• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.837-848
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• 2007

The literature suggested that a small reduction in overall blood pressure can have a large effect on overall prevalence of hypertension, and therefore, the affect of taste preferences of the population on salt intake should be considered for long-term blood pressure intervention programs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of salt taste preference and salt taste sensitivity on salt intake behavior as risk factors for high blood pressure. We collected information on blood pressure, diet and lifestyle behaviors, salt taste preference and salt taste sensitivity from 540 respondents from Suseo-dong, Seoul. Salt taste sensitivity was assessed by administering a 1% NaCl solution to the subject's tongue and measuring the perceived intensity on 10 level scale. Salt intake behavior was classified into 3 categories: frequency of high-sodium foods, practice of salt-reducing behavior and frequency of vegetable and fruit intake. Salt taste preference showed a significant relation to the subjects' blood pressure, i.e. subjects with a higher salt preference had higher blood pressure. Salt taste sensitivity did not show a significant relation to blood pressure. However, there was a positive correlation between salt taste preference and salt taste sensitivity. Among the 3 indicators used to measure salt intake behavior, the practice of salt-reducing behavior remained significantly correlated to blood pressure. Moreover, salt-reducing behavior and salt taste preference showed a significant correlation, i.e. people who do not like salty foods tend to practice more salt-reducing behavior, leading to reduced levels in blood pressure. In a population, a small reduction in overall blood pressure can have large effects in overall prevalence of hypertension, in contrast to clinical studies where achievement of an individual's normal blood pressure is emphasized. Therefore, taste preference of the population should be considered for long-term blood pressure intervention programs.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.540-552
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Hypertension is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of deaths in Korea. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a nutrition education in reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake in hypertensive adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Subjects who participated in this study were 88 adults (28 males and 60 females) who were pre-hypertension or untreated hypertensive patients aged ≥ 30 yrs in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. These subjects were divided into 2 groups: a lowsodium education (LS) group and a low-sodium high-potassium education (LSHP) group. Nutrition education of 3 sessions for 12 weeks was conducted. Blood pressure, blood and urine components, nutrient intake, and dietary behavior were compared between the two education groups. RESULT: Blood pressure was decreased in both groups after the nutrition education (P < 0.05). In the LSHP group, levels of blood glucose (P < 0.05), total cholesterol (P < 0.01), and lowdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol (P < 0.05) were decreased after the program completion. Sodium intake was decreased in both groups after the nutrition education (P < 0.05). However, Na/K ratio was only decreased in the LS group (P < 0.05). Intake frequency of fish & shellfish was only significantly reduced in the LS group (P < 0.05), while intake frequencies of cooked rice, noodles & dumplings, breads & snacks, stew, kimchi, and fish & shellfish were reduced in the LSHP group (P < 0.05). Total score of dietary behavior appeared to be effectively decreased in both groups after the education program (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This education for reducing sodium intake was effective in reducing blood pressure and sodium intake. The education for enhancing potassium intake resulted in positive changes in blood glucose and serum cholesterol levels.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

This study was performed to understand recognition and behaviors related to sodium intake of Korean adults. The data were collected from subjects including 267 male and 285 female adults in nationwide and compared by gender and by age. We found that the male group showed significantly higher smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise does the female group. The older group (40 to 59 years) revealed significantly higher exercise and lower alcohol drinking; however general disease and hypertension prevalence, diet therapy practice, and meditation for hypertension were higher. Recognizing sodium levels of foods containing high-sodium, and sodium-nutriture labels when purchasing foods, and knowing differences between salt and sodium of the male group or recognizing sodium levels of foods containing high-sodium of the older group was worse than the other. Among the 32 food behaviors, only 12 were identified as significantly correlated to sodium intake levels including behaviors of preferring Chinese and Japanese foods to Western foods, preferring kimchi to raw vegetables, completely consuming soup, stew, noodle liquid, liking of dried fish and salted mackerel, frequent eat-outs or delivered foods, and so forth. There were significant differences between gender or age groups in terms of sodium intake-increasing behaviors; the male group showed higher behaviors of preferring salty taste and eating all broths. And the older group revealed higher behavior of adding table salt as well as the previous two, however, the younger group showed more behaviors of eat-outs or delivered foods and not the liquid of kimchi.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.141-159
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether a mobile health (mhealth) intervention is effective in reducing weight and changing dietary behavior among employees with overweight and obesity. The study also investigated whether engagement with the intervention affected its effectiveness. Methods: The intervention involved the use of a dietary coaching app, a wearable device for monitoring physical activity and body composition, and a messenger app for communicating with participants and an intervention manager. A total of 235 employees were recruited for a 12-week intervention from eight workplaces in Korea. Questionnaire surveys, anthropometric measurements, and 24-h dietary recalls were conducted at baseline and after the intervention. Results: After the intervention, significant decreases in the mean body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist circumference were observed. Furthermore, the consumption frequencies of multigrain rice and legumes significantly increased, whereas those of pork belly, instant noodles, processed meat, carbonated beverages, and fast food significantly decreased compared with those at baseline. The mean dietary intake of energy and most nutrients also decreased after the intervention. When the participants were categorized into three groups according to their engagement level, significant differences in anthropometric data, dietary behaviors, and energy intake were observed following the intervention, although there were no differences at baseline, indicating that higher engagement level led to greater improvements in weight loss and dietary behavior. Conclusions: The intervention had positive effects on weight loss and dietary behavior changes, particularly among employees with higher engagement levels. These results indicate the importance of increasing the level of engagement in the intervention to enhance its effectiveness. The mhealth intervention is a promising model for health promotion for busy workers with limited time.