• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.521-526
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although a lot of effort has been put into increasing fruit and vegetable intakes in preschool children, vegetable intake in this group is still low. This study investigated whether nutrition education focusing on fruit and vegetable intakes can affect preschoolers' fruit and vegetable intakes as well as their behavioral outcomes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Thirty-five preschoolers (54.3% boys, n = 19) aged 4-6 years residing in Seoul underwent weekly nutrition education intervention (8 sessions) between May and July 2016. Intakes of fruits and vegetables were measured during pre and post-intervention. At snack time, fresh fruit (150 g) and vegetable (120 g) snacks were distributed to each child by teachers. The remaining portions of the snacks were weighed and recorded for each child. Behavioral outcomes were measured by applying Child behavior checklist 1.5-5 and the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. RESULTS: During post intervention, vegetable intake increased from $36.15{\pm}30.64g$ to $48.01{\pm}31.23g$ (P = 0.010). Among the emotional and behavioral problems measured by parents, levels of total problems (P = 0.001), internalizing (P = 0.004), externalizing (P = 0.003), anxiety and depression (P = 0.001), and aggressive behavior (P = 0.005) decreased. Anxiety (P = 0.026) score, as measured by teachers, also decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education of preschoolers regarding the intakes of fruits and vegetables had a positive effect on preschoolers' vegetable intake as well as on their emotional and behavioral outcomes. A long-term, large-scale study with a broader study design is warranted to further investigate the role of fruit and vegetable intake in cognitive development and behavior of preschoolers.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.761-772
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• 2007

It has been suggested that vegetables protect the cardiovascular system in part by attenuating blood pressure. The purpose of the present research was to examine blood lipids according to vegetable intakes. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressures, nutrient intakes using the 24-hour recall method, and serum lipids of <50th percentile vegetable intake group (<50th percentile VIG; men=66, women=111) and ${\ge}50th$ percentile vegetable intake group (${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG; men=83, women=94) were estimated. The average age, height, and BMI were 54.7 years, 158.2 cm, 62.2 kg, and $24.9kg/m^2$ for <50th percentile VIG and 53.7 years, 159.6 cm, 63.0 kg, and $24.7kg/m^2$ for ${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG, respectively. The daily food intake of the ${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG was significantly higher than that of the <50th percentile VIG (p<0.001). Also, daily intakes of cereals (p<0.001), legumes (p<0.05), nuts (p<0.05), vegetables (p<0.001), and fruits (p<0.05) of the ${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG were significantly higher than those of the <50th percentile VIG. The daily energy intakes of ${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG and <50th percentile VIG were 1342.7 kcal and 1782.0 kcal (p<0.001), and most nutrient intakes of the ${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG was significantly higher than that of the <50th percentile VIG. Serum cholesterol of the ${\ge}50th$ percentile VIG were significantly lower than that of the <50th percentile VIG (p<0.01). Also, vegetable intake showed significantly negative correlations with total cholesterol (p<0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (p<0.05). Based on these results, it should be emphasized that increase of vegetable intake improves the blood lipid profile.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.130-138
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Low consumption of fruit and vegetable is frequently viewed as an important contributor to obesity risk. With increasing childhood obesity and relatively low fruit and vegetable consumption among Thai children, there is a need to identify the determinants of the intake to promote fruit and vegetable consumption effectively. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two conveniently selected primary schools in Nakhon Pathom. A total of 609 students (grade 4-6) completed questionnaires on personal and environmental factors. Adequate fruit and vegetable intakes were defined as a minimum of three servings of fruit or vegetable daily, and adequate total intake as at least 6 serves of fruit and vegetable daily. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The proportion of children with a sufficient fruit and/or vegetable intakes was low. Covariates of child's personal and environmental factors showed significant associations with sufficient intakes of fruit and/or vegetable (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analyses showed that the following factors were positively related to sufficient intake of vegetable; lower grade, a positive attitude toward vegetable, and fruit availability at home; and that greater maternal education, a positive child's attitude toward vegetable, and fruit availability at home were significantly associated with sufficient consumption of fruits and total fruit and vegetable intake. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that personal factors like attitude toward vegetables and socio-environmental factors, such as, greater availability of fruits were significantly associated with sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption. The importance of environmental and personal factors to successful nutrition highlights the importance of involving parents and schools.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.171-183
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• 2006

