Association between Dining-Out Frequency and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome among Older Adults in Korea: Analysis of the 2022 KNHANES

With the recent increase in the frequency of eating out, it may influence nutritional intake and health status among older adults; however, related research remains limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between eating-out frequency and metabolic syndrome (MS), as well as nutrient intake status, in older adults. In this study, employs a national data source, the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2022) and a total 1,552 elderly (691 men and 861 women) were included in the final data analyses. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 29.0, and the significance level was set at p<0.05. Dining-out frequency was not associated with metabolic syndrome risk in men. In women, however, higher dining-out frequency was linked to decreased abdominal obesity (OR=1.648, 95% CI: 1.156–2.349, p=.006) and increased elevated blood pressure (OR=0.660, 95% CI: 0.403–0.894, p=.0012). Women in the high-frequency group also had higher body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and muscle mass, while no significant differences were observed in men. In both sexes, higher dining-out frequency was associated with younger age, higher socioeconomic status, and greater nutrient intake, suggesting sex-specific health impacts of eating out in older adults. The frequency of eating out is closely associated with nutritional intake among older adults and shows significant relationships with certain metabolic health indicators, particularly in women. Therefore, tailored nutritional management strategies that consider both eating-out frequency and meal quality are needed to promote health in older women.