• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.474-485
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• 2019

This study aim to evaluate dietary quality and nutritional status according to the consumption of health functional food using Nutrition Quotient for Korean elderly (NQ-E) for 288 elderly people attending senior welfare centers in Gyeonggi-do. The questionnaire consisted of items about general information, health functional food, and Nutrition Quotient for Korean elderly (NQ-E). Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact tests, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were performed using the SAS program ver. 9.4. Among the male and female subjects, the female subjects consumed more health functional food. The results of the dietary quality and nutritional status difference according to the intake of health functional food showed significant differences only in the areas of variety and abstinence among nutrition quotient factors for men, while no significant differences were observed in any of the nutrition quotient factors for women. In conclusion, focused-nutrition education program and useful guideline is needed for promoting adequate consumption of health functional foods in elderly.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.75-87
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to identify nutrition quotient for elderly (NQ-E) and to investigate factors affecting NQ-E of the elderly using welfare center and senior citizen's center in Changwon city. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted between June 2021 and early August 2021 for 320 elderly (≥65 years, male, n=52, female, n=268). As a result of the survey, the mean NQ-E score was 61.12, which was within the medium-high grade. The scores of balance, moderation, and dietary behavior factors were within the medium-high grade, while diversity factor was within the medium-low grade. According to the results of the Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, NQ-E showed positive correlations with the 'with family' (p<0.01), 'education level' (p<0.01), 'health functional foods consumption' (p<0.01), 'monthly household income' (p<0.05), 'nutrition education experience' (p<0.05), 'reading nutrition labeling of health functional foods' (p<0.01), 'perception of the efficacy of health functional foods' (p<0.01), and 'the number of times of leisure activities per week' (p<0.01) and negative correlations with the 'gender' (p<0.05), 'age' (p<0.01), 'smoking' (p<0.05), and 'social frailty' (p<0.01). As a result of multiple regression analysis, 'gender' (p<0.05), 'perception of the efficacy of health functional foods' (p<0.05), 'the number of times of leisure activities per week' (p<0.05), and 'social frailty' (p<0.05) were found to be factors affecting NQ-E. Based on the results of this study, customized services by characteristic, nutrition education, and counseling for the elderly should be implemented and the development of various programs and continuous support of the community are necessary so that the elderly can carry out social exchange.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.628-645
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the nutritional status and dietary habits of the elderly using the nutrition quotient for the elderly (NQ-E) and to analyze the differences in the NQ-E according to their levels of oral health. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The survey was administered to 123 elderly people receiving congregate meal services in Seoul. The questionnaire comprised 3 domains: oral health status, general characteristics, and the NQ-E for the elderly. RESULTS: The respondents were divided into 2 groups based on the average score of their levels of oral health (the group with high oral health scores: 4.42 points and the group with low oral health scores: 2.89 points). As a result of evaluating nutritional status using the NQ-E, it was found that the average NQ-E score was 58.7 points, with 46.0 points in the balance domain, 47.0 points in the diversity domain, 72.9 points in the moderation domain, and 61.8 points in the dietary behavior domain. The NQ-E score (62.3 points) of the group with high oral health scores is significantly higher than the NQ-E score (54.7 points) of the group with low oral health scores (P < 0.001). Concerning the NQ domain scores, the elderly with good oral health status had "favorable" results in terms of balance and dietary behavior, and the elderly with poor oral health status had "favorable" results only in terms of balance. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, several dietary areas needed improvement in general. Those with poor oral health conditions urgently needed to improve related factors to minimize the risk of increasing imbalanced nutrition and comorbidities due to insufficient nutrition and undesirable eating habits.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.741-762
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to identify the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly(NQ-E) of the elderly living in the community and to investigate the characteristics of living conditions affecting the nutritional status of the elderly. The subjects of the survey were 1,970 elderly single elderly households aged 65 and over in the nationwide through convenience sampling method. A survey cooperative system was established with Comprehensive Support Center for Elderly Living Alone, and the 25 social welfare institutions. 385 Life Managers for Elderly Living Alone participated as a survey agent. As a result, NQ-E was 51.14 points, which is the lowest level in the NQ-E, and the explanatory power was 20.1% in multiple regression analysis. Significant variables were age, sex, subjective health status, low number of medication, non-smoker, non-alcoholic, satisfactory economic status, academic status, and the interaction with family and neighbors. Based on this result, this study explains that comprehensive measures of nutritional management for the elderly living alone needs to be sought.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.87-102
