• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.67-76
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the food behavior and vegetable preferences of elementary school students in the metropolitan areas of, South Korea. Five hundred and eighty students (277 male and 303 female) studying in grades 5~6 participated in the survey. We assessed food behavior by evauating the Nutrition Quotient (NQ). Through a questionnaire, which consisted of 20 food behavior checklist items. These items were grouped under five factors: balance, diversity, moderation, practice and environment. All data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. The average NQ score weighted using the five factors was 61.32 points. Among the five factors, moderation showed the lowest score, whereas environment showed the highest score. The average score of the vegetable preference was 3.36 points out of a total of 5 points. The vegetable preference was found to be highest for bean sprouts and followed by tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, Chinese cabbage, sesame leaf, pumpkin, carrot, radish, chives, lotus roots, onions, broccoli, sweet peppers, and eggplant. The results of vegetable preferences by NQ grade were 4.13±0.63 points for the high grade, 3.68±0.75 points for the medium-high grade, 3.41±0.82 points for the medium-low grade, and 2.94±0.78 points for the low grade. There was a significant positive correlation between NQ and vegetable preferences (r=0.477, P<0.001). If vegetables with high preference are frequently provided in school meals, it might contribute to improving overall food behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.248-258
• /
• 2003

This study was conducted to identify dietitians' position and role by assessing the present condition on management of human resources in contracted foodservice management company. Questionnaires were distributed to 79 contracted companies (eight large-size, 48 mid-size, 23 small-size companies) from March to May in 2002. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSSwin (version 8.0). The data were analyzed in group comparisons using frequencies and percentage for every item in the questionnaires, $x^2$-test, and oneway ANOVA. About eighty-five percent of contracted foodservice companies employed the new dietitians as full time employees, and seventy-five percent of them were promoted the dietitians by evaluation after a given period of time. As a starting payment for university graduates, large-size companies payed an average of 16,260,000 won/year, which was significantly higher (p<0.01) than those of mid-sized (11,320,000 won/year) and small-sized companies (11,620,000 won/year). The mean lengths of dietitians' service were 33.5 months in large-size companies, 26.5 months in mid-sized companies, 26.0 months in small-sized companies. It was less than 3 years in all companies (avg. 26.9 months). Fifty-four companies (68.4%) employed dietitians in each foodservice contract, whereas 25 companies didn't employ dietitians. The ratios of dietitians out of employees in each department of the companies were 42.6% in the department of contracted foodservice management, 19.9% in the department of menu development, 18.1% in the department of food safety, 8.7% in the department of distribution and purchase, 4.2% in the department of business, and 3.9% in the department of customer satisfaction. The dietitians' positions were directors in two companies (2.5%), general managers in two companies (2.5%), deputy managers in seven companies (8.9%), managers in twenty-nine companies (36.7%), assistant managers/chief clerks in twenty-four companies (30.4%), and chiefs in twenty-five companies (31.6%). The frequencies of training for dietitians were 6.2 times/year for the food safety training, 5.8 times/year for the cooking training, 4.8 times/year for nutrition-related training, and 4.7 times/year for service training.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.280-295
• /
• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of patients according to their nutritional status as assessed by five nutritional screening tools: Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), NUTRISCORE, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) and to compare the agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of these tools. Methods: A total of 952 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy and chemotherapy from January 2009 to December 2012 at the Samsung Medical Center were included. We categorized patients into malnourished and normal according to the five nutritional screening tools 1 month after surgery and compared their characteristics. We also calculated the Spearman partial correlation, Cohen's Kappa coefficient, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each pair of screening tools. Results: We observed 86.24% malnutrition based on the PG-SGA and 85.82% based on the NUTRISCORE among gastric cancer patients in our study. When we applied NRI or CONUT, however, the malnutrition levels were less than 30%. Patients with malnutrition as assessed by the PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, or NRI had lower intakes of energy and protein compared to normal patients. When NRI, PNI, or CONUT were used to identify malnutrition, lower levels of albumin, hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, total cholesterol, and longer postoperative hospital stays were observed among patients with malnutrition compared to those without malnutrition. We found relatively high agreement between PG-SGA and NUTRISCORE; sensitivity was 90.86% and AUC was 0.78. When we compared NRI and PNI, sensitivity was 99.64% and AUC was 0.97. AUC ranged from 0.50 to 0.67 for comparisons between CONUT and each of the other nutritional screening tools. Conclusions: Our study suggests that PG-SGA and NRI have a relatively high agreement with the NUTRISCORE and PNI, respectively. Further cohort studies are needed to examine whether the nutritional status assessed by PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, NRI, PNI, and CONUT predicts the gastric cancer prognosis.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.205-222
• /
• 2022

Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of patients according to nutritional status assessed by five nutritional screening tools: Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), NUTRISCORE, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) and to compare the agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of these tools. Methods: A total of 952 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy and chemotherapy from January 2009 to December 2012 were included. The patients were categorized into malnutrition and normal status according to five nutritional screening tools one month after surgery. The Spearman partial correlation, Cohen's Kappa coefficient, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each two screening tools were calculated. Results: Malnutrition was observed in 86.24% of patients based on the PG-SGA and 85.82% based on the NUTRISCORE. When NRI or CONUT were applied, the proportions of malnutrition were < 30%. Patients with malnutrition had lower intakes of energy and protein than normal patients when assessed using the PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, or NRI. Lower levels of albumin, hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol and longer postoperative hospital stays were observed among patients with malnutrition compared to normal patients when NRI, PNI, or CONUT were applied. Relatively high agreement for NUTRISCORE relative to PG-SGA was found; the sensitivity was 90.86%, and the AUC was 0.78. When NRI, PNI, and CONUT were compared, the sensitivities were 23.72% for PNI relative to NRI, 44.53% for CONUT relative to NRI, and 90.91% for CONUT relative to PNI. The AUCs were 0.95 for NRI relative to PNI and 0.91 for CONUT relative to PNI. Conclusions: NUTRISCORE had a high sensitivity compared to PG-SGA, and CONUT had a high sensitivity compared to PNI. NRI had a high specificity compared to PNI. This relatively high sensitivity and specificity resulted in 77.00% agreement between PNI and CONUT and 77.94% agreement between NRI and PNI. Further cohort studies will be needed to determine if the nutritional status assessed by PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, NRI, PNI, and CONUT predicts the gastric cancer prognosis.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.235-244
• /
• 1998

Hand washing is an important component of hygiene program for food handlers. Hands can be a source of direct or indirect contamination of foods with pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, the effectiveness of hand washing methods and the use of 70% alcohol solution against transient skin bacteria was tested in an university foodservice facility. 70% alcohol solution is sprayed for 5 seconds automatically when hands are placed in the dispenser. Samples were taken using swab technique in meat cutting area, vegetable trimming area, and vegetable cutting area: before and after washing hands according to planned methods, and after being sprayed with 70% alcohol solution after washing hands. The bacteriological analysis of total plate counts, coliform, fecal coliform of food handlers' hands was done. Statistical data analysis was completed with Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis model using the SPSS program. The levels of initial contamination of workers' hand were significantly different by the work areas($x^2$=9.156, p<0.01). Workers in the vegetable trimming area had more heavily soiled hands than in the other work areas. Mean of TPC counts and coliform was 8.97×$10^5$ CFU/12.4$cm^2$, 2.93×$10^2$ MPN/12.4$cm^2$ respectively, but fecal coliform was not detected. Transient bacteria were removed from hands after washing and using 70% alcohol solution but were not removed completely. Mean reduction percentage in TPC varied among work areas and ranged from 93.19% to 94.99%, and in coliforms from 97.31% to 100%. A significant difference in TPC was found between before and after hand disinfection (Z=-2.714, p<.01) and between standardized hand washing procedures and un-standardized hand washing procedures(z=-2.301, p<.01). Subjects using the hand sanitizer showed a great elimination of TPC(99.45% reduction), but this effect was valid only after following proper washing procedures. Based on the results, the most effective hand washing method was recommended as the combination of the standardized hand washing procedure with warm-water and use of the 70% alcohol solution. The results can be used to develop hand hygiene programs and training strategies for enhancing hand hygiene practices for food handlers in foodservice operations.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.89-101
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs of educators, learners and parents in elementary schools for implementing a systematic nutrition education program by nutrition teachers to begin in 2006. The subjects were 833 dietitians, 808 principals, 3,141 teachers, 7,577 students and 6,003 parents in elementary schools. A fairly large proportion of the principals (98.4%), teachers (95.5%), parents (96.6%) and students (62.8%) responded that nutrition education is urgently needed. Every dietitian, principal and teacher has recognized that for the enforcement of a nutrition program in the future, the placement of one nutrition teacher in every school is needed without a moment's delay. Many subjects responded that elementary low grades are the most proper time for nutrition education for students and it is also needed to extend this not only to students, but also parents and teachers who have a direct influence on them. In the education hour, they responded that it is proper one hour a month for teachers and one hour a week for students. Fifty-six percent of dietitians, 58.3% of principals and 67.0% of teachers responded that the best educational way to heighten the effect of nutrition education was education through discretional activities. It was found that 46.4% of students have wanted nutrition education to be enforced during special activities. Education through their school homepage or in-school broadcasting system, while it has been most utilized, was low in a degree of preference with 10.9%. In regards to a nutrition program, principals and parents have attached much importance to the dining etiquette, dietary attitudes, and relations of foodstuffs with health, while dietitians and teachers have made much of a balanced eating habit, and the relations of dietary life with health. Finally, for a nutrition program to be enforced towards a direction that the educators and students want, it is judged that first of all the role of nutrition teachers is the most important, furthermore the support of manpower and the budget should be made.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.105-117
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs of educators, learners and parents in elementary schools for implementing a systematic nutrition education program by nutrition teachers to begin in 2006. The subjects were 833 dietitians, 808 principals, 3,141 teachers, 7,577 students and 6,003 parents in elementary schools. A fairly large proportion of the principals (98.4%), teachers (95.5%), parents (96.6%) and students (62.8%) responded that nutrition education is urgently needed. Every dietitian, principal and teacher has recognized that for the enforcement of a nutrition program in the future, the placement of one nutrition teacher in every school is needed without a moment's delay. Many subjects responded that elementary low grades are the most proper time for nutrition education for students and it is also needed to extend this not only to students, but also parents and teachers who have a direct influence on them. In the education hour, they responded that it is proper one hour a month for teachers and one hour a week for students. Fifty-six percent of dietitians, 58.3% of principals and 67.0% of teachers responded that the best educational way to heighten the effect of nutrition education was education through discretional activities. It was found that 46.4% of students have wanted nutrition education to be enforced during special activities. Education through their school homepage or in-school broadcasting system, while it has been most utilized, was low in a degree of preference with 10.9%. In regards to a nutrition program, principals and parents have attached much importance to the dining etiquette, dietary attitudes, and relations of foodstuffs with health, while dietitians and teachers have made much of a balanced eating habit, and the relations of dietary life with health. Finally, for a nutrition program to be enforced towards a direction that the educators and students want, it is judged that first of all the role of nutrition teachers is the most important, furthermore the support of manpower and the budget should be made.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.149-155
• /
• 2005

