Abstract
This study aimed to identify the characteristics of eating alone that influence stress, depression, and suicidal ideation in Korean adults. This study was a cross-sectional survey using the raw data of the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI) conducted in 2015. The survey sampled 7380 adults, of whom 3515 were included in this analysis. The odds of stress were 1.308 times higher in individuals who ate dinner alone than those who ate dinner with others. The odds of having depressive symptoms were 1.711 times and 1.531 times higher in individuals who ate lunch and dinner alone, respectively, than those who ate lunch or dinner with others. The association between eating alone and suicidal ideation was statistically significant only in the simple model. There is a need for interventional programs that can reduce negative relationships of eating alone behaviors for preventing mental health problems.
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EL designed the study and performed the statistical analyses and description of study methods and results. YK involved reviewed literatures and wrote the manuscript. HL involved the design of the study, reviewed literatures and wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the university institutional review board (No. 1041231-180424-h-074-01). The study used raw data from the KNHANES survey and did not involve direct human participation.
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Informed consent was not required as the study used raw data from the KNHANES survey.
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Kim, Y., Lee, E. & Lee, H. Characteristics of Eating Alone Affecting the Stress, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation. Community Ment Health J 56, 1603–1609 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00621-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00621-8