• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.504-511
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• 1999

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the relationship among obese children, dietary intake and environmental factors. Therefore, this survey compared obese children with normal children on dietary intake and environmental factors. The survey were 110 obese children and 110 normal children whose age, height, and sex were same as the obese children of 21 elementary school in Inchon. The statistical analysis of data was completed using SAS program. The results were summarized as follows : 1) The student's obesity was related to parent's obesity and number of their siblings. There were significant differences between obese groups and normal group for these two factors. 2) Meal time of the obese group showed more irregularity than that of the normal group. Otherwise, the normal group were more "piclity" about special food than the obese group(p<0.05). Also obese children showed unconsious eating while reading or watching TV(p<0.01). The normal group attended physical education class more eagerily the obese group(p<0.001). There was no significant difference between obese children and normal children for learning habits. 3) Obese children shoed higher intake of nutrients compared to normal children. Among all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins showed significant differences. Therefore, further study on obese children and their intake of minerals and vitamin is needed. Also, in order to prevent factors which influence obesity, nutrition education at home as well as school was needed.as needed.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2019

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: 1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; 2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; 3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; 4) pharmacotherapy; and 5) bariatric surgery.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.3-21
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• 2019

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: (1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; (2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; (3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; (4) pharmacotherapy; and (5) bariatric surgery.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare health locus of control with health-promoting behaviors according to elementary school children's degree of obesity, and to analyze correlations between two variables. Methods: Three hundreds and sixty three elementary school children were participated from three elementary schools in Seoul. Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (HLOC) scale and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) were used. Results: Obese children was 16.8% of all research subjects. Internal HLOC in over weight group was higher than normal weight group (F=3.611, p=.014). Chance HLOC in under weight group was higher than other groups (F=3.553, p=.015). External HLOC in over weight and obesity group was higher than normal weight group (F=3.553, p=.015). Correlations between HLOC in internal and external and health-promoting behaviors were significant (r=.347, p<001; r=.207, p<001). Also, children who did not have siblings and have obese parents showed higher rate of obesity, and lack of sleeping time tend to be related to obesity. Conclusion: External HLOC of obesity children is higher than that of normal weight children. Meanwhile, obese children with higher internal HLOC were good at doing health-promoting behaviors. Therefore, if obese children are trained for internal health control, it can lead to their health-promoting behaviors.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.35-54
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• 2004

This study was intended to provide basic data of nutrition education to a prevention of obesity and living patterns of elementary school students. Through the measurment of the actual obesity rate of children for students who were in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school as well as their mothers, and by analyzing obesity-related factors. Children have started to have the characteristics obesity and obesity problems. 1. There were total 234 children including 133 boys (56.8％) and 101 girls (43.2％) for the study. There were 80 children in the fifth grade (34.2％) and 154 children in the sixth grade (65.8％). 2. Among the subjects 20.1％ were obese. By gender, the obesity rate of boys (27.1％) was higher than that of girls (l0.9％)(p＜0.01). By grade, children in the fifth grade (26.3％) had higher obesity rate than children in the sixth grade (l6.9％)(p＜0.05). 3. In terms of the educational level of parents, the obesity rate of children of parents who received university and／or higher education was 27.5％ (p＜0.05). 44.1％ of parents answered ‘I almost never give snack’s’(p＜0.01). 4. There was 32.8％ for an irregular quantity of meal. There was no obese child who under-ate (p＜0.05). In terms of impulse eating, ‘I eat.’ and ‘I don't eat.’ were 24.4％ and 25.9％ respectively. The obesity rate of the case of ‘I eat only food I like.’ was 10.6％ (p＜0.05). In terms of the obesity rate based on the daily average meal frequency, there was the highest rate of 26.1％ for I average meal frequency per day, 13.0％ for 2 daily average meal frequency, and 7.4％ for over 3 average meal frequency per day (p＜0.05). For a degree of a physical activity, the group of active physical activity (p＜0.05) and the group which liked the physical exercise showed a lower obesity rate (p＜0.001). The obesity rate of children who had regular exercise was 11.8％. It was lower than the obesity rate (24.8％) of children who didn't exercise (p＜0.01). The higher exercise frequency per week was, the lower the obesity rate was(p＜0.01). In terms of the exercise time, there was 8.3％ for over 60 minutes and 28.9％ for less 15 minutes. The group which had the long exercise time showed a lower obesity rate(p＜0.05). As the result, the education for obesity must enable students to recognize the warning signs for obesity and control their own weight with proper living patterns, by modifying behaviors considering the degree of obesity. Obesity must be controlled by the prevention and education connected with the family for all students as one of the school health programs. There must be also the development of a program through individual consultation considering the degree of obesity.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.12
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• pp.477-482
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• 2020

