Department of Field Medicine, School of Public Health, Kyoto University, 46 Shimoadachi-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, 606-8501 Kyoto, Japan.
J Nutr Health Aging. 2012 Aug;16(8):728-31. doi: 10.1007/s12603-012-0067-3.
Eating alone is an emerging social concern these days along with the background of serious aging population growth and increasing number of single-dwellers in Japan. However, little study is focused eating alone and its relation to the health status of community-dwelling elderly.
To clarify the relations between eating alone and geriatric functions such as depression, quantitative subjective quality of life (QOL), activities of daily living (ADL) and dietary status of community-dwelling Japanese elderly.
A cross-sectional study.
Tosa town, one of the "super-aged" towns in Japan.
The study population consisted of 856 community-dwelling elderly aged ≥65 living in Tosa town.
Eating alone and living arrangement was defined by the questionnaire. Geriatric functions were assessed by measuring activities of daily living (ADL), depressive symptom using 15-item geriatric depression scale (GDS-15), and quality of life (QOL). Food diversity was investigated as a measure of dietary quality using 11-item Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK-11). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using height and body weight during a medical assessment.
The proportion of the elderly who usually eat alone was 33.2% in this study population. Even among 697 elderly subjects who live with others, 136 persons (19.5%) ate alone. The participants who ate alone were significantly depressed according to the assessment using GDS-15 score (5.7±4.3 vs. 4.4±3.8, P<0.001). Those who ate alone have lower scores of QOL items than those who ate with others (Subjective sense of health: 52.5±21.9 vs. 55.7±20.2 P=0.035, Relationship with family: 74.1±23.5 vs. 78.9±18.6 P<0.001, Subjective happiness: 58.5±22.7 vs. 62.2±21.1 P=0.019). A significant close association was found between eating alone and lower food diversity (FDSK-11 score 9.9±1.3 vs. 10.2±1.3, P=0.002). BMI was lower in the elderly subjects who ate alone than those with others. By the multivariate analysis, depression was independently associated with eating alone in the logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, BMI and food diversity as confounding factors (OR: 1.42, CI: 1.00-2.11, P=0.043). Food diversity was also significantly associated even after the adjustment of these confounding factors.
Eating alone is an important issue related to depression and QOL as well as dietary status of community-dwellingl elderly in Japan. This study shows the simple and inexpensive way "eating together" may contribute to improve depressive mood of elderly persons, with a strong message that supports of family, friends and neighbors are very important.
阐明独自进食与日本社区老年人的抑郁、定量主观生活质量（QOL）、日常生活活动（ADL）和饮食状况等老年功能之间的关系。
这是一项横断面研究。
日本四万十町，一个“超级老龄化”城镇之一。
该研究人群由居住在四万十町的 856 名≥65 岁的社区老年人组成。
通过问卷调查定义独自进食和生活安排。使用 15 项老年抑郁量表（GDS-15）评估老年功能，包括日常生活活动（ADL）、抑郁症状，使用京都 11 项饮食多样性量表（FDSK-11）评估生活质量（QOL）。通过 11 项食品多样性评分京都（FDSK-11）作为衡量饮食质量的指标，调查食物多样性。在医疗评估期间，使用身高和体重计算体重指数（BMI）。
在该研究人群中，老年人中通常独自进食的比例为 33.2%。即使在与他人同住的 697 名老年人中，也有 136 人（19.5%）独自进食。根据 GDS-15 评分评估，独自进食的参与者明显抑郁（5.7±4.3 与 4.4±3.8，P<0.001）。与与他人一起进食的参与者相比，独自进食的参与者的 QOL 评分较低（主观健康感：52.5±21.9 与 55.7±20.2，P=0.035，家庭关系：74.1±23.5 与 78.9±18.6，P<0.001，主观幸福感：58.5±22.7 与 62.2±21.1，P=0.019）。独自进食与较低的食物多样性密切相关（FDSK-11 评分 9.9±1.3 与 10.2±1.3，P=0.002）。与与他人一起进食的老年人相比，独自进食的老年人的 BMI 较低。在调整年龄、性别、BMI 和食物多样性等混杂因素的逻辑回归模型中，抑郁与独自进食独立相关（OR：1.42，95%CI：1.00-2.11，P=0.043）。即使在调整这些混杂因素后，食物多样性也与抑郁显著相关。
独自进食是与日本社区老年人抑郁和 QOL 以及饮食状况相关的重要问题。本研究表明，“一起吃饭”这种简单而廉价的方式可能有助于改善老年人的抑郁情绪，这有力地表明家庭、朋友和邻居的支持非常重要。
