• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

This study was performed to investigate factors affecting sensitivity and preference for salty tastes of Korean adult females. Sensitivity and preference for salty tastes were determined as detection threshold concentration of NaCl solution and the optimally-preferred NaCl concentration of the bean sprout soup, respectively. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain the information regarding general characteristics, self diagnosis of stress, health-related lifestyle practices, dietary habits and food preferences. Dietary intake using 24-hours recall and blood pressure were measured. Salty taste detection thresholds and optimally-preferred NaCl concentrations were 0.0197% and 0.357%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the optimally-preferred salt concentration and age, despite no significant correlation between either sensitivity or preference for salty taste and sodium intake, which was 3,605mg/day. Those who had bread or cereal with milk as breakfast instead of a traditional Korean meal and those who preferred jjigae to soup had significantly higher NaCl preferences for bean sprout soup. Going to bed after midnight and skipping meals (${\geq}3/week$) decreased salty taste sensitivity without reaching statistical significance. Self awareness of one's own health, recent weight changes, family history of hypertension, sleep quality, getting-up time, rate of eating and other food preferences did not affect either perception. Stress level, TV watching, BMI and sodium intake did not have significant correlation to sensitivity or preference. Further research including a large number of well-controlled subjects and more accurate measurement of sodium intake should be directed to find other factors affecting salt preference and sensitivity in order to decrease Na intake and related diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.107-118
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• 1998

A nutrition education program for teachers and caregivers of the preschool children can be most effective when it is based on a comprehensive needs assessment dealing with sociodemographic factors, dietary habits, and nutrition. The purpose of the present study was to investigate current dietary habits and nutrition knowledge of the teachers and caregivers of the day-care centers. Two hundred forty two teachers and caregivers were administered a questionnaire which was designed to ascertain informations on sociodemographic data, dietary habits and nutrition knowledge. Dietary habits of the teachers were found to be significantly different by sociodemographic variables; breakfast skipping/meal irregularities (age, p=0.011); frequency of snacking (education level p=0.031); preference for salty taste(age, p = 0.000, marital status p=0.038); preference for sweet tarte (age p=0.009); preference for vegetables (income level p=0.050); frequency of eating out (age p=0.028, marital status p=0.001); frequency of coffee drinking (age p=0.019). Daycare center teachers' nutrition knowledge level was found to be less than adequate expecially on nutrients that are liable to be deficient in young growing children and their food sources. Proportions of the teachers who answered correctly to the questions on foods rich in vitamin A, iron content of milk, bioavailability of calcium in plant foods were as low as 20.2%-54.5%. The most frequently used sources of nutrition information were mass media such as TV, radio, newspaper and magazines. Only 2.9% of the subjects reported that they obtain nutrition information from health professionals such as nutritionists/dietitians, physicians, and nurses. These findings are applicable at the planning and implementation stages of various nutrition programs for the improvement of dietary habits and nutrition knowledge of the teachers and caregivers of the daycare centers. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of teachers' dietary of habits and nutrition knowledge on food habits of young growing children.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.437-445
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, dietary behaviors, smartphone usage-related dietary habits, and health-related lifestyles of higher grade students in elementary school according to risk level of smartphone overdependence. Subjects were 286 fifth and sixth grade students of elementary school in the Siheung and Ansan areas. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS v. 20.0. Based on scores of S-scale (smartphone overdependence scale for adolescents), subjects who used smartphone were classified into an overdependence group (ODG, n=52) and a normal group (NG, n=234). The ODG showed a significantly longer usage time than NG on both weekdays and weekends (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in total scores of nutrition knowledge between the ODG and NG. Average total scores of dietary attitude and dietary behavior in the ODG were significantly lower than in the NG (p<0.001). There were higher risks of ODG for skipping meals (OR=8.3, 95% CI=4.027-17.099), changing eating speed (OR=4.4, 95% CI=2.209-8.822), and changing meal amount due to smartphone usage (OR=2.9 95% CI=1.233-6.623). Therefore, education programs are needed to ensure proper dietary behaviors and habits among smartphone overdependent elementary school students.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.511-523
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• 2013