This exploratory study investigated the software programs utilized by clinical dietitians and their perceptions on the use of information technology. The study focused on the use of specialized software for dietetics, general software for any office use and the Internet. A self-administered survey was used to collect data from clinical dietitians identified in the Kentucky Dietetic Association Directory 2003-2004. The survey was conducted in March through April, 2004. A total of 22 responses were collected, which yielded a response rate of $68\%$. Findings suggest that computer use has become a routine for optimal clinical practice ; major specialized software programs are used for nutrition assessment, nutrition analysis and menu development. Use of specialized software appears to be unassociated with dietitians' age and years of experience ; however, the associations are indicated between use of specialized software and education level as well as their specialty ; word processing and spreadsheet are the major general software used. Internet is used mainly for information search and communication. Respondents perceived that overall work efficiency and productivity significantly increased with computer use. The complexity of software is the major barrier encountered so training is the most needed support by the department. Strategic promotion on the use of specialized software should be targeted to the management team of the hospitals/facilities.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.725-746
• /
• 2002

The demand for new alternative "low calorie" sweeteners for dietetic and diabetic purposes has increased worldwide. Although the currently developed and commercially used highly sweet sucrose substitutes are mostly synthetic compounds, the search for such compounds from natural sources is continuing. As of mid-2002, over 100 plant-derived sweet compounds of 20 major structural types had been reported, and were isolated from more than 25 different families of green plants. Several of these highly sweet natural products are marketed as sweeteners or flavoring agents in some countries as pure compounds, compound mixtures, or refined extracts. These highly sweet natural substances are reviewed herein.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.342-358
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences of food preference and nutrient intake of students between elementary school and middle school in the same area and to provide data for better school food service. The subjects were 486 students, third to sixth grade of 3 elementary schools and first to second grade of 1 middle school in Nam jeju gun, Jeju, and the survey was conducted during June 1999. Food preference was assessed using questionnaires and 24-hour food intake was assessed using dietary record method. Data of weight and height were obtained from annual physical examination conducted at schools in May 1999. All the variables were compared among 3 groups in each gender: third and fourth grade elementary school(ES3,4), fifth and sixth grade elementary school(ES5,6), and first and second grade middle school(MS1,2). The results were summarized as follows. The average height, weight and BMI for the 3th grade boys in elementary schools met the national averages, but those of the others are below the national averages. Although general pattern of food preference looked similar among groups, food preference scores were significantly different among groups in 38 kinds foods for boys, and 27 kinds of foods for girls. MS1,2 group showed significantly lower food preference scores for most of foods as compared to those of ES3,4 and ES5,6 in both genders. Students of higher grade took more starch foods such as instant noodle, stewed rice cake and snacks. Average energy intakes of all the groups except MS1,2 girls were lower than recommended dietary allowances(RDA), and average intakes of protein, vitamins B1 and C met RDA, but the other nutrients were taken less than RDA and especially the intakes of iron, calcium and vitamins B2 were poor. Most of nutrients taken by school food service meal provided a major proportion of intakes. In conclusion, students of middle school were more particular about their foods served at school food service and marked lower food preference score than elementary school children and more conscious about their weight and appearance. These points should be reflected in planning food service menu at middle school.