Division of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation and Care, Seijoh University, Tokai, Japan.
Department of Social Science, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan; Department of Public Health, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Nutrition. 2022 Oct;102:111697. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111697. Epub 2022 May 11.
It is likely that the number of older adults who eat alone has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults who eat alone tend to experience weight fluctuations. Weight loss and underweight in older adults cause health problems. The study objective was to longitudinally investigate the association between changes in eating alone or with others and body weight status in older adults.
This longitudinal cohort study was conducted in March and October 2020 in Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Questionnaire data for 1071 community-dwelling older adults were analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed using changes in eating alone or with others as the independent variable and body weight status as the dependent variable. The analysis was adjusted for age, sex, living arrangements, educational level, diseases receiving medical treatment, cognitive status, depression, and instrumental activities of daily living. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation.
The average age of participants was 81.1 y (SD, 4.9 y). Individuals who reported eating alone in both surveys were more likely to report weight loss than those who reported eating with others in both surveys (adjusted model: odds ratio, 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.78; P = 0.04).
These findings suggest that measures to prevent weight loss in older adults who eat alone are particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，独自进食的老年人数量可能有所增加。独自进食的老年人往往会经历体重波动。老年人的体重减轻和体重不足会导致健康问题。本研究旨在纵向调查老年人独自或与他人一起进食的变化与体重状况之间的关系。
本纵向队列研究于 2020 年 3 月和 10 月在日本岐阜县美浓加茂市进行。对 1071 名居住在社区的老年人的问卷调查数据进行了分析。使用独自或与他人一起进食的变化作为自变量，体重状况作为因变量，进行多分类逻辑回归分析。分析调整了年龄、性别、居住安排、教育程度、接受治疗的疾病、认知状况、抑郁和日常生活活动的工具性活动。使用多重插补法对缺失数据进行了插补。
参与者的平均年龄为 81.1 岁（标准差，4.9 岁）。在两次调查中均报告独自进食的个体比在两次调查中均报告与他人一起进食的个体更有可能报告体重减轻（调整模型：比值比，2.25；95%置信区间，1.06-4.78；P=0.04）。
这些发现表明，在 COVID-19 大流行期间，特别需要针对独自进食的老年人采取预防体重减轻的措施。
