• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.155-167
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• 2023

Purpose: This study investigates the association between seafood consumption and frailty according to gender in the Korean elderly. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Seventh (2016-2018) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was procured for this study. Data from 3,675 subjects (1,643 men and 2,032 women) aged ≥ 65 years were analyzed. Levels of seafood intake were assessed by a one-day 24-hour dietary recall, and subjects were classified into three tertiles by gender according to frailty phenotype: robust, pre-frail, and frail. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify the association between seafood consumption and frailty for each gender. Results: The prevalence of frailty was determined as 13.4% for men and 29.7% for women. Participants with a higher seafood intake had higher intakes of grains, fruits, and vegetables, while the intake of meat was significantly lower. In both men and women, the group with higher seafood intake showed higher energy and micronutrient intakes. The frail prevalence and frailty score were significantly low in the highest tertiles of seafood consumption compared to the lowest tertile in men and women (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounder, the highest tertile of seafood consumption showed a decreased risk of frailty compared to the lowest tertile only in women (hazard ratio [HR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.78; p-trend = 0.008 vs. HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.83; p-trend = 0.008; respectively). Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that seafood consumption potentially decreases the risk of frailty in the elderly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.702-713
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• 2023

Purpose: Depression is a prevalent mental health concern globally including South Korea. Given the growing interest in the relationship between diet and mental health, this study aimed to investigate the association between seafood consumption and depression among Korean adults. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2014-2020). The study included 18,149 participants (7,541 men and 10,608 women) aged 19 years and older who completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Seafood intake levels were assessed using a oneday 24-hour dietary recall, and participants were categorized into three tertiles by gender. Depression status was determined using the PHQ-9 scores and the self-report of the doctor's diagnosis and treatment. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between seafood consumption and depression in both genders. Results: Participants with a higher seafood intake had a significantly lower nutritional density of total fat, while the nutritional density of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was significantly higher. The prevalence of depression was significantly lower in the highest tertile of seafood consumption compared to the lowest tertile in both men (p < 0.001) and women (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, the highest tertile of seafood consumption demonstrated a decreased risk of depression compared to the lowest tertile in men (odds ratio [OR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-0.99; p-trend = 0.020) and women (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.91; p-trend = 0.004). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that consuming seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids may potentially reduce the risk of depression in the adult population.