• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.375-386
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• 2017

Objectives: Rapid economic growth and industrial development in South Korea have led to a great change in dietary patterns, and the use of convenience foods has continuously increased. This study was performed to evaluate the energy and nutrient contents of convenience foods at convenience stores near the universities as a meal. Methods: Data was collected by visiting 22 convenience stores near some universities in Chungbuk and Seoul and by checking nutrition labels on convenience foods at the stores. Data of a total of 338 food items were collected, and divided into five groups according to the food categories; rice products (n=156), noodles (n=101), burger/sandwiches (n=62), Tteokbokkis (n=11), and dumplings (n=8). Further, rice products, noodles, and burger/sandwiches were divided into subcategories. Results: The proportion of calories from carbohydrates was high in the rice products and tteokbokki, while the rate of calories from fat was high in burger/sandwiches and dumplings. Among the rice products, the proportion of carbohydrate calories was high in a one-dish food, rice with soup, and triangular kimbap, while the proportion of calories from fat in lunch boxes was high. In the noodles category, ramyeon and spaghetti had a high percentage of fat calories, while udong had a high percentage of carbohydrate calories. The ratio of the calorie content in relation to the KDRIs for adults aged 19-29 years, lunch boxes provided about 1/3 of daily required energy. However, the amount of calories as one meal was not enough for other types of rice products except for lunch boxes. Ramyeon was high in calories, fat, and sodium, but low in protein content. The burger/sandwiches had a high percentage of fat and sodium. Conclusions: Our results showed several nutritional limitations of convenience meals in convenience stores according to the type of food. Therefore, college students should limit excessive intake of convenience meals on a regular basis in order to avoid unhealthy food intake patterns. Our results demonstrate the need for educating college students with regard to checking nutrition labels when choosing convenience meals in order to facilitate the selection of food items that contribute to a balanced diet.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.585-591
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• 2006

The amount of sodium in the processed foods was evaluated by the information on the nutrition label. One-meal type foods as Ramen, Woodong, Naengmyon provide the most sodium reaching 30 - 70% DV per serving size. In Ramen not much difference was observed for the sodium content by food companies though each company provides various amount of sodium reducing as much as 25% DV. The proportion of female college students who read the nutrition information reached 62% but it remained 32% on the sodium information. They purchase low sodium foods rarely however their intention to buy low sodium foods increased up to 40% in condition that sodium information is given on the food label. Nevertheless 50% of them would not buy low sodium food if the taste is undesirable. Low sodium ramen cooked with 80% soup-base was acceptable by the subjects. Majority of them responded the soup was rather salty indicating the reduction of sodium in ramyeon is possible.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.543-552
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• 2019

Indonesia has the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. This study was conducted to understand Indonesian food consumers, and to provide the marketing implications for food exporting companies in Korea. An online survey was conducted on 795 local consumers in Indonesia and the study analyzed their preference for Korean food and Korean culture. Then this study identified the relationship of these variables and consumers' intention to purchase Korean food. The results of this study were as follows. First, Indonesian consumers had a strong preference for Ramyeon, noodles, snacks and kimchi among Korean foods. Second, the preference for Korean culture was high in a descending order of Korean dramas, cosmetics, songs and news. Third, both Korean food and Korean culture preferences showed significant differences depending on gender, age and the frequency of eating out. Lastly, analysis of the relationships among the variables showed that there is a positive relationship between Korean food preferences and Korean food purchase intentions. Further, the consumers' Korean culture preference had a mediating effect within this relationship. The results of this study imply that marketers in Korea food companies need to consider the consumers' preference for Korean food and Korean culture when they build proper strategies for exporting Korean foods to Indonesia.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.55-70
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper aims to examines the various factors influencing the purchase decisions of Malaysian consumers for halal food and based on this analysis, to present some measures by which Korea's food industry could expand exports to the Malaysian market. Design/methodology - This research used SPSS 12.0 for descriptive analysis, ANOVA, t-tests, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and reliability analysis based on a total of 571 responses were included as the final data in the 600 surveys administered. Findings - Malaysian consumers had high trust and confidence in products that had obtained halal certifications. This reflects the cultural situation where 61% of the Malaysian population consist of Muslims. In terms of the consumption of Korean foods, items such as ramyeon, confectionery, and kimchi were found to enjoy high awareness and strong preference among local consumers, thus suggesting their competitiveness. Originality/value - This paper attempts to examine consumer characteristics - an aspect that had received insufficient treatment in previous studies on halal certifications in Muslim countries. This study found the purchase practices and influencing factors behind Malaysian consumers' purchases of imported foods and Korean foods. Therefore, it is expected that this result can give Korean food industry an insights and strategies for exporting Korean food to Malaysia.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.522-530
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• 2012

