Snack Consumption Patterns and Its Nutritional Significance in Korean Elderly Population: from the 2013-2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the importance of snacks to a balanced diet by assessing snack consumption patterns and factors associated with eating snacks of Korean elders of 60 years or more. METHODS: This analysis is based on participants from the 2013-2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Meal or snack consumption was based on a 24 hours recall data, and the adequacy of each nutrient intake was based on the Dietary Reference Intakes by the Korea Nutrition Society. The cutoff for snack consumption valued as meaningful was more than 200 kcal/day of snack energy intake. RESULTS: Korean male elders of age 60 years or more are consuming 333.6±11.1 kcal of snack and 271.7±7.4 kcal for females. When consumed together with meals, snack consumption increased the adequacy of all nutrients intake, except sodium. Based on energy contribution, male Korean elders are consuming snack food group in order of beverage and alcohols, grains, and fruits, while for females the order was grains, fruits, and dairy. Older age (men and women), joblessness (men), and chronic disease (women) were positively associated with having snack of 200 kcal or more per day, whereas ‘living with a partner (men)’, alcohol intake frequency of more than twice per week (men), and ‘doing regular aerobic physical activity (women)’ showed negative association. CONCLUSIONS: Snack consumption of Korean elders contributed to more adequate nutritional status, but improvement of food groups is needed because they were mainly concentrated on grains.

Effect of Snack Eating on Sensitive Salivary Stress Markers Cortisol and Chromogranin A

Objectives: To investigate the effect of snack eating on salivary cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA). Methods: From 14:00 to 18:00, starting two hours after consumption of a midday meal, saliva samples were collected every 30 minutes from 15 healthy males, 7 of whom (snack group) ate a snack immediately after the sampling at 15:00. Salivary cortisol and CgA levels were determined by ELISA. Samples were controlled according to salivary flow rates. Results: For the snack group, after snack consumption, salivary cortisol increased to exceed significance (p<0.05) at 15:30 and rose even higher at 16:00. In the control group, there was no such change. There was no significant change in salivary CgA in either the snack group or the control groups during the sampling period. Conclusions: These findings suggest that no food should be consumed for at least 90 mins before saliva sampling for cortisol determination and that salivary CgA is probably not affected by snack eating.

Effect of snack eating on sensitive salivary stress markers cortisol and chromogranin A

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To investigate the effect of snack eating on salivary cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From 14∶00 to 18∶00, starting two hours after consumption of a midday meal, saliva samples were collected every 30 minutes from 15 healthy males, 7 of whom (snack group) ate a snack immediately after the sampling at 15∶00. Salivary cortisol and CgA levels were determined by ELISA. Samples were controlled according to salivary flow rates.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>For the snack group, after snack consumption, salivary cortisol increased to exceed significance (p<0.05) at 15∶30 and rose even higher at 16∶00. In the control group, there was no such change. There was no significant change in salivary CgA in either the snack group or the control groups during the sampling period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These findings suggest that no food should be consumed for at least 90 mins before saliva sampling for cortisol determination and that salivary CgA is probably not affected by snack eating.</p>