Nutritional status of Daejeon citizens and needs of community nutrition care services: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the nutritional status of residents, to examine the perception and needs of community nutrition care service, and to compare and analyze the results of females and males living in Daejeon, Korea. Methods: The subjects were 592 adults and elderly (278 men and 314 women) residents of Daejeon. The dietary quality was assessed using the nutrition quotient (NQ), and data of the perception and needs for community nutrition care service were obtained by a questionnaire survey. Descriptive analysis was applied to analyze the demographic characteristics, perception and needs of the respondents, and independent t-test and chi-square test were performed to analyze and compare the differences between female and male participants. Results: A nutritional status that required monitoring was established in 78.9% of the respondents in this study. The balance factor (29.1 points) was much lower than the national average. In the diversity factor, the NQ score of the female group was 47.6 points, which was 8 points lower than that of males; the NQ grade was 43.9%, showing a significant difference between females and males (P < 0.001). The respondents answered that those who needed community nutrition care services were residents experiencing health care difficulties. Additionally, dietitians (35.6%) were pointed out as the most suitable service providers. The most important factor of community nutrition care service operation was securing the budget (47.0%). Conclusions: The results of the present study show that Daejeon residents need overall nutrition support, and a demand for community nutrition care services exists. Our findings provide basic data and can serve as a foundation for the development and establishment of a community nutrition care service model.

Keywords

• community nutrition care service
• nutritional status
• perception
• needs
• daejeon