This research involved a survey on the dietary patterns of children and adolescents living in group homes, to find out their wrong eating habits and to devise measures for correcting their problems. The BMIs of the subject children and adolescents in group homes were measured, and the result showed that although many of them appeared to have normal weights, about 42.2% were actually underweight. Most of them had meals regularly, three times a day at fixed times. However, half of them frequently skipped breakfast because of the lack of time in the morning. In addition, more than half of them had the habit of having imbalanced diets, especially with low vegetable intake. The score for their satisfaction toward meals at group homes were highest (3.97) with the taste of food, while it was relatively lower (3.61) with the variety of food than with the other items. The average score for their snack intake was 3.47, showing that the majority of them had the habit of eating snacks, while the largest portion (26.0%) of them preferred bread and cookies. According to the result of the analysis on their food intake, overall calorie intake was about 82~96% of estimated energy requirements, while that of the male subjects aged 12 or older was about 82% of the standard energy requirements. Their overall intake of calcium and potassium was lower than recommended nutrition intake, but sodium intake was higher than 3 times recommended intake. Especially, in addition to calcium and potassium, the male subjects aged 15 or older showed low intake of dietary fiber, iron, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C and folate also; whereas the female subjects aged 15 or older showed low intake of iron, zinc, riboflavin and folate also. Taken together, it was concluded that government level of dietary life-related support and management would be necessary for the healthy growth and development of children and adolescents in group homes.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.332-343
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• 2016

Objectives: Study purpose was to investigate perception on diet, diet problems and related factors among young adult women using focus group interviews (FGI) based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods: Eight groups of FGI were conducted with 47 female undergraduate or graduate students. Guide for FGI included questions regarding perception on optimal diet, diet problems and cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors of SCT. FGI were video, audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed by themes and sub-themes. Results: Subjects showed irregular eating habits (skipping breakfast, irregular meal time) and selection of unhealthy foods as the main diet problems. Regarding cognitive factors related to optimal diet, subjects mentioned positive outcome expectations (e.g., health promotion, skin health, improvement in eating habits, etc.) and negative outcome expectations (e.g., annoying, hungry, expensive, taste). Factors that promoted optimal diet were mainly received from information from mobile or internet and access to menu or recipes. Factors that prevented optimal diet included influence from friends, lack of time and cooking skills. Behavioral factors for optimal diet included behavioral capability regarding snacks, healthy eating and smart food selection. Subjects mentioned mass media (mobile, internet, TV) as the influential physical environment, and significant others (parents, friends, grandparents) as the influential social environment in optimal diet. For education topics, subjects wanted to learn about healthy meals, basic nutrition, disease and nutrition, and weight control. They wanted to learn those aspects by using mobile or internet, lectures (cooking classes), campaign and events. Conclusions: Study results might be used for planning education regarding optimal diet for young adult women. Education programs need to focus on increasing positive outcome expectations (e.g., health) and behavioral capability for healthy eating and food selection, reducing negative outcome expectations (e.g., cost, taste) and barriers, making supportive environments for optimal diet, and incorporating topics and methods found in this study.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.467-477
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• 2013