This study was conducted to examine dietary factors affecting bone status in the rural aged men. Quantitative ultrasound measurements (QUS) of bone, that may reflect certain architectural aspects of bone, have been shown to be associated with bone mineral density and fracture. Information of diet and anthropometry was collected in 164 aged men. Dietary intake data were obtained by 24-hour recall method. Measurements of the speed of sound (SOS, m/s), at distal radius, mid-tibia, phalanx, were performed using Omnisense 7000S analyzer (Sunlight Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel). T-scores for bone SOS measurements at distal radius, mid-tibia and phalanx were 0.60, 0.03 and -0.42 respectively. The prevalence of osteopenia by use of the WHO criteria was 17.7% at the mid-tibia and 25.3% of the subjects at the distal radius. Age were negative association with bone SOS at three sites. Osteopenia group of radius were significantly lower in total foods and vegetable intakes than normal group. After adjusted for age, vegetable intakes were significantly and positively related to bone SOS at the radius. The bone SOS of the tibia were significantly and positively related to vegetable protein, iron, folate and vegetable intakes, but negatively related to fat intakes. Multiple regression analysis showed that bone SOS of tibia was positively associated with folate intakes. Vegetable intakes were positively associated with the bone SOS at three sites. These results indicate that the consumption of vegetables, sources of folate, may have a effect on bone status of men.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2004

An increasing number of women are becoming victims of their smoking habits. Cigarette smoking is implicated as a major cause or several chronic diseases. This study was performed to investigate the nutritional status associated with smoking and other factors like drinking or fruit and vegetable consumption frequency in Korean adult women. The 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey provided the current adult women sample (n = 2900), who were categorized as smoking (n= 141) and nonsmoking group (n = 2759). The smoking women declared significantly lower intakes of carbohydrate, calcium and vitamin C and higher alcohol than nonsmokers, but with nonsignificant difference of BMI. The smoking and drinking group showed the lowest intakes in most of the nutrients, the lowest BMI and significantly elevated blood pressure. The smoking group with fruit and vegetable consumption frequency less than 3 times a day also showed lower intakes of most of the nutrients and significantly higher systolic blood pressure. Less proportion of smokers perceived their health status very good or good and more smokers felt depressed often. In conclusion it seems cigarette smoking is associated with the decreased nutrient intakes in adults women. When smoking is connected with other unhealthy dietary habits like drinking or lower fruit and vegetable consumption, it may exacerbate the nutritional status and cause elevated blood pressure.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.525-535
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for nutritional education for juveniles' desirable vegetable intake by analyzing their vegetable intake, dietary habit and nutrient intakes according to gender of middle school students in Chungnam. The average age of the subjects was 15.0, height was 162.5 cm, weight was 53.5 kg and their average BMI was $20.1kg/m^2$. The frequency of eating supper in girls was lower than that in boys. Many respondents answered that a meal-time was 10~20 minutes. Without gender difference, more than 90% respondents thought that vegetables were good for health. As for the preference of vegetable, subjects responded, "I am in the middle", "I like them", "I dislike them", "I like them very much", and "I dislike them very much" in order, without gender difference. The frequent eaten leaf vegetable was Chinese cabbage, the frequent eaten fruit vegetable was cucumber, and the frequent eaten root vegetable was radish. The favorite leaf vegetable was lettuce, the favorite fruit vegetable was corn, and the favorite root vegetable was sweet potato. The preference degrees of taro and ginger were very low. The reasons why they liked a vegetable were that it was delicious and they ate it at home often. In addition, the reason why they disliked vegetables was that they are untasty in flavor or texture and it showed that many students had a prejudice that vegetables were untasty. The intakes of plant protein, dietary fiber, ash and INQs of dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin C, folate, vitamin E in the group with high preference of vegetables were significantly higher than those of low preference group. The study results indicate that intake frequency and preference of root vegetables in juveniles are low and the major reasons of these results are taste and eating experience of vegetables. In addition, the intake amounts of dietary fiber and folate are poor in the subjects with low preference of vegetables. Therefore, families and schools should make efforts that juveniles can recognize the importance of vegetable intake and select various vegetables properly through the development of cooking methods and systematic nutrition education.

• Food Quality and Culture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.46-57
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• 2007

The purpose of the present study was to examine the nutrient intake status of elderly dementia patients. We surveyed the dietary intake of 50 demented elderly patients receiving a regular diet, who were hospitalized in a geriatric hospital in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. The average age of the subjects was $79.6{\pm}6.5$ for the males and $80.5{\pm}6.3$ for the females. The average heights were $169.5{\pm}6.0\;cm$ (males) and $154.6{\pm}5.2\;cm$ (females), and the average weights were $58.5{\pm}7.4$ (males) and $51.7{\pm}8.9\;kg$ (females). Depending on the type of dementia, the male patients showed significant differences in their intakes of vegetable protein, fiber, total iron, and non-heme iron between the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the vascular dementia (VD) groups, and the female patients showed significant differences in their intakes of total protein, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin $B_6$ between the two groups. The male patients showed significant differences in their intakes of animal-source calcium and carotene according to ability to self-feed. According to physical activity, the male patients showed significant differences in vegetable fat and vitamin A intake, and the females showed significant differences in their intakes of total protein, animal protein, fiber, ash, total calcium, vegetable-source calcium, animal-source calcium, phosphorous, total iron, non-heme iron, heme iron, sodium, vitamins $B_1$, $B_2$, $B_6$, niacin, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. We found that the patients consumed excessive protein, but low amounts of calcium, vitamin $B_2$, and folate. Also, the patients' physical activity abilities appeared to affect their nutrient intakes.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.3-15
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• 2001

