A Study of the Relation between Food Habits , Anthropometric and Clinical Data in a Health Promoting Elementary School in Changwon

창원시 건강증진 시범학교 일부 아동의 식습관 , 체격지수 , 혈액성상에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data for nutrition education of the children in a health promoting elementry school. The data was collected by a questionaire of food habits, and anthropometric measurement and biochemical test in comparison with obesity index. The study subjects were boys and girls aged 10 to 12 years who participated in the “99 Children Nutrition Camp”. The average obesity index was 1.7$\pm$21.6% in boys and -11.4$\pm$12.6% in girls. After school, major leisure items were significnatly different by gender but both boys and girls played mainly computer game. In concern for body image and eating habits, girls had more concern and girls had attempted weight control more than boys. 80.2% of subjects had prejudice for special food, especially, all subjects in the severely underweight group had prejudice. But this tendency was significantly decreased with the increasing obesity index. The lowest preferency was for vegetables(64.4%). The tendency of prejudice of subjects was higher whose mother are thirties than those of subjects whose mother are in fourties. The serum GOT and GPT values were significantly higher in overweight and obese group than the other groups. The only serum T-chol was significantly higher in boys than in girls. The number of risk factors related to coronary heart disease(CHD) based on coresponding criteria of TG, T-chol, HDL-chol, and LDL-chol was not increased significantly with the degree of obesity index. The results indicated the need of nutritional management for the children. At a point of view, to educate children early who are able to change food habits and life-styles means to help heathy growth and to deliver up heathy adults. Active nutrition education for both children and mothers will be recommended with joint participation of nutritionists in community public health center and elementary school.