Effects of Stress on Food Habits, Preference and Frequency in Young Children at Kyungbuk Area

경북 일부 지역 유아의 스트레스가 식습관, 식품 기호도 및 식품 섭취 빈도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress and effects of stress on dietary habits, food preferences and food frequencies of young children in Kyungbuk province. The study subjects were 271 children, aged $3\sim5$, and attending child care centers within the Kyungbuk area. The general characteristics, dietary habits, stress, food preferences, and food frequencies of the young children were assessed, as were the general characteristics of their parents. The results were analyzed using $\chi^2-or$ t-tests employing the SPSS program package. The subjects were classified into two groups according their level of stress. One hundred and nine of the subjects had high stress(HS) and 162 had low stress(LS). The male HS group ate breakfast more regularly, skipped meals more frequently and ate protein-containing foods everyday compared to the male LS group. The female HS caught colds more easily and were more constipated than the female LS group. The preferences for chicken and hamburgers were higher in the male HS group than LS group; whereas, those for noodles and soybean milk were lower in the male HS than LS group. The preferences for soybean milk was higher in the female HS than LS group. The frequencies for stir-fried foods and spinach were higher in the male HS than LS group; whereas, those for curried rice, noodles, apples and soybean milk were higher in the male LS than HS group. The frequency for kimbab was higher in the female HS than LS group; whereas, those for steamed foods, shells and mushrooms were lower in the female HS than LS group. Therefore, our results suggest that young children, as well as their parents, need better dietary habits and strategies for actively coping with stress to maintain health.