PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with restrictive pulmonary disease (RPD) and estimate its prevalence among older adults in Korea using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2016 to 2018.
METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using KNHANES data from 1,887 participants 65 years of age or older. RPD was determined by spirometry and was defined as FEV1/FVC ≥ .70 and FVC < 80% predicted, measured through spirometry. Independent risk factors associated with RPD were found using multivariable logistic regression; the results were presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS: The prevalence of RPD was 26.7% among older adults in Korea. Older age (OR 1.062, 95% CI 1.035–1.089, p < .001), male sex (OR 1.573, 95% CI 1.302–2.396, p = .035), obesity (OR 2.476, 95% CI 1.338–4.580, p = .004), abdominal obesity (OR 1.890, 95% CI 1.377–2.594, p < .001), and diabetes (OR 1.506, 95% CI 1.170–1.939, p = .002) were significant risk factors. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors such as education level, smoking, and drinking were associated in univariate analysis, but no significance was shown after adjusting for confounding factors.
CONCLUSION: RPD has a prevalence of 26.7% in the elderly Korean and is strongly associated with age, male, obesity, abdominal obesity, and diabetes. These findings highlight the need for targeted prevention and management strategies to address RPD in high-risk populations.