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a valid instrument for measuring the dietary quality and behaviors of Korean elderly. Methods: The development of the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E) was conducted in three steps: item generation, item reduction, and validation. The 41 items of the NQ-E checklist were derived from a systematic literature review, expert in-depth interviews, statistical analyses of the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. Pearson's correlation was used to determine the level of agreement between the questionnaires and nutrient intake level, and 24 items were selected for a nationwide survey. A total of 1,000 nationwide elderly subjects completed the checklist questionnaire. The construct validity of the NQ-E was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, LISREL. Results: The nineteen checklist items were used as final items for NQ-E. Checklist items were composed of four-factors: food behavior (6 items), balance (4 items), diversity (6 items), and moderation (3 items). The standardized path coefficients were used as the weights of the items. The NQ-E and four-factor scores were calculated according to the obtained weights of the questionnaire items. Conclusion: NQ-E would be a useful tool for assessing the food behavior and dietary quality of the elderly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.68-82
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• 2020

Purpose: This study evaluated the dietary quality and nutritional status of elderly people using the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E). Methods: The participants were 204 elderly people over 65 years of age (38 men and, 166 women) in Seoul. The dietary information was analyzed using a questionnaire of NQ-E, which consisted of 19 checklist items, and 24-recall test data. The NQ-E scores and its four factors, including 'balance', 'moderation', 'diversity', and 'dietary behavior' factors, were calculated according to general characteristics of the subjects. The subjects were divided into the 'monitoring needed group' (62 > NQ-E score) and the 'good group' (62 ≤ NQ-E score) according to their NQ-E score. Results: The mean NQ-E score of the total subjects was 61.9, which was within the mediumhigh grade. The scores of balance, moderation, and dietary behavior factors were within the medium-high grade, while the score of the diversity factor was within the medium-low grade. The NQ-E score was 54.8 in the monitoring needed group and 69.3 in the good group. For the score of the diversity factor, the elderly living alone had a significantly lower score than the score for the elderly living with a spouse. The female subjects showed significantly higher scores of moderation and dietary behavior factors than did the male subjects. The daily intakes of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C and calcium in the monitoring needed group were significantly lower than those in the good group. The nutrient adequacy ratios (NAR) of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C and calcium in the monitoring needed group were significantly lower compared to the scores of the good group. The indexes of nutritional quality (INQ) of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C, calcium and potassium were less than 1 for all the subjects. The monitoring needed group had a significantly lower consumption of total foods, vegetables and mushrooms than the good group. As a result, the nutritional status of the monitoring needed group was significantly lower than that of the good group. Conclusion: The results of this study show that NQ-E would be a useful tool for assessing the dietary quality of the elderly. In conclusion, a focused-nutrition education program and a useful guideline are needed for promoting the health and nutritional status in elderly people.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.480-494
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• 2023

Objectives: This study sought to assess the effectiveness of community-based nutrition counseling on improving nutritional status, managing complex chronic diseases, and enhancing the quality of life for elderly individuals with chronic conditions, particularly in older adults with high levels of food insecurity and multiple chronic illnesses. Methods: Thirty elderly subjects with diabetes and hypertension who were registered at local Senior Welfare Center received individualized nutrition counseling, based on their Nutrition Quotient for the Elderly (NQ-E) index. Over a 16-week period, they received tailored counseling and underwent various health and nutritional assessments. The final analysis included 28 participants after two dropped out. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS v28.0. Results: The subjects were over 70, with multiple chronic diseases including diabetes and hypertension and predominantly female. After 16 weeks, significant improvements were observed in the subjects' grip strength, and HbA1c levels, as well as in their NQ-E scores, indicating improved dietary balance and diversity. There were no significant improvements in the 'Moderation' subdomain of the NQ-E index, suggesting that this aspect requires further attention in nutritional counseling. The subjects' nutritional risk scores (NSI) were also significantly decreased, indicating less nutritional risk. Lastly, as measured by the SF-36K, the subjects' quality of life showed significant improvement in several domains including physical role performance and social function. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that tailored nutrition counseling, based on the NQ-E index, can improve elderly health, manage chronic diseases, and enhance quality of life. This approach potentially broadens the scope of community nutritionists' roles within an aging society. However, additional research is necessary to evaluate these interventions' long-term effects and sustainability.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.155-173
