• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2009

This study was aimed to examine nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, and eating habits of elementary school students and to examine if their characteristics differ by gender. Subjects were 5th and 6th graders of an elementary school (n = 317) in Seoul, and the survey was done during July 2007. Mean height, weight, BMI of subjects was 148.1 cm. 41.7 kg, 19.0, and 14.3% of subjects were categorized as the overweight/obese group. Anthropometric data were not significantly different by gender. Mean score of nutrition knowledge was 14.9 out of 20 showing moderate knowledge levels, and girls scored higher on nutrition knowledge than boys (p < 0.05). Subjects showed knowledge deficit in areas such as nutrients, food groups and specific weight control information. The percentages of correct answers regarding meals for brain function were significantly higher in girls than in boys (p < 0.05). They got nutrition information mainly from mass media and family/relatives. The mean score of dietary attitudes was 41.2 (possible score: 10-50) indicating somewhat positive attitudes, and the score of eating behaviors was 34.8 (possible score: 15-45). Subjects showed problems in eating habits such as having unbalanced diets and snack foods. 82.6% of subjects had unbalanced meals, and these percentages were higher in girls (87.2%) than in boys (78.1%, p < 0.05). Vegetables and fish/shellfish were the most disliked foods. Specific eating behaviors, such as eating slowly, eating grains and having processed foods less frequently, were better in girls than in boys (p < 0.05). Results also showed that majority of subjects need to improve specific behaviors including having diverse foods, eating meals slowly, having meals at regular times, having adequate foods in each food groups, and eating sweets or salty foods less frequently. Only 52.7% of subjects perceived their body images as normal, and 56.4% had experience of weight control. Reasons for weight control were different by gender (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, nutrition education for school children should focus on modifying eating habits or eating behaviors, by suggesting practically applicable methods and providing nutrition information that is interesting and suitable to school-aged children.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.31-48
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• 2003

Objectives: This study evaluated the status of Health-related Behavior in residents from rural areas. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 1,754 people (men; 633 persons, women; 1,121 persons) in rural areas aged over 30 years and under 80 years in Buk-myeon, Uljin-gun and Gigye-myeon, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do in 2001 and 2002. Methods: The collected data was analyzed using a chi-square test after an age-adjusted and a chi-square trend test. The data was analyzed using a SPSS/win ver. 10.0. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of the individual unhealthy behavior according to sex was 56.1% in men and 6.8% in women with regard to smoking; 65.4% and 21.6% with regard to drinking; 72.6% and 76.6% with regard to non-exercise on a regular basis; 23.3% and 28.2 with regard to an obese body mass index; 61.5% and 71.1% with regard to non-scaling in the dental service. The rate of alcohol and tobacco consumption increased with increasing age in both men and women (p<0.01). The age-adjusted proportion in the non-screening examination for stomach cancer according to sex was 49.3% in men and 51.4% in women; 64.0% and 70.7% in liver cancer; 88.9% and 87.5% in colon cancer; 58.3% and 59.1% in undergoing a medical health screening. Conclusions: It is essential for health educators to promote Health-related Behavior in residents in rural areas. In addition, it is expected that the health status of residents in rural areas will improve through efforts to encourage them to take more interest in a healthier lifestyle.

• Korean Public Health Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.87-97
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• 2018

