Korean Journal of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회지)

The Korean Society of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회)
권호 표지

Status of Early Childhood and Maternal Nutrition in South Korea and North Korea

남북한 영유아 및 가임기 여성의 영양상태 비교

  • Shim, Jae-Eun (Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Yoon, Ji-Hyun (Department of Food and Nutrition & Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jeong, Seong-Yeon (Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Park, Mi-Na (Department of Food and Nutrition & Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Yeon-Sook (Department of Food and Nutrition & Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University)
  • 심재은 (서울대학교 생활과학연구소) ;
  • 윤지현 (서울대학교 식품영양학과 & 생활과학연구소) ;
  • 정승연 (서울대학교 생활과학연구소) ;
  • 박미나 (서울대학교 식품영양학과 & 생활과학연구소) ;
  • 이연숙 (서울대학교 식품영양학과 & 생활과학연구소)
  • Published : 2007.04.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional status of children aged 5 or under and women aged 20 to 34 years between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK: North Korea). For the source of nutritional status of North Koreans, the DPRK 2004 Nutrition Assessment-Report of Survey Results was used. As the comparable data of South Koreans, the anthropometric data for children and women were obtained from the reports of the Korean Pediatric Society and the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, respectively. The blood hemoglobin data of South Korean women were obtained from the data file of the 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey and analyzed. In regard to the North Korea, the Prevalence of underweight (weight for age Z-score < -2.0) in children under 12 months was about $10\sim15%$, and thereafter progressively increased until 30 to 35 months reaching 30%. In South Korea, the prevalence of underweight was less than 3% in most age groups both in boys and girls. In North Korea, the prevalence of stunting (height for age Z-score < -2.0) reached 20% in children under 12 months and increased with age over the level of 50% in children aged 54 to 59 months. In South Korea, the prevalence of stunting was less than 3% in children under 12 months and was less than 10% throughout the age groups. Maternal protein-energy malnutrition and anemia were assessed for the women aged 20 to 34 years using mid-upper arm circumference (< 22.5 cm) and blood hemoglobin level (< 12g/DL), respectively. The prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition was 39.6%, 30.7%, 31.7% in North Korea and 12.5%, 5.0%, 1.5% in South Korea fir the women in $20\sim24,\;25\sim29,\;30\sim34$ years, respectively. The prevalence of anemia in the North Korean women was about $34\sim36%$ while that in the South Korean women was $15\sim18%$. In conclusion, the disparity of nutritional status in early childhood and maternity between South Korea and North Korea is so huge that active and well-planned nutrition support policy and programs for women and children in North Korea is imperative to prepare for the future unified nation.

Keywords

References

  1. Barker DJP, Godfrey KM (2004): Maternal nutrition, fetal progtarnming and adult chronic disease. In: Gibney MJ et al.( ed). Public Health Nutrition. Blackwell Science
  2. Behrman JR, Alderman H, Hoddinott J (2004): Malnutrition and hunger. In: Lomborg B, ed. Global Crisis, Global Solutions. Cambridge University Press
  3. Chang N, Hwang J (2000): Food shortage, nutritional deprivation and reduced body size in North Korean defectors. Kor J Nutr 33(5): 540-547
  4. Chang N, Kang EY, Lee JM, Lee MK (2000): Anthropometirc measurements and dietary patterns of North Korean migrant children in China. Kor J Nutr 33(3): 324-331
  5. Chang N, Jo D, Hwang J, Kang E (1998): Assessment of health and nutritional status of North Koreans utilizing an exhaustive literature search and survey. Kor J Nutr 31 (8): 1338-1346
  6. DPRK Central Bureau of Statistics (2000): Report of the Second Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2000, DPRK. Available at http://www.childinfo.org/MICS2/newreports/dprk/dprk.pdf Accessed on April 2007
  7. DPRK Central Bureau of Statistics (2002): Report on the DPRK Nutrition Assessment. Available at http://www.unicef.org/dprk/nutrition_assessment. pdf Accessed on April 2006
  8. DPRK Central Bureau of Statistics & Institute of Child Nutrition(2005): DPRK 2004 Nutrition Assessment-Report of Survey Results. Available at http://www.unicef.org/dprkdprk_national_nutrition_assessment_2004_final_report_07_03_05.pdf Accessed on April 2006
  9. Hoffman DJ, Lee SK (2004): The prevalence of wasting, but not stunting, has improved in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.J Nutr 135: 452-456
  10. Katona-Apte J, Mokdad A (1998). Malnutrition of children in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. J Nutr 128: 1315-1319 https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/128.8.1315
  11. Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (2005): Size Korea 제5차 한국인 인체치수조사 자료- 직접측정에 의한 인체체수통계. Available at http://sizekorea.kats.go.kr Accessed on April 2006
  12. Korean Pediatric Society (1999): 1998년 한국 소아 및 청소년 신체 발육 표준치. Available at http:// www.pediatrics.or.kr Aaccessed on April 2006
  13. Lee YS, Lim HS, Ahn HS, Chang NS (2006): Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle. pp. 145-252. Kyomonsa, Seoul
  14. Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S (2004): Undernutrition throughout the world, In: Krause's Food, Nutrition & Diet therapy (11 th ed), Saunders
  15. Ministry of Health and Welfare (2002): 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey [Data file]
  16. Ministry of Unification(2006): 인도적 대북지원 통계. Available at http://www.unikorea.go.kr>분야별 >이산가족 >인도적 대북 지원 통계. Accessed on June 2006
  17. Park IH (2005): 보건복지예산의 부문별 규모와 정책과제, 영양정책연구회자료집
  18. UNICEF (2006): Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition. Available at http://www. unicef.org/publirations Accessed on June 2006
  19. Walker SP, Wachs TD, Gardner JM, Lozoff B, Wasserman GA, Pollitt E, Carter JA, The International Child Development Steering Group (2007): Child development: risk factors for adverse outcomes in developing countries. Lancet 369: 145-157 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60076-2
  20. World Health Organization (WHO) (1983): Measuring Change in Nutritional Status-Guidelines for Assessing the Nutritional Impact of Supplementary Feeding Programme. Geneva: WHO
  21. WHO (1995): Physical Status: The Use and Interpretation of Anthropometry. Geneva: WHO
  22. WHO (2006a): NCHS/WHO Child Growth Reference. Available at http://www.who. int/childgrowth/en Accessed on May 2006
  23. WHO (2006b): WHO Child Growth Standards: Method and Development. Geneva: WHO. Available at http://www.who.int/ childgrowth/standards/technical_report/en Accessed on May 2006
  24. WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (2001): Macroeconomics and Health: Investing in Health for Economic Development. Geneva: WHO
  25. Yoon J (2007): Personal communication with the staff of DPRK Institute of Child Nutrition at Pyongyang, March 2nd, 2007 & Personal communication with the staff of UNICEF Tokyo at Seoul, Feb. 1st. 2007