Relationships of Dietary Factors with Obesity, Hypertension, and Diabetes by Regional Type among Single-Person Households in Korea

Abstract

This study aims to investigate whether dietary factors are differentially associated with metabolic abnormalities by regional type among single-person households in Korea. A total of 685,327 Korean adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the household and individual surveys of the Korea Community Health Survey 2015–2017 are included in the analysis. The regions are divided into three categories: metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities, and rural areas. Using multivariable logistic regressions, the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for metabolic abnormalities are estimated by regional type after adjusting for covariates. Among the total study population, 12.21% occupy single-person households, and 47.5%, 25.1%, and 27.4% of those single-person households are in rural areas, mid-sized cities, and metropolitan areas, respectively. Compared with single-person households in rural areas, those in mid-sized and metropolitan cities tend to be more familiar with and frequently refer to nutrition labels, skip breakfast, and experience food insecurity. Regional differences are found in the associations of dietary factors and behavior with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. The use of nutritional fact labels is associated with obesity and hypertension in single-person households in rural areas, and the degree of association between food insecurity and diabetes is highest among single-person households in metropolitan areas. Our findings suggest that policies for improving unhealthy dietary factors by regional type are needed to reduce regional health disparities among single-person households in Korea.