The childhood obesity pandemic has emerged as an important public health problem in many countries. Obese children are likely to become obese adults, and adult obesity is associated with an increased risk of morbidity. Therefore, controlling the childhood obesity epidemic has become a top public health priority worldwide. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may significantly impede this important mission and constitute an unprecedented tragedy in the global battle against childhood obesity. This manuscript presents evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will aggravate the childhood obesity epidemic and lead to significant weight gain in school children by creating an unprecedented obesogenic environment. Within the last few months, many countries took uncompromising measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures and quarantine. While these steps are often necessary to ensure infection control, they may have a significant negative effect on children's mental and physical health. Physical, nutritional, and psychosocial factors that promote obesity in children during this special situation complementarily contribute to an unprecedented obesogenic environment. Large-scale quarantine and home confinement will impose new and unfamiliar stressors on children, thereby worsening the childhood obesity epidemic. Most importantly, adverse childhood events resulting from a predicted increase in domestic violence within the next few months will significantly contribute to this concern. The scenario presented in this review is of paramount public health importance and must be considered during future pandemic planning. Involved stakeholders, including governments, schools, and families, must make all possible efforts to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on childhood obesity.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.256-268
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to explore ecological factors and strategies for childhood obesity prevention targeting vulnerable children using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodology. Methods: The CBPR was conducted by following basic process steps. Participants were 12 community stakeholders such as community child center directors (n=4), vulnerable children's mothers (n=3), community health center officials (n=2), and lay health advisors (n=4); they were purposively sampled from K municipal county in Seoul, South Korea. The qualitative content analysis was performed to explore main themes of the ecological factors and strategies by using data obtained from 5 times of focus group interview. Results: Twelve ecological factors associated with childhood obesity prevention were identified: Intrapersonal factors including emotional overeating; interpersonal factors including permissive parenting style of children's eating behaviors; organizational factors including social workers' less educational opportunities; and community/policy factors including less government financial support. Four ecological strategies for childhood obesity prevention were addressed: Developing obesity prevention programs targeting vulnerable children' lifestyles; promoting parents' active participation in education; building healthy meal service environments through empowering social workers; and building supportive community environment and securing community resources for child obesity prevention. Conclusion: Our findings may be informative in terms of providing a comprehensive understanding of multi-level ecological barriers against vulnerable children' obesity prevention and, moreover, guiding multi-level strategies for preventing childhood obesity targeting children enrolled in community child centers.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.198-212
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• 2001

This study was designed to compare the prevalence rate of obesity, food attitude, food frequency and food habits between children in Kangnung and Seoul areas. 1,005 children aged 9-12 were included in this study. They were composed of 343 children living in Kangnung from one elementary school, and 662 children in Seoul from two elementary schools. The body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences of children were measured and food frequency scores of Korean and Western foods were examined by questionnaire. And questionnaires about food attitude, food habits and life style were administered to the mother of each child. There was no significant difference in body weight and obesity index among three groups(one school of Kangnung area and two schools of Seoul area). The male children\`s prevalence rates of obesity in Kangnung and two schools(A, B) of Seoul were 10.3%, 10.3% and 7.3%, respectively. Female children\`s prevalence rate were 5.4%, 4.7%, and 6.3%, respectively. Children in Seoul turned out to more frequently eat such Korean foods like pulkogi, kalbi and fried rice and such western foods like butter, margarine, hamburger, pizza, and fried chicken. Children in Seoul had more tendency to eat regularly and spent less time in sleeping and watching TV and more time in exercise than the respondents in Kangnung. The obesity index of parents had a significantly positive correlation with that of children. These results suggest that children in Seoul have tendency to eat high-energy food frequently and to have more energy expenditure than children in Kangnung. In conclusion, further studies on the evaluation of energy intake and energy expenditure of obese and normal children different in area should be conducted. (Korean J Nutrition 34(1) : 198∼212, 2001)

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.186-199
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• 2012

The present study was conducted to investigate dietary habits and biochemical indices according to the obesity index of elementary school students visiting a hospital for diagnosis. The subjects of this study were 150 elementary school students and their mothers. The overweight rates of child subjects were 37.5% for males and 40.9% for females, whereas the rates of underweight children were 35.0% for males and 14.5% for females. Children's obesity index significantly decreased with an increase in the average monthly income of children's families. Children's obesity index, mothers' weights, BMI, and percent ideal body weight were all positively correlated. Blood biochemical values in children (hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, globulin, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels) and their obesity index also showed positive correlation. For the underweight group, the frequency of iron-deficiency anemia was significantly high, whereas for the overweight group, the frequency of dyslipidemia was high. There was a significant increase in children's obesity index and a decrease in frequency of regular exercise with time spent on the TV/computer. The normal weight group recorded the highest total scores for mothers' nutritional knowledge, whereas the overweight group recorded the lowest total scores. Therefore, to maintain healthy weight in children, nutritional education programs for mothers and children should be developed.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.715-725
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• 2001

This study was carried to estimate the prevalence of obesity and to investigate the relationship between stress and obesity in children. The subjects were 508 children, who were randomly selected from the fifth and sixth grade at nine elementary schools in Kangnung. The height, body weight, waist and hip circumferences and body fat(%) were measured and the levels of stress were assessed by a questionnaire consisting of the following 3 domains ; 4 items for personal factors, 11 for home, and 18 for school. The prevalence of obesity in male and female children greatly varied by the indices from 2.5% and 1.7% when judged by BMI, 9.5% and 4.0% by obesity index, and 29.7% and 34.4% by body fat(%). The stress scores from personal(47.1%) and school (47.9%) factors were higher than the stress score from home(38.5%). The stress score from personal factors of female children is significantly higher than that of male children, but the stress score from home of female children is significantly lower than that of male children. The personal stress score and the total stress score of obese female children were significantly higher than those of non-obese female children. In male children, the obesity index(%) or body fat(%) have a significant positive correlation with the stress scores from over-expectation of parents, a lack of conversation with family, examinations, discontent about school, teacher's partiality to students, and sexual curiosity. The female children have a significantly positive correlation of obesity index (%) or body fat(%) with stress scores from appearance, quarrels of parents, and inferiority complex to brothers or sisters. These results suggested that counselling and education about not only balanced diet but also the strategies for actively coping with stress are needed to prevent and treat childhood obesity.