence of an eating companion in 590 menopausal women aged ≥65 years. Participants who had three or more meals a day by themselves were categorized into an eating-alone (EA) group, while participants who had companions for three or more meals a day belonged to an eating-with-others (EO) group. This cross-sectional study revealed that the EA group members were less likely to pay attention to, or use, nutrition labels, ate fewer carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, and potassium, had an overall lower energy intake, and suffered higher odds of experiencing cardiovascular symptoms such as angina, compared to the EO group. The authors demonstrated that if elderly women ate their meals alone, they exhibited limited nutritional knowledge and consumption, and were more likely to experience cardiovascular symptoms such as angina. The authors conclude that providing education focused on nutrition and screening for cardiovascular disease in elderly women who mainly eat alone is highly recommended. [NPID: Elderly women, cardiovascular disease, eating alone, nutrients, menopause, loneliness]
Year: 2021
