Non-farming family's Food Habits and Health Behavior Compared with Farming Family living in Rural, Korea

농촌 거주 비농업 종사 가족의 식습관과 건강 행동

In rural area, as the source of family income is related with the agriculture works, the living condition of non-farming family used to be lower except some family groups with a little higher income. In order to find out the improvement in rural life, data about the health behavior and diet habits of non-farming family were observed. This study evaluated the health behavior and diet habits of non-farming families by comparing them with those of the farming families in rural area. The survey was made by trained interviewers and a total of 1,870 subjects from 9 provinces were questioned to collect the data through sampling probability proportional to size. The non-farming families were $29.6\%$ of the total and they were with no spouse($38\%$), low number of family members(2.86), and aged husband(66.8 years) or wife(58.5 years). $83.1\%$ of the non farming families were having breakfast however, $95.1\%$ of the farming families were doing it. And the number of side dishes in non farming families was low(1-2 kinds: $17.7\%$). Out of non farming families, $47.3\%$ took no nutritional supplements and out of the farming families it was 40.8 $\%$ With regard to having snacks, $22\%$ of non-farmers had snacks daily and it was greater than that of farmers($16.6\%$). But the ratio of non-snack taking of the non-farmers($29.6\%$) was higher than that of farmers($24.5\%$). The sorts of snacks also varied and for farmers it used to be fruit and noodles and for non-farmers it was bread and milk. Instant foods were often selected by $35.6\%$ of non-farmers. Dining out with a frequency of once per month was reported in $23.2\%$ of non-farming families, but $47.6\%$ of them did not dine out at all. In case of food production for family consumption, small portion of non-farmers cultivated pepper($13.3\%$), Korean cabbage ($16.2\%$), and sesame($6.2\%$) but almost all of the farmers cultivated such crops. However, non-farmers produced soybean sprouts($0.7\%$), soybean curd($0.2\%$), and eggs($7.2\%$) and it was compared with the fact that farmers produced soybean sprouts($9.7\%$), soybean curd ($4.6\%$), and eggs($5.1\%$). Non-farmers stocked the fermented foods: Doenjang ($57.8\%$), Kochujang ($56.1\%$), Kanjang ($53.6\%$), Kimchi ($77.9\%$) and Jangajji ($37.2\%$), and this ratios were smaller than those of farmers: Doenjang ($93.6\%$), Kochujang ($92.9\%$), Kanjang ($87.9\%$), Kimchi ($97.7\%$) and Jangajji ($66.7\%$). As to health behavior of the subjects, non-farmers had less medical examinations and bathing than farmers did. Non-farmers and their wives used public bath facilities more often and it may be due to the low condition of bathing facilities. And the ratio of daily alcohol consumption was $15\%$ and it was higher than that of the farmers. Most of the spouse of the farmers did not drink($78\%$), but the wives of the non-farmers were drinking more frequently. More farmers smoked than non-farmers and $45\%$ of male farmers were smokers.