The Survey an the Nutrition Education and Food Service Managements system of the Early Childhood Education Institute in Yongdungpo

영등포구 보육시설의 급식 및 영양교육실태조사

The purpose of this study was to investigate food service management system and nutrition education of the early childhood education institute in Yongdungpo, Seoul. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 26 public early childhood education institute and 34 private ones. A majority of the teachers were women over 40 with at least bachelor's degree. Other than the fact that food service provides food to the children, it contributed in providing the essential nutrients to the children, as well as giving them the opportunity to learn table manners. A normal food service would provide one set of lunch and two sets of snacks, which would be provided by the institute itself. In most cases, the director or teachers planned the menus instead of dietitians. Journals, cookbooks, and other information put out by mass communication, such as TV and newspapers, were used as reference to those menus. The factors considered in planning the menus were mainly nutritional balance and the children's food preference. The difficulties in meal management were about the budget and nutritional menu planning. Fifty five percent of the subjects were did nutrition education, and they focused mainly on the table manners and hygiene education but once a year. The difficulties and complaints in execution nutrition education at the institutes were lack of nutritional knowledge, personal shortage, and excessive work. The institutes were urgently requesting for menu provisions from local Public Health Clinics. As a recommendation from the results of this study, food service management and nutrition related subjects should be more enforced into the nursery teacher training curriculum. Also, it is necessary to provide nutrition education to teachers, and as a link, the need to develop a manual for nutrition education has become urgent.