• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.248-259
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Adequate nutritional intake is essential for good health and well-being. We aimed to compare the nutrient intake from homemade meals, meals sourced externally ("eating out"), and meals from workplace foodservices, as well as the potential association between foodservices used and nutritional quality among adult Korean workers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional survey on the health and nutritional status of the Korean population. Data from 6,845 workers aged 20-64 years were included. A survey on dietary behavior and nutrition was conducted using the 24-h dietary recall method. Nutritional quality was examined using the index of nutritional quality (INQ) score. Higher INQ scores reflected poorer nutritional quality, with insufficient intake of a higher number of nutrients. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify the association between the foodservices used and INQ scores after adjusting for other covariates. RESULTS: We found that foodservice users exhibited a higher 1-day intake of total energy and macronutrients (all P < 0.05) and lower INQ scores (P < 0.01) than non-users. The INQ scores for total daily meals decreased with the frequency of foodservice use (P < 0.01). A significant association was observed between the non-use of foodservices and INQ scores (β = 0.29, P < 0.01) after adjusting for other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: The use of workplace foodservices contributed to higher dietary nutritional quality among workers. This study highlights the importance of expanding the scope of workplace foodservices to promote higher nutritional quality and healthy dietary habits among workers.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.240-251
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• 2012

Assessment regarding the nutritional status of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients is important because their nutritional status influences the outcome of disease. The purpose of this study investigated the dietary habits, dietary quality, and quality of life for Korean PD patients according to their nutritional status. Seventy PD patients were recruited from K University Hospital (KMC IRB#0918-07) from February 2010 to October 2011. To diagnose PD, the United Kingdom Parkinson's Society Brain Bank standards were used by a neurology physician. The participants were interviewed and assessed using various tools, including a general questionnaire, anthropometrics, questionnaires for dietary habits, dietary diversity score (DVS), dietary variety score (DVS), diet quality index-international (DQI-I), beck depression inventory (BDI), the Korean version of mini mental state examination (K-MMSE), and 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). The results of the study were as follows: 1) Most of the PD patients (69.0%) were at risk of malnutrition, and 8.5% and 22.5% of the subjects were malnourished and well-nourished, respectively. 2) Clinical symptoms (swallowing and chewing difficulties) were obvious, and the quality of diet (DDS, DVS, DQI-I) was low in the malnourished group (p < 0.01). 3) The malnourished group had significantly lower scores regarding SF-36 (quality of life) as well as that of cognitive function (p < 0.05). 4) The nutritional status of PD patients was significantly correlated with their depression (p < 0.05) and quality of life (p < 0.01). These results indicate that appropriate nutritional management will improve the nutritional status and quality of life as well as the cognitive function in Parkinson's disease patients.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.354-365
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• 2016

Objectives: Studies that reported the association between diet quality/nutritional intake status and mortality have rarely used long-term follow-up data in Asian countries, including Korea. This study investigated the association between the risk of mortality (all-cause and cause-specific) and the diet quality/nutritional intake status using follow-up 12-year mortality data from a nationally representative sample of South Koreans. Methods: 8,941 individuals who participated in 1998 and 2001 Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were linked to mortality data from death certificates. Of those individuals, 1,083 (12.1%) had died as of December, 2012. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the relative risks of mortality according to the level of diet quality and intakes of major nutrients. Indicators for diet quality index and nutritional intake status were assessed using MAR (mean adequacy ratio) and energy and protein intake level compared with the 2010 Korean DRI. Results: Higher diet quality/nutritional intake status were associated with lower mortality; the mortality risk (95% confidence interval) from all-cause of lowest MAR group vs highest was 1.66 (1.27 to 2.18) among ${\geq}30$ year old, and 1.98 (1.36 to 2.86) among 30~64 year old individuals. Those with below 75% of energy and protein intake of Korean DRI had higher mortality risks of all-cause mortality compared to the reference group. Diet quality/nutritional intake status was inversely associated with mortality from cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Conclusions: Poor Diet quality/nutritional intake status were associated with a higher risk of mortality from all-cause and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and cancer among South Korean adults.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.210-222
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• 2004

