Self-Perceived Nutrition is Associated With Physical, Mental, and Oral Health in Older Korean Americans Living in Subsidized Senior Housing

Purpose: Nutrition plays an important role in overall health, yet little is known about how perceived nutritional status relates to health outcomes among older Korean Americans. Design: Cross-sectional survey design. Setting: Surveys were conducted at six subsidized senior housing facilities in Los Angeles between April and June 2023. Sample: The sample included 318 Korean American adults aged 65 and older. Measures: Participants rated their nutritional status, as well as physical, mental, and oral health on a 5-point scale. Responses were grouped into two categories: excellent/very good/good = 0, fair/poor = 1. Analysis: Logistic regression models examined the health risks associated with perceived nutrition, adjusting for demographic and health-related covariates. Results: Half of participants (50.5%) rated their nutritional status as fair or poor. These individuals had significantly higher odds of reporting poor physical health (OR = 6.44, 95% CI = 3.53, 11.7), mental health (OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 2.43, 8.27), and oral health (OR = 2.97, 95% CI = 1.64, 5.37) compared to those with better perceived nutrition (all P < .001). Conclusion: Findings underscore the value of self-perceived nutrition as an indicator of well-being and highlight the need for culturally informed approaches to improving nutritional status and health. This study contributes to the growing evidence on the interconnectedness of nutrition with various domains of health in older immigrants.