This study was performed in order to investigate the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dietary habit and caffeine intake in upper-grade elementary school children. The total number of the study subjects was 237 students (111 boys and 126 girls), where 30 students (12.7%) were diagnosed as ADHD. The dietary habit score of the ADHD group was significantly lower than that of the normal group. In particular, the ADHD group had lower dietary scores in consuming daily breakfast, diverse foods, fruit and milk than those in the normal group. Meanwhile, the daily intake frequency of instant noodle (ramyeon) was significantly higher in the ADHD group than that in the normal group. The mean caffeine intake of the students was 42.95 mg and the proportion of students consuming more than the ADI (acceptable daily intake) was 11.8%. The caffeine intake of ADHD group (63.63 mg) tended to be higher than that of the normal group (39.95 mg); however, it was not significantly different. The ADHD score of the students was negatively related with the dietary habit score (r = -0.279, p < 0.01) but positively related with caffeine intake (r = 0.164, p < 0.05). The dietary habit score had a negative relationship with caffeine intake (r = -0.180, p < 0.01) and a positive relationship with height (r = 0.195, p < 0.01). Caffeine intake had a negative relationship with the height of the students (r = -0.171, p < 0.05). In conclusion, ADHD in children was related to poor dietary habit and high caffeine intake.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2014

The objectives of this study were to assess food behavior and nutritional status of preschool children by using the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) for children and children's growth index. The subjects for this study were 424, 5-year old children, who enrolled in child-care centers (n = 219) and kindergartens (n = 205) in Nowon-gu, Seoul. The NQ was examined by NQ questionnaire which consisted of 19 food behavior checklist items. Their items were grouped into 5 categories: balance, diversity, moderation, regularity, and practice. Children's anthropometric measurements were performed by using InBody J05. All data were statistically analyzed by SAS 9.3 and significant difference was evaluated by Student's t-test and ${\chi}^2$-test. The rates of overweight and obesity for subjects were 11.1% and 3.3%, respectively. Total NQ score of the subjects was 65.1, which was within medium grade. The NQ score of kindergartens (66.1) was higher than that of child-care center (64.2), showing significant difference by institution type. In addition, the NQ score of obesity was significantly lower than that of normal weight subjects. The scores of balance (p < 0.05) and regularity factor (p < 0.001) were higher in kindergarten compared to child-care center. Particularly, the frequency of consumption of white milk and Ramyeon was higher (p < 0.001) and lower (p < 0.05) respectively in kindergarten compared to child-care center. Frequencies of meal regularity (P < 0.01) and breakfast eating (p < 0.001) were also higher in kindergarten compared to child-care center. These results indicate that kindergarten's children had better eating habits than those of child-care center. Overall analysis of items for food behavior checklists implies that children in Nowon-gu are short of vegetables consumption. Therefore, children and their parents need proper nutrition education and counseling to correct their eating habits and to improve their nutritional status.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.158-166
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness, eating experience, and preference of kimchi, and the sensory evaluation of kimchi from Chinese and Korean students residing in Korea. General information (including age, sex, duration of staying, living status) was collected. A questionnaire was used to collect the information on awareness, eating experience, and preference of kimchi and dishes made with kimchi. Sensory evaluations were carried out on a 10 point scale. All subjects (37 Koreans, 43 Chinese) were aware of kimchi, with 98% of the Chinese subjects recognizing kimchi as a Korean traditional food and 65% having eaten kimchi at least once a day. The types of kimchi preferred by Chinese subjects were generally sweet and not over-bearing in seasoning, hotness, or ripeness. The more frequently eaten foods made with kimchi were jjigae, bokkeumbap, bibimbap and kimbap. However, the more preferred dishes made with kimchi were bossam, jeongol, bokkeum, jeon, and ramyeon. The Chinese subjects were especially sensitive to spicy odors ($4.6{\pm}2.2/10$), salted seafood odors ($4.6{\pm}2.3/10$), offodors ($4.4{\pm}2.3/10$) and aftertaste ($5.9{\pm}2.1/10$) compared to Korean subjects. Taken all together, the perception as well as sensory characteristic of kimchi needs to be improved for the globalization of kimchi.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.628-637
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• 2010

