Comparison of nutrient intakes by nutritional anemia and the association between nutritional anemia and chronic diseases in Korean elderly: Based on the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The elderly are reported to have a high prevalence of nutritional anemia when they have lower intakes of nutrients or chronic diseases. This study was conducted to compare nutritional status according to nutritional anemia and to determine associations between nutritional anemia and chronic diseases in Korean elderly. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study utilized data on 3,258 elderly aged 65 years gathered during the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2015. Subjects were divided into nutritional anemia (NA) group (n = 415) and non-NA group (n = 2,843) by hemoglobin concentration. Nutrient intakes were assessed using dietary intake data obtained using the 24-hour recall method. The odds ratios (ORs) for nutritional anemia by chronic diseases were determined. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Ver. 23.0. RESULTS: Of 3,258 subjects, 12.7% had nutritional anemia. Intakes of potatoes, pulses, and mushrooms by males and potatoes, fruits, meats, eggs, and seafood by females were significantly lower in NA group than in non-NA group. The proportion of the subjects whose intakes of protein, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin 132, niacin, and iron less than estimated average requirement (EAR) were significantly higher in NA group compared to non-NA group. After adjusting for age, the number of family members, energy intake, and alcohol drinking, ORs for nutritional anemia in the subjects with diabetes and myocardial infarction or angina pectoris were significantly higher by 1.74 times and 1.59 times as compared to the subjects without those diseases, respectively. However, ORs for nutritional anemia in the subjects with obesity, abdominal obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly lower by 0.64 times, 0.60 times, and 0.59 times as compared to the subjects without those diseases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that nutritional management should be done to enable the Korean elderly to consume foods with high hematopoietic nutrients density to prevent nutritional anemia. Korean elderly need to make regular efforts to check for nutritional anemia.