To assess diet quality by food group intake and to investigate the interrelationship of age, dietary diversity score(DDS), dietary variety score(DVS), dietary frequency score(DFS), food group intake and nutrient intake with food group intake, a dietary survey was conducted with 176 preschool children aged 1 to 6 in Busan using a 24-hr recall method. Food group intake was assessed by food number consumed and intake frequency by six food groups(grain, meat, vegetable, fruit, dairy, sweets group). The mean food numbers consumed and intake frequencies by six feed group were 3.1 and 4.0 in the grain group, 3.6 and 4.0 in the meat group, 3.5 and 4.1 in the vegetable group, 1.0 and 1.1 in the fruit group, 1.3 and 1.5 in the dairy group, 1.4 and 1.4 in the sweets group respectively. As age increased, the intake frequency of the grain group(p<0.05) increased but that of the dairy group(p<0.05) decreased significantly. The DVS and DFS didn't show significant correlations with intake frequency of the dairy group. The grain group intake had significant positive correlations with intakes of the meat, vegetable, and fruit groups. The vegetable group intake had signigicant positive correlations with intakes of the grain and meat groups. The dairy group intake had significant positive correlation with sweets group intake but negative correlations with intakes of the grain and vegetable groups. As the intake frequency of the meat group increased, the NAR(nutrient adequacy ratios) of all nutrients and NAR(mean adequacy ratio) increased significantly. NARs of provein iron, vitamin B$_1$, niacin had the highest correlation with the meat group intake and those of protein, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin B$_2$ had the highest correlation with the dairy group intake. NARs of vitamin A and vitamin C had the highest correlation with intake of the vegetable and fruit groups respectively. Children with food number consumed and intake frequency of above 6 and 4 in the grain group or above 6 and 6 in the meat group or above 4 and 8 on the

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.515-524
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• 2013

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is believed to be associated with the intake of antioxidant nutrients and fatty acids due to its immunological dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of nutrition education promoting vegetable, fruit, and fish intake on the severity of AD in children. Children with AD aged 6 months to 5 years were randomly assigned into education and control groups, and followed for 1 year. Seventy-six children completed the study (38 for control, 38 for education). The education group received education promoting the intakes of antioxidant-rich foods (vegetables, fruits) and n-3 fatty acid foods (fish). A 24-hour food recall was collected for the diet information. After education, all vegetables (p < 0.001), fruits (p < 0.01), and fish (p < 0.05) intakes per 1000 kcal increased significantly in the education group, whereas only vegetable intake increased in the control group (p < 0.001). The SCORAD index, the severity of atopic dermatitis, decreased significantly in the education group (p < 0.05). Increased consumption of dietary vitamin E was significantly associated with reduction in the SCORAD index, after adjusting for age and gender (p < 0.05). A nutritional education program to increase vegetable, fruit, and fish intake may be effective in reducing the severity of AD, and vitamin E intake may be associated with the decreased severity of AD. More controlled studies on the relationship between these intakes and severity of AD, with intensive diet and/or supplement intervention programs, are needed to obtain conclusive results.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2003

Possible correlations between nutrient intake add health status-as assessed by anthropometric measurements, physical performance and biochemical measurements-were investigated, using 514 healthy young men aged 20 years old who had no apparent health problems. The intakes of nutrients were estimated using a three-day dietary recall method. Height and body weight were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Physical performance was tested using sit-ups, push-ups, a loom sprint and a 1,500m run. When compared with the Korean recommended dietary allowances (Korean RDA), the subjects nutrient intakes were adequate except for calcium. The intake of calcium was 516.66$\pm$293.43mg/day, which is 73.80 % of the Korean RDA. The subjects averaged 174.51$\pm$7.07cm in height, 68.17$\pm$9.25 kg in body weight and 22.23$\pm$2.16 in BMI. The associations between nutrient intakes and anthropometric measurements, and between nutrient intakes and physical performance, were weak. The intake of vegetable fat was positively correlated to body weight, whereas the intake of carbohydrate was negatively correlated to BMI. The intake of carbohydrate was positively correlated to the level of performance in the loom sprint, and the intake of vegetable Int was positively correlated to the level of performance of sit-ups. No correlation was found between nutrient intakes and the following biochemical measurements of the blood: the levels of glucose, total protein, total cholesterol, triglyceride, hemoglobin and hematocrit. These results suggest that anthropometric measurements and level of physical performance can be associated with energy nutrient intakes, even in moderately active, well-nourished, young men. No correlation was found between nutrient intake and biochemical measurements, probably because all subjects had a reasonably well-balanced diet.