• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.631-643
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• 2021

Purpose: Frailty is a clinical syndrome in older adults, and adequate nutrition is a modifiable factor in preventing the condition. The current study aims to investigate the association between frailty and dietary intake in the Korean elderly. Methods: This cross-sectional study included data from the 2018 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1,268 subjects (535 men and 733 women) aged 65 years or older. Frailty was defined as having more than three of the following 5 modified Fried frailty phenotype criteria: unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, walking difficulties, weakness, and low physical activity. Dietary intake was assessed by applying the one-day 24-hour dietary recall. The association between frailty and dietary intakes were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. Results: Totally, 9.7% men and 21.9% women were classified as the frail group. Increasing levels of frailty were proportional to a decreased mean nutrient adequacy ratio in both genders. Moreover, the total food intake was significantly low in the frail elderly. In male subjects, multiple logistic regression analyses after adjusting covariates showed that the odds ratio (OR) of frailty in the highest tertile of the consumption of fruits (OR [95% confidence interval, CI] = 0.34 [0.13-0.93], p-trend = 0.021) were significantly lower than values obtained in the lowest tertile. In females, the highest tertile of fish and shellfish intake showed a significantly lower OR for frailty (OR [95% CI] = 0.55 [0.30-0.99], p-trend = 0.045), as compared with the lowest tertile. Conclusion: The present study indicates that high intake of fruits for men, and fish and shellfish for women, are probably linked with lowering the risk of frailty in the elderly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.263-277
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• 2022

Purpose: The present study examined the associations of Korean Food-based Index of Dietary Inflammatory Potential (FBDI) scores with the prevalence of diabetes and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of diabetes patients in Korean adults. Methods: The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) Health Examinee baseline data, collected between 2004 and 2013 and followed up between 2012 and 2016, were used in our study. A total 56,391 participants including diabetes (n = 5,733) and non-diabetes (n = 50,658) were analyzed. The subjects were classified into quartiles of FBDI scores using the semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire developed for KoGES. The prevalence rate of diabetes under FBDI scores was assessed by Cox proportional risk models and the severity of the diabetes was analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Results: There were 775 incident cases of diabetes after a mean follow-up of 3.97 years. There was no statistically significant association between FBDI scores and incidence of diabetes. Among diabetes patients at baseline, FBDI scores were related to the risk of progression of diabetes which was represented by greater than 9% HbA1c (Q1 vs. Q4; odds ratio, 1.562 [95% confidence intervals, 1.13-2.15]; p for trend = 0.007). The stratified analysis showed a stronger association in females, irregular exercise group, and higher body mass index group. Conclusion: These results suggest that a pro-inflammatory diet is not associated with the incidence of diabetes but is related to the HbA1c level of diabetes patients. Thus, further longitudinal studies with longer periods are required to determine a relationship between dietary inflammatory index and diabetes in Korea.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.170-178
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• 2014

Purpose: Delirium is a common and serious neuropsychiatric complication among terminally ill cancer patients. We investigated risk factors related to the development of delirium among hospice care patients. Methods: Between May 2011 and September 2012, we included patients who were mentally alert and had no psychiatric disease or drug addiction at the hospice ward of two local hospitals. Among them, participants who had been diagnosed with delirium by two doctors according to the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th edition) criteria were grouped as Delirium Group. We analyzed results of psychometric and other laboratory tests performed at the time of patient's admission - psychometric tests included cognitive function (mini-mental status examination, MMSE), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI), anxiety, and insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI). Logistic regression analysis was used to compare delirium and the related factors. Cox's proportional hazard model was performed using significant factors of logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 96 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 41 (42.7%) developed delirium. According to the logistic regression analysis, primary cancer site, cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24), depression ($BDI{\geq}16$), and insomnia ($ISI{\geq}15$) were significant factors related to delirium. Among the four factors, depression (OR 5.130; 95% CI, 2.009~13.097) and cognitive impairment (OR 5.130; 95% CI, 2.009~13.097) were found significant using Cox's proportional hazard model. Conclusion: The development of delirium was significantly related to depression and cognitive impairment among patients receiving hospice care. It is necessary to carefully monitor depression and cognitive function in hospice care.