Background: Recently, the prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ${\geq}25kg/m^2$) has been increasing rapidly worldwide over a short period. In Korea, the prevalence of obesity has also increased rapidly due to the rapid socio-economic development and lifestyle changes, with differing patterns according to gender. This study aimed to compare the change in obesity prevalence according to gender among the adult population in Korea using representative data, the National Health Check-up Database (NHCD), to follow-up individuals who had undergone checkups during both years in Korea (2011~2013). Methods: To analyze the changes in obesity prevalence in the recent two years, data regarding men and women who had undergone health check-ups in both two years (2011, 2013) were extracted. The final study population comprised 144,934 persons: 83,604 (58%) males and 61,330 (42%) females. Chi-square test within a univariate analysis, and the level of factor difference was verified with t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple comparison. Results: In 2011, one out of three participants was obese (BMI ${\geq}25kg/m^2$; male, 37.7%; female, 27.3%) and more than half of the subjects were overweight (BMI ${\geq}23kg/m^2$; male, 65.6%; female, 50.4%) requiring obesity management. For the two years, the BMI of the participants significantly increased (p < .0001) and the prevalence of obesity increased among both males and females. The prevalence of obesity was higher among both genders with a longer duration of smoking, more smoking, family history of hypertension, and family history of diabetes. However, residence, income level, drinking status, psychiatric disorder, disability status and severity of disability were the opposite gender. Conclusion: In the analysis of data, the prevalence of obesity among both men and women was increasing. The degree of change in the prevalence of obesity among men and women was different in each variable. Thus, it will need to consider gender in developing health policies for obesity mediation and to provide integrated healthcare and management for those people.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.667-682
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the changes in health behavior, mental health, and nutritional status of Korean adolescents before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. Methods: A total of 800 adolescents (12~18 years old) who participated in the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were included as study subjects and divided into four groups (204 middle school boys, 172 middle school girls, 219 high school boys, and 205 high school girls). The 2019 and 2020 KNHANES data were classified into data collected before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, respectively. Results: After the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, middle school boys showed an increased tendency toward becoming overweight and obese, with significantly increased levels of diastolic blood pressure and insulin. While there was no major change in the subjective health status among adolescents, the high school boys showed a significantly decreased physical activity after COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, the proportion of middle school students feeling a little stressed significantly increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. The rate of skipping breakfast significantly increased in middle school girls, but the rate of having lunch with companions significantly increased among all adolescents after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the intake of milk, vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, and pulses significantly decreased, although the intake of sugars, beverages, and seasonings significantly decreased as well, during this period. These changes may lead to an increased proportion of adolescents with insufficient intake of nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and riboflavin. Conclusion: These results highlight the impact of COVID-19 on comprehensive changes in physical and mental health status, lifestyle behavior, and nutritional status in adolescents, suggesting the need for targeted prevention and intervention for physical and mental well-being during the pandemic.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.516-523
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise and/or L-arginine on abdominal fat, IGF-1 on GH/IGF-1 axis, fibrinogen, and PAI-1 in aged and obese rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a D-galactose aging inducing agent (50 mg/kg) given intraperitoneally for 12 weeks. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated and divided into four groups: aging-high fat diet group (AG+HF), AG+HF with L-arginine intake group (AG+LA), AG+HF with exercise group (AG+EX), and AG+EX with L-arginine intake group (AG+LA+EX). The experimental rats underwent treadmill training (60 min/day, 6 days/week at 0% gradient) for 12 weeks. L-arginine was given orally (150 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks. After the experiment, blood was collected from the left ventricle and abdominal fat was extracted. The results showed that GH was significantly increased in AG+EX and AG+AL+EX. IGF-1 was significantly increased in both the AG+AL+EX and AG+EX group ($p$<0.05), while fibrinogen and PAI-1 were not significantly different among the groups. Abdominal fat was significantly decreased in the AG+LA, AG+EX, and AG+LA+EX groups ($p$<0.05) compared with the AG+HF group. In conclusion, this study suggests that exercise alone or L-arginine alone or a combination not only increases the GH and IGF-1 concentration, but also decreases the abdominal fat mass.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.381-389
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examined the relationships among serum ferritin, vitamin D, folate, iron, and vitamin B₁₂ as indicators of obesity. The results provide the basic data for the prevention and treatment of obese and severely obese people. Methods: This study selected 44 people from 18 years of age or older to 59 years. This study used the indicators of the body mass index (BMI) to analyze obesity as the obesity group (BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/㎡) and as the severe obesity group (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/㎡). Of the 44 subjects, 23 and 21 subjects were in the obesity and severe obesity groups, respectively. Their height, weight, body fat, skeletal muscle mass measured using bioimpedance analysis, and measured serum nutrients and biochemical parameters. Results: The obesity group showed a significantly lower age, body weight, BMI and body composition, body fat mass, and body fat percentage, and the height was significantly lower in the severe obesity group. The results of the biochemical parameters of the subjects showed that the levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, and triglyceride were within the normal range, and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. The levels of folate, vitamin B₁₂, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, iron, and ferritin were almost normal, and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. Conclusion: This study revealed an association with the serum nutrients and obesity, but there was no difference between the obesity group and severe obesity group. Observations of the nutrient levels in not only the blood in obesity and severe obesity but also in red blood cells and tissues will be necessary.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.68-77
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• 2012

Flavan-3-ols are a subclass of flavonoids found in a variety of foods including teas. The effects of flavan-3-ols on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have been investigated, generally focusing on tea catechins or individual flavan-3-ol rich foods, but there is little information on dietary flavan-3-ols intake and risk of MetS in population-based studies. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between dietary flavan-3-ols intake and the risk of MetS in Korean adults. Subjects comprised 1,827 men and 2,918 women aged 20-69 years whose data was included in the 2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This survey was conducted between January 2008 and December 2008. Total flavan-3-ols intakes were calculated from 24-hour dietary recalls using a flavonoids database. Thirty percent of the male subjects and 24% of the female subjects were reported as having MetS. In the female subjects, flavan3-ols intake was inversely associated with the risk of MetS after adjusting for potential confounders (5th vs. 1st quintile, OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.45-0.91, P for trend=0.384). The main food source of flavan-3-ols was green tea followed by apples and grapes. Among MetS components, flavan-3-ols intake was inversely associated with the risk of high blood pressure after adjusting for potential confounders (5th vs. 1st quintile, OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.45-0.90, P for trend=0.005). No significant association between flavan-3-ols intake and risk of MetS was found in the male subjects. After stratified analysis by obesity (BMI ${\geq}$ 25 or BMI < 25), however, flavan3-ols intake was inversely related to the risk of hypertension in non-obese men. These results suggest that dietary flavan-3-ols intake may have beneficial effects on MetS risk by reducing the risk of hypertension. The effects of flavan-3-ols intake dependent on obesity need further investigation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2011