This study examined the health-related factors and nutritional status of 89 single women workers in their 20's who work night and day shift at the take-out coffee shops and the 89 single women office workers. The results of the study are summarized as follows: The shift-workers showed lower rate of office tenure (p < 0.001), income (p < 0.001), job satisfaction (p < 0.05), weight (p < 0.05), and higher rate of weight change (p < 0.001) than the non shift-workers. The shift-workers showed lower rate of of exercise (p < 0.001), sleeping hours (p < 0.01), and good health condition (p < 0.01), and higher rates of smoking (p < 0.001), presence of disease (p < 0.001), gastric and intestinal illnesses (p < 0.001) than the non shift-workers. More than 88.8% of the shift workers answered that they ate alone (p < 0.001). The shift workers showed lower rate of regularity of meal (p < 0.001), balanced diet (p < 0.001), and mealtime (p < 0.001), and higher rate of skipping breakfast (p < 0.001), consumption of salty and spicy food (p < 0.001), and overeating (p < 0.01) than the non shift-workers. The shift workers consumed (p < 0.001) less frequently rice, soup and side dishes, and more frequently noodles and snack, bread than the non-shift-workers. The shift workers showed lower rate of consumption of beer (p < 0.01), and higher rate of consumption of coffee (p < 0.001), tea (p < 0.01) and soju (p < 0.001) in once a week or more intakes than the non-shift-workers. The shift workers showed higher rate of consumption of carbohydrates (p < 0.05), and calcium (p < 0.05) and lower rate of consumption of protein (p < 0.05), fiber (p < 0.05), vitamin C (p < 0.05), and folate (p < 0.05) intakes than the non-shift-workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.390-405
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the actual conditions underlying frequency of eating breakfast and nutritional attitudes in elementary school students in Chungnam area. Students had the highest ratio for eating breakfast everyday and spent 10-20 minutes eating breakfast. Students went to bed at 10-11 PM and woke up at 7-7:30 AM in the morning on average. The biggest reason for skipping breakfast was insufficient time in the morning. Additionally, favorite breakfast menu of subjects was a Korean style meal. The number of elementary students that recognized necessity of nutritional education was highest among subjects. Favorite educational method of subjects was education by teachers. Additionally, number of female students that recognized effect of breakfast on health status was significantly higher than boy students. Ratio of eating breakfast everyday was dependent on BMI value. Most subjects preferred video learning materials as the main nutritional education method. Overweight subjects showed the highest ratio for eating with loss of willpower compared to other students when they skipped the breakfast. Female subjects ate a greater variety of foods compared to male students, and showed better nutritional attitudes towards a desirable dietary life than male subjects. To prevent undesirable food habits and improve intake of various nutrients, systematic nutrition education is required to regulate breakfast of elementary students.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.369-382
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to provide the fundamental information on satisfaction for school food service and dietary habits of middle school students in Sejong Special Self-Governing City. Generally, the subjects had a high satisfaction level for school food service. The boys had comparatively more satisfactory days for school food service than the girls. The most dissatisfactory factors of school food service were the taste and variety of menu for the girls, and the time and place for lunch and the service of employee for the boys. The intersexual differences existed with a significant difference in the irregular intake of meals, the reasons to skip meals, and the eating speed. For the boys, the main reason to skip meals was due to lack of appetite, and for the girls, it was the weight-control. The boys finished each meal within 5~10 min and ate more than the amount the girls eat in general. The main components of breakfast for the subjects were a cooked rice, soup, and side dish in 65.9%, and the frequency of skipping breakfast was high with 32.8%, which was once per week. The favorite snacks for the middle school students were cookies and beverages in 29.4%, instant foods in 24.3%, and hamburger and pizza in 21.4%. The intake frequency of snacks was once or twice per week in 46.5% of the subjects. In addition, the subjects had a very high intake frequency of fastfoods with once or twice per week in 72.7%, and the most favorite fastfood was ramen in 57.7%. The subjects in 45.3% took dairy food every day. In conclusion, the middle school students need nutrition education to improve their eating habit and to increase the frequency of breakfast.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.542-550
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• 2004

This study was aimed for examining the changes of eating habit and behavior according to the degree of stress of elementary school students. It was tried to identify their daily stress levels and their relevances with the changes of their eating habits and behaviosr. The subjects were 500 students from fifth and sixth grades in three elementary schools in Seoul. The students surveyed showed to get moderately stressed in general. The stress level of girls were higher than that of boys(p<0.001) in the individual area. The breakfast ratio of the low stressed group(LS) marked higher(p<0.001) than those of both the middle-(MS) and highly-stressed group(HS). In other words, the LS group had regular breakfast. The main reason why they were skipping breakfast was lack of time. The amount of a meal in the HS group was noticeably bigger than the other two groups(p<0.05) and the amount of salt and spices used was higher(p<0.01). The amount of food taken when they got stressed was increased remarkably higher in the HS group and students in that group had snacks as the way of relieving the stress. The HS group displayed higher ratio of the unbalanced diet habit. There were noticeable differences in the eating habit and behavior, i.e. the amount of meals, of salt used and whether eating breakfast or not, in accordance of the levels of stress.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.695-705
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• 2004

The risks of the metabolic syndrome (MS) is known to be related to the dietary behavior. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between the relative risks of MS and the dietary habit and to provide the ideal dietary habits for prevention of chronic disease of the middle-aged. Healthy subjects aged 40-64 years (male n=122, female n=173) were recruited throughout Seoul area. MS was defined according to NCEP-ATP III criteria except central obesity, and Asia-Pacific Area criteria for central obesity (2000) was adapted. Subjects were stratified into 3 groups according to the number of total risk factors:'MS group' was defined as the subjects who have three or more risk factors, 'Risk group' was defined as ones to have one or two risk factors, and 'Healthy group' defined as ones with no risk factor. In this study, 'Health group' comprised of $40.7\%$, the percentage of 'Risk group' was $49.0\%$, and the 'MS group' was $9.5\%$ of the total subjects. The MS incidence was associated with low education (p<0.001), low economic status (p<0.05), and low self-assessed health recognition (p<0.05). The risk of MS increased with adverse life styles such as cigarette smoking (p<0.05), irregular meal time (p<0.05), skipping lunch (p<0.05), low interests in balanced diet (p<0.05), and higher salt intake (p<0.01). Healthy group self-evaluated nutritional knowledge more highly (p<0.05) and scored higher nutritional knowledge (p<0.001). However, there was no difference in overall nutritional behavior among the three groups, which implies that nutritional education method should be developed for the subjects to practice their teaming efficiently.