How to eat and what to eat during eating alone and eating with others.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26350175
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Iwate Medical University (2016-2018); National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (2015); National Institute of Health and Nutrition (2014)
• Principal Investigator: Tsubota-Utsugi Megumi (宇津木恵) 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (20419998)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 食行動 / 食品選択 / 喫食環境 / 孤食 / 居住形態 / 人間関係

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many studies have shown that different eating situations such as eating alone and/or living alone lead to unhealthy eating behaviours and adverse health outcomes, e.g., over or poor-eating and depression. However, these protective or adverse effects by different eating situations may vary by generation. We conducted studies to identify the socio-cultural differences in various situation for dietary intake among Japanese healthy elderly and among university students. (1) Among students, several factors were associated with an eating alone, i.e., living alone, higher income, scholarship recipients, higher or lower BMI, consciousness on meal management, fear of others, and eating healthier food; (2) Elderly men living alone and living with nonspouse family had poorer dietary intake than those living with a spouse. (3) In women, on the other hand, lower intake of fruit and protein-related foods were significantly more common in participants living with nonspouse family.

Free Research Field

栄養疫学、公衆衛生

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究から、成人期以降の様々な喫食環境による社会文化的背景、ならびに食事摂取状況が明らかになった。高齢者の食事には居住形態が大きく寄与しているが、食に対する知識や調理技術の向上が健康的な食事の促進につながると考えられる。他方、大学生に於いては、健康意識や収入も喫食の方法に大きく寄与してきており、孤食が必ずしも不健康な食事とはなってはいないことが考えられた。今回の知見は、今後、行政が学校が行う、健康教育や食事や料理の実践を進める上で、ガイドライン等のより効果的な開発を行う際のエビデンスとして利用されることが期待される。