Perception and Need for Elderly Meal Service Program of the Korean Elderly

This study was performed to assess the perception and need for the elderly meal service program of the Korean elderly. The purpose of this study was to assess the dietary environment factors which are related to the perception and need for such service. Subjects of this study were 800 elderly persons of whom responses were received from 769(male: 26, female: 543) aged over 60 years. Their mean age was 7.51 $\pm$8.1 years. Seventy two point two percent of them lived with their family and 54.5% of them were supported economically by their children. Among their meal management behaviors, food purchasing was hard to perform and the most aid-needed activity. In their dietary environment, 47.1% of them were supported by their children. The percent of the subjects who were aware of the elderly meal service program was 48.4%. Men were more aware of the meal service program than women(p<0.01). Elderly who were supported by government were more aware of this service than others. Elderly who were in poor dietary environment, were less affluent or had trouble preparing meals expressed better perception this service than others (p<0.05). Those who requested meal services had poor dietary environment than those who did not (p<0.001). The elderly who were younger, with higher income, and lived with a spouse had more demand for home delivered meal service. This study showed that the poorer the greater desire for meal services. Therefore, the need for urgent improvement and expansion of meal services for elderly is suggested by this study.