In recent years, the number and proportion of Korean elderly have grown rapidly, and elderly individuals show a disproportionate risk for poor nutritional status. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of sociodemographic background to nutrient intake of persons 65 years of age or older, living in 15 cities in Korea. Data on 1973 subjects (603 males, 1370 females), who participated in the Korean Elderly Nutrition Survey (2000), were analyzed. Their mean age was 72.3 years and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.2 kg/$m^2$. Basic sociodemographic data were obtained through personal interviews. The 98-item semi-food frequency questionnaire, developed and previously validated for Korean middle-aged and elderly subjects, was administered. “Percentage of subjects who consumed under 75％ Korean RDA,” “number of nutrients consumed below 75％ Korean RDA,” “mean nutrient adequacy ratio,” and “nutrient density” were used to determine nutritional status. Male elderly had better nutritional quality than female elderly. Nutritional quality decreased with age, especially in older elderly (over 75). Elderly who were underweight (BMI 〈 20 kg/$m^2$) showed poorer nutritional quality than those who were normal weight (BMI 20∼25 kg/$m^2$) and overweight (BMI $\geq$ 25 kg/$m^2$). Elderly who lived alone had significantly poorer nutritional quality than those who lived with a spouse, and/or with children. Lower education level and economic dependence also showed lower nutritional quality. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of specific sociodemographic factors on nutritional quality. For number of nutrients under 75％ RDA as a dependent variable, education level explained 4.8％ of the variance, followed by living status, age, body mass index, gender, and living expense support (Model $R^2$ = 0.091). For mean nutrient adequacy ratio as a dependent variable, model $R^2$ was 0.098. Therefore, sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, body mass index, living status, educational level, and economic status influenced elderly nutrition status. These results indicate that an elderly nutrition intervention should focus on subjects who are poorly educated, living alone, age 75 or older, and/or underweight.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7749-7755
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• 2013

Nutritional status and dietary intake play a significant role in the prognosis of breast cancer and may modify the progression of disease. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of nutritional status on the quality of life of Iranian breast cancer survivors. Cross-sectional data were collected for 100 Iranian breast cancer survivors, aged 32 to 61 years, attending the oncology outpatient clinic at Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. Nutritional status of subjects was assessed by anthropometric measurements, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and three non-consecutive 24-hour diet recalls. The European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life form (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used to assess quality of life. Ninety-four percent of the survivors were well-nourished, 6% were moderately malnourished or suspected of being malnourished while none were severely malnourished. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 86%. Overall, participants had an inadequate intake of vitamin D, E, iron and magnesium according to dietary reference intake (DRI) recommendations. Survivors with better nutritional status had better functioning scales and experienced fewer clinical symptoms. It appears important to provide educational and nutritional screening programs to improve cancer survivor quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.312-324
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• 2015

Purpose: This study addressed the relationship among nutritional risk, stress, and health related quality of life for older women with a foreign daughter-in-law. Methods: A descriptive research design was used for this study. The subjects of this study were 112 older women with a foreign daughter-in-law all of whom were over 65 years and living in D city. Personal interview was used for data collection. Nutritional risk, stress, and health related quality of life were measured using Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI), Family Inventor of Life Events and Changes (FILE), and Medical Outcome Study (MOS) Short-form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. Results: Older women with a foreign daughter-in-law showed negative correlation between quality of life related health and nutritional risk, stress and age, and positive correlation between Activities of Daily Living (ADL); 46% of variance in health related quality of life of older women with a foreign daughter-in-law was explained by nutritional risk, ADL, stress and occupation. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggested that specialized programs should be established to help in development of social relationship networks for older women who have a foreign daughter-in-law.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.876-888
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to compare the dietary patterns and behaviors of university students according to their type of residence. The subjects consisted of two thousand two hundred fifty students from Wonkwang University. They were divided into three groups : those who live in their family homes (393 men, 392 women) ; those who live in university dormitories (371 men, 401 women) : and those who live in houses with cooking facilities (345 men, 348 women). This cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. The nutrient intake data collected from a three-day recall were analyzed using the Computer Aided Nutritional Analysis Program and the diet quality was estimated using the Nutrient Adequacy Ratio, Mean Adequacy Ratio and Index of Nutritional Quality. The results showed that the mean daily intakes of calcium were lower than the Korean Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) in all groups. There was a significant difference in the nutrient intake, dietary quality and dietary behaviors of the three groups. The nutrients intake and dietary quality of the men were poorer than those of the women in all three groups. The subjects living in dormitories and houses with cooking facilities seemed to have lower levels of nutrient intake and dietary quality. However, the concern about nutrition and interest in health information was higher among those living in dormitories and houses with cooking facilities than among those living in their family homes. Male students living in houses with cooking facilities had more dietary problems than students living in their family homes or in dormitories possibly because they might have had a lower ability in meal management. These results suggest that the type of residence affects the nutrient intake levels, and dietary quality of university students in Iksan. Nutritional education is essential if university students are to practice optimal nutritional habits, including the eating of well-balanced diets and selecting of foods of high quality. Therefore, nutritional education for university students is needed so as to improve their health and a nutritional education program should be developed to meet the various needs of these students.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.505-516
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The association between nutritional status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is not fully understood. This study was conducted to understand the role of nutritional status on HRQoL among people with and without T2DM. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Structured survey and direct measurement of anthropometric data were conducted among people with and without T2DM. Nutritional status was measured with Mini Nutritional Assessment tool and HRQoL was measured with a 36-item Short Form Healthy Survey. Data collection was conducted in Chuncheon, South Korea with 756 participants who are older than 40 yrs of age. RESULTS: This study found that overall HRQoL were significantly lower in people with T2DM than people without T2DM after controlling for key covariates. When stratified by nutritional status, a greater degree of negative impact of T2DM on overall physical HRQoL was observed among well-nourished or at risk of malnutrition, whereas significant and more evident negative impact of diabetes on overall psychological HRQoL was observed only among malnourished. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest the role of nutritional status among people with T2DM on overall, especially psychological aspects of HRQoL. Future longitudinal or intervention studies are warranted to test the impact of nutritional status on HRQoL among people with T2DM.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.182-196
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• 1997