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was undertaken to update the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E), which reflects dietary quality and behavior among Korean older adults. Methods: The first 29 items of the measurable food behavior checklist were obtained from a previous NQ-E checklist, recent literature reviews, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. One-hundred subjects (50 men and 50 women) aged ≥ 65 years living in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, including Gyeonggi Province, completed a pilot survey from March to April 2021. Based on the results of the pilot study, we conducted factor analysis and frequency analysis to determine whether the items of the survey were properly organized and whether the distribution of answers for each evaluation item was properly distributed. As a result, we reduced the number of items on the food behavior checklist and used 23 items for the national survey. Nationwide, 1,000 subjects (472 men and 528 women) aged > 65 years, completed the checklist survey, which was applied using a face-to-face survey method from May to August 2021. The construct validity of the NQ-E 2021 was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, LISREL. Results: Seventeen food behavior checklist items were selected for the final NQ-E 2021. Checklist items addressed three factors: balance (8 items), moderation (2 items), and practice (7 items). Standardized path coefficients were used as the weights of items to determine nutrition quotients. NQ-E and three-factor scores were calculated according to the weights of questionnaire items. Conclusion: The updated NQ-E 2021 produced by structural equation modelling provides a suitable tool for assessing the dietary quality and behavior of Korean older adults.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.483-495
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the dietary quality of food consumed by the elderly is influenced by the consumption of healthy functional foods using Nutrition Quotients for the Elderly (NQ-E). Methods: The study subjects were 250 adults aged ≥ 65 living in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do. Those who had consumed healthy functional food for more than 2 weeks within the previous year were classified as healthy functional food consumers, and the quality of their meals was evaluated using the NQ-E. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.4, and sex and age-associated differences were adjusted before comparing differences based on healthy functional food intake. Results: The average age of the study subjects was 70.8. The scores for each area and the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) score were as follows: balance 43.3 points, moderation 56.7 points, practice 65.7 points, and NQ 52.5 points. When comparing differences according to healthy functional food intake status, healthy functional food consumers had significantly higher balance and NQ scores than non-consumers. When considering each NQ item score, healthy functional food consumers had significantly higher scores than non-consumers for fruit, fish and seafood, eggs, nuts, and whole grain rice, and a higher score for effort to maintain a healthy diet. Conclusion: Dietary quality as assessed by Nutrition Quotients for the Elderly was better for healthy functional food consumers than non-consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.725-739
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• 2022

This study conducted with 268 female elderly who visited welfare center and senior citizen center in Changwon city to identify the dietary status according to social frailty stage using nutrition quotient for elderly (NQ-E). As a result of the survey, 75.0% of the elderly had no nutrition education. The elderly in social frailty stage was 43.7%, pre-frail was 35.1%, and robust was 21.2%. The scores of NQ-E (61.65), balance (47.78), moderation (86.18), and dietary behavior (55.23) were within the medium-high grade, while diversity (48.37) was within the medium-low grade. Among the balance factor item, there was a significant difference only in the frequency of fruit intake according to social frailty stage (p<0.05). Among the diversity factor item, there were significant differences in vegetable intake (p<0.05) and the rate of eating alone (p<0.001) according to social frailty stage. Among the dietary behavior factor item, there were significant differences in whether to strive for a healthy diet (p<0.05), exercise time and depression (p<0.001), and subjective recognition rate of health (p<0.01) according to social frailty stage. Based on these results, education focusing on various food intake is needed, and continuous support from the government and local governments is needed to connect the social support network of the elderly and support programs to prevent them from going to social frailty stage.