A Study on Perceived Health Status, Dietary Habits and Health-Related Lifestyle Factors of Middle-Aged Men and Women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Area

ABSTRACT

The study examined the perceived health status, dietary habits, and health-related lifestyle habits of middle-aged men and women in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do areas. The survey was conducted on 670 individuals (320 men and, 350 women), aged 40∼64 years, in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do areas. The online and written data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 25.0 program. Although there was a significant difference in the perceived health status (P＜0.01), there were no significant differences in the subjective stress and the current disease status according to sex. For dietary habits, the scores for fruit intake (P＜0.05), meat and fish intake (P＜0.05), milk and dairy products intake (P＜0.01), and seaweed intake (P＜0.05) were higher in women than men. The scores for three-meal eating (P＜0.05) and water intake (P＜0.01) were higher in men than women. For the health-related habits, alcohol-drinking frequency, daily alcohol consumption, smoking experience, and daily smoking were higher in men than women (P＜0.001). In contrast, caffeinated beverage intake, exercise frequency, and daily smart-phone, computer, and TV using time were similar in both sexes. The meal-eating time was faster in men than women (P＜0.01). For dietary behavior changes, only appetite showed a significant gender difference (P＜0.05). This study provides essential information on the perceived health status, dietary habits, and health-related lifestyle habits in middle-aged men and women. Nevertheless, further research and a practical nutrition program will be needed to solve undesirable dietary habits and improve the health and lifestyle of middle-aged adults according to sex.