Physiological changes that affect nutrient absorption and utilization occur in older adults, and the collection of nutritional information is an important part of examining the nutrition and health issue. A nutritional survey using the 24-hour recall method was performed to identify nutritional quality and leading patterns of food group intake for protein, vitamin C, P and Fe were over 1, whereas those for vitamin A, $B_1$, $B_2$, niacin and Ca were below 1. The MAR(Mean Adequacy Ratio) was relatively low(0.75). The percentage of energy from carbohydrate, protein, and fat was 65.1, 15.6, and 19.5, respectively, thus the quantities of energy source were ideal. The Older subjects revealed poorer nutrition quality than the younger subjects did. The food group intake pattern of the elderly was not diverse, only 9% of them consumed all food groups in a day. These results suggest that nutritional guidelines for older Koreans should focus on the maintenance of adequate energy intake. In addition, selection of foods with high protein and calcium, such as dairy food, should be emphasized, particularly in the older elderly. Nutrition programs should target individuals at risk of not receiving enough nutrients, like the oldest elderly, and persons with lower education.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.105-120
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• 2022

Objectives: This study evaluated nutritional quality of convenience store meal boxes according to store company and meal price. Methods: In May 2020, 71 meal boxes from five major convenience store companies were collected. Respective weights of all dishes and food ingredients included in each meal box were measured with a digital scale. Information on nutritional contents was collected from nutrition fact panels on packages. Food group patterns, dietary diversity scores (DDS), and dietary variety scores (DVS) were analyzed. Nutritional contents, i.e., amounts of energy, protein, and sodium, and percentages of energy from carbohydrate, sugar, fat, and saturated fat were compared with respective standards based on the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. Comparison was made among five companies (Company A, B, C, D, E) and three price groups (≦ 4,200 won, ≧ 4,300 and ≦ 4,500 won, ≧ 4,600 won). Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the difference of nutritional contents according to company and price, respectively while holding the other variable constant. Results: DDS, but not DVS, significantly differed among companies. The percentages of meal boxes meeting the nutritional standards of sodium significantly differed among companies; the percentage was highest in companies B (75.0%) and C (73.3%). "Company" was associated with amount of energy, protein, and sodium, and percentage of energy from saturated fat. "Price" was associated with the amount of energy and percentage of energy from carbohydrate. The average number of satisfied standards was highest in companies B (5.0) and C (4.0). About two-thirds of the meal boxes provided less amount of energy than the standard; the percentage of such meal boxes was highest in meal boxes with price of 4,200 won or lower. Conclusions: There were significant differences in the nutritional quality of meal boxes according to "company". Meanwhile, higher-priced meal boxes did not necessarily ensure better nutritional quality.