Impact of eating alone and nutrient intake on psychological distress among older Japanese adults: A cross-sectional study

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether eating alone, folate intake, and n-3 PUFA intake are independently associated with psychological distress in older adults. Methods and Study Design: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1011 study participants aged >= 65 years in Japan. We assessed psychological distress using the Kessler 6 scale, whether the participants ate alone or with others, folate and n-3 PUFA intake using a short food frequency questionnaire. Results: Of the 1011 study participants, 465 (46.0%) were male and mean (SD) age was 71.6 (4.8) years. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for psychological distress in participants eating alone compared to those eating with others was 1.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-2.31). The ORs in the second and third tertiles compared to the first tertile, which had the lowest folate intake, were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.62-1.37) and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.73-1.73), respectively. The ORs in the second and third tertiles compared to the first tertile, which had the lowest n-3 PUFA intake, were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.56-1.24) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.62-1.45), respectively. Also, the OR in those eating alone combined with the first tertile of n-3 PUFA intake compared to those eating with others with the third tertile was 2.18 (95%CI, 1.05- 4.55). Conclusions: Although eating alone combined with low n-3 PUFA intake was associated with psychological distress in older adults, eating alone, folate intake, and n-3 PUFA intake were not independently associated with psychological distress.