Nutritional Status, Daily Nutrition Intake, and Dietary Patterns of Korean Adults With Low Vision and Blindness

Introduction: The preparation of healthy foods and maintaining a standard body weight and shape may be challenging for people with low vision and blindness (i.e., visual impairments) without the assistance of a sighted person. The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrition-related characteristics of individuals with and without visual impairments. Methods: This study employed four public datasets provided by the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted between 2013 and 2016 at 1-year intervals. The selected datasets included a set of questions to assess the health and nutritional status, and 115 items from a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment. A total of 260 respondents visual impairments and their counterparts (n = 260) were included in this study. Results: The mean age of individuals with visual impairments was 32.58 years (SD = 9.56) and 67.8% were women. They consumed excessive sodium and insufficient vitamin A, beta-carotene, and calcium, based on the recommendations for Korean adults’ nutrition intake. In k-means clustering, two dietary patterns were identified among the respondents with visual impairments: Cluster 1 (n = 33) showed higher consumption of kimchi (t = 2.05, p =.046), beverages (t = 8.78, p <.001), sweets (t = 10.02, p <.001), and oil and nuts (t = 10.20, p <.001) than Cluster 2 (n = 227). Discussion: Robust quantitative research is required to establish the baseline nutrition profile of this marginalized population. The findings of this study support the need for interventions to address the unmet food and nutrition needs of individuals with visual disabilities. Implications for Practitioners: The information and education about healthy eating and balanced nutrient intake should be provided in an accessible format for people with visual impairments in a timely manner.