Differences in lunch nutrient intake and nutritional adequacy among Korean older adults by meal site: a cross-sectional analysis of the 2018–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether the dietary quality of congregate lunches differs according to meal location among older adults and to identify meal settings that may represent gaps in nutritional oversight. Specifically, this study compared lunchtime nutrient intake and adequacy among older adults eating at workplaces, welfare centers, and religious institutions. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2018-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants included 487 adults aged ≥ 65 years who reported consuming lunch at institutional meal sites, including workplaces (n = 187), welfare centers (n = 145), and religious institutions (n = 155). Nutrient intakes, nutrient adequacy ratio (NARs), and the mean adequacy ratio were compared using complex-sample general linear models with Bonferroni post-hoc tests, adjusting for sex, age, and total energy intake. RESULTS: Socioeconomic characteristics were broadly comparable across groups, but nutrient intake and dietary quality differed according to meal location. In food-group analyses, meat intake was lowest among participants eating at religious institutions, and dairy intake also differed significantly across settings. In nutrient adequacy analyses, NAR for carbohydrate, thiamin, and niacin differed significantly by meal location. However, except for carbohydrate, most nutrient-specific NAR remained below 1.0 across all groups, indicating insufficient adequacy relative to one-third of the recommended intake from lunch alone. CONCLUSION: The dietary quality of congregate lunches among older adults differed according to meal location. Although nutrient inadequacy was common across settings, older adults eating at religious institutions showed relatively lower adequacy for some nutrients, particularly thiamin and niacin. These findings suggest that nutritional support should be strengthened across congregate meal services, with particular attention to less structured community-based settings such as religious institutions.