To determine vitamin A and E intakes and their food sources, dietary intakes were collected by three consecutive 24-hour recalls from 192 adults living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, Korea. The mean vitamin A, retinol and ${\beta}$-carotene intakes were $1240.1{\pm}1101.1\;{\mu}g$ retinol equivalent/day ($693.3{\pm}563.2\;{\mu}g$ retinol activity equivalent/day), $182.6{\pm}149.5\;{\mu}g$/day and $5443.3{\pm}6365.5\;{\mu}g$/day, respectively. Only 9.4% of the subjects consumed less than the Korean Estimated Average Requirement for vitamin A. The mean vitamin E intake was $6.03{\pm}2.54\;mg$ ${\alpha}$-tocopherol equivalent/day. The ${\alpha}$-tocopherol and ${\gamma}$-tocopherol intakes were $4.83{\pm}2.03$ and $5.57{\pm}3.41\;mg$/day, respectively. Most of the subjects (93.8%) consumed less than the Korean Adequate Intake for vitamin E. The major food sources of vitamin A were sweet potato, carrot, red pepper powder, spinach, and citrus fruit, and the top 30 foods provided 91.5% of total Plant foods provided 81.0% and animalderived foods 10.5% of the vitamin A intake from the top 30 foods. The major food sources of vitamin E were soybean oil, red pepper powder, Ramyeon (cup noodles), spinach, and egg. The top 30 foods provided 78.0% of total vitamin E intake. Plant foods provided 61.3% and animal-derived foods 15.9% of the vitamin E intake from the top 30 foods. In conclusion, the vitamin A intake of the Korean adults in this study was ge-nerally adequate, but the vitamin E intake of many subjects was inadequate. Therefore, nutritional education may be of benefit to Korean adults to increase their vitamin E intake.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.328-333
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• 2012

This study was performed to investigate the differences in food choice, nutrition labeling perceptions, and prevalence of obesity due to meal skipping in Korean elementary school children. A national survey was performed in 2010 to collect data on food intake frequency, understanding of nutrition labeling, and body mass index from 2,335 fifth grade students in 118 elementary schools selected from 16 metropolitan local governments by stratified cluster sampling. The data were analyzed using the SAS 9.1 and SUDAAN 10.0 packages. Students who consumed three meals for 6-7 days during the past week were classified into the regular meal eating (RM) group (n = 1,476) and those who did not were placed into the meal skipping (MS) group (n = 859). The daily intake frequency of fruits, vegetables, kimchi, and milk was significantly lower in the MS group compared to that in the RM group (P < 0.001), whereas the daily intake frequency of soft drinks and instant noodles (ramyeon) was significantly higher in the MS group than that in the RM group (P < 0.05). The MS group demonstrated a significantly lower degree of understanding with regard to nutrition labeling and high calorie foods containing low nutritional value than that in the RM group. The distribution of obesity based on the percentile criteria using the Korean growth chart was different between the MS and RM groups. The MS group (8.97%) had a higher percentage of obese subjects than that in the RM group (5.38%). In conclusion, meal skipping was related to poor food choice, low perception of nutrition labeling, and a high prevalence of obesity in Korean fifth grade children.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2014

This study was conducted to assess diet-related health appraisal for cardiometabolic diseases of the college students in Gyeonggi-do. The survey data obtained by 21 questionnaire(6 general characteristics and 15 food behaviors) given to 90 students, 41 males and 49 females. The average age of the subjects was 22.2 years old for the male students and 20.9 years old for the female students(p<0.001). Among the subjects, 35 males and 47 females' height, weight and percentage of body fat were measured using bioelectrical impedance(Inbody 720). The average height, weight, Body Mass Index and percent body fat of the subjects were 175.7cm, 69.5kg, 22.4 and 16.9% for males and 162.0cm, 53.5kg, 20.4 and 27.7% for females, respectively (p<0.001). Male students had a higher prevalence of smoking compared with female students(p<0.001). Females had higher intake frequency of fruits than males(p<0.05). Males had higher intake frequency of fishes than females(p<0.05). Male students had higher number of side dishes at mealtime compared with female students. There were no difference between the sexes in intake frequency of dairy, ramyeon, rice with whole grain, 3-layered pork belly, processed meat, soft drinks, soy products and fast food. Also, there were no difference between sexes in number of vegetables per day, frequency of eating out, prevalence of eating kimchi at every meal. Cardiometabolic risks were calculated by 'Diet-related health risk appraisal'. Male students had higher cardiometabolic risks(hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, abdominal obesity) than female students(p<0.001). Appropriate nutritional education for college male students may help to prevent cardiometabolic diseases in the future.