Background: There is very limited data present on smoking cessation rates in outpatient departments of pulmonology. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a brief smoking cessation intervention program in an outpatient department of pulmonology and identify predictors of smoking cessation failure. Methods: After a brief recommendation of smoking cessation from pulmonologists, smokers willing to quit smoking were given individual counseling and supplement drugs. Fifty smokers were included in this study and baseline characteristics, smoking history and success rate were reviewed at 3 months. Results: The mean age of the patients was $58.3{\pm}14.6$ years and the total group of patients included 3 women. The rate of smoking cessation success was 74% at 3 months, and there were no differences in age, spirometric indexes and associated diseases between the smoking cessation success and failure group. The rate of supplement drug usage was not different in both groups either. However, body weight, mean number of cigarette usage per day and nicotine dependence scores in the failure group were significantly higher than in the success group. In multivariate analysis, body weight and mean number of cigarette usage per day were significant. Two smokers with a depressive disorder failed the smoking cessation. Conclusion: A smoking cessation intervention program in the outpatient department of pulmonology showed a favorable success rate. More intensive interventions are needed to unfavorable groups which include the obese and heavy smokers.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.895-908
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to examine female baby boomers' dietary habits and their attitudes together with their needs for future perspectives of dietary life. Our aim is to use these findings as a basic data when forecasting for food-related industries or policy making. A survey is being carried out for a total of 358 female baby boomers and analyzed by SPSS 12.0. The following is a summary of this study. The average age is 52.6 years old, most of them graduated from highschool (63.1%) and had a nuclear type of family (76.1%). Only 39.0% is composed of housewives, others had either full-time or part-time jobs. Self-assessment of stress is not so high and only 8.1% are dissatisfied with their lives. 38.2% are either overweight or obese in terms of BMI, and most of them are non-smokers (97.2%) or non-drinkers (63.0%). Their mean dietary habit scores are $70.6{\pm}11.8$, and the scores show significant relations with their education levels (p<0.01), monthly income (p<0.01), life satisfaction rates (p<0.001), stress levels (p<0.001), smoking habits (p<0.05), drinking habits (p<0.05), regular exercises (p<0.001) and regular health check-ups (p<0.05). The rate of skipping breakfast, lunch and dinner are 18.2%, 1.1%, 5.2% respectively. The main reason for skipping breakfast is the 'lack of time'. With regards to the frequency of grocery shopping, almost half of the subjects (55.7%) said '1~2 times per week' and bought mainly raw food sources such as vegetables, fruits, and meats. The majority of the subjects (91.3%) report that they cooked meals at homes, and took about 1 hour of time. The subjects also point out that cooking was a bothering task, and only 46.4% would prepare meals at home, while others would rather eat out or eat convenience foods. The main reasons for not wanting meal services in the elderly welfare facility are because they didn't want to live such places (48.4%) and the meals are tasteless (31.3%). As for delivery meal services, 60.1% are aware of it, and 39.9% would consider using it in the future. Factors to be considered when using the delivery meal service are sanitation (43.7%), nutrition (28.7%), taste (18.4%), price (6.3%), and brand name (2.9%). This study is expected to be used as useful information when developing food-related strategies for baby boomers in the future.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.73-87
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• 2011

Objectives: This study is to investigate life style and weight control based on the body mass index, and tongue diagnosis in adolescent girls. Help controling unnecessary weight and establishing proper understanding of desirable body images and healthy life for adolescents are expected. Methods: The questionnaire surveys and physical examinations were conducted to examine the life style, weight-control behaviors, and the health status of 173 adolescent girls in Jeonju. Among the students surveyed, 162 answered seriously and were accepted as subjects for the study. Results: 1. The mean height was 160.4 cm and weight was 54.21 kg. The mean BMI of the girls was 21.1 kg/m2, which is normal. The percentages of the normal weight group (71.6%), overweight group (16.7%), obesity group (9.9%), underweight group (1.9%) were shown respectively. 2. The oriental medicine doctor examined the tongue diagnosis. The thin and white tongue fur was the most common (20.7%). This diagnosis showed no statistical significance to BMI. 3. The ideal height for the girls was 165 cm, and the ideal weight was 49 kg. 4. A considerable number of girls (50.6%) thought that a thin body figure was the most beautiful body shape for the women. 5. Even though the percentages of an actual overweight or obese group were 26.6%, 42.0% of the girls thought that they were plump. 6. 94.83% of the normal weight group concerned about the weight regulation. 7. Many girls were dissatisfied with their own body shape, and 86.9% of girls regarded being in a shape was important. 70.69% of the normal weight group answered that they were under stress of their body shapes. Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that there are serious misconceptions on body shapes of the adolescent girls, and mostly, unnecessary and inadequate weight control behaviors were done. Therefore, establishing adequately education on their desirable body images and healthy life is needed for the adolescent girls. In this study, there is no significant relationship between BMI and tongue diagnosis. For the number of subjects is not enough, further study on the relationship between the two is expected.