• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.636-644
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• 2003

This study compared the perceptions of children and their mothers of the effects of school lunch programs on the children's dietary behaviors in elementary schools. Questionnaires were answered by 425 elementary school students and their 412 mothers in the Busan area. The results indicated: The school lunch program had positive effects on children's dietary behaviors such as understanding healthy meals, correcting unbalanced diets, snack intake, attitude toward the meal, table manners, and table hygiene. However, there were still some negative habits in the home related to snack time, reading books or watching television during mealtime, eating foods before seniors have started. The gender of the children and whether the mothers worked or not produced no significant differences (in most cases). Still mothers more positively perceived the effect of school lunch programs on their children's dietary behaviors than did the children themselves. Thus, the school lunch program had positive effects for a balanced diet and making good eating habits. And, therefore, teachers-as well as the dieticians- should actively regard the school lunch program as an educational activity which can produce positive effects for a balanced diet, and make every endeavor to strengthen their relationship with the home.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.349-363
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrient intakes, nutritional knowledge, food habits, and lifestyle behaviors of moderately or severely obese children living in the Kyonggi-do area. The subjects in this study were 37 obese children with an obesity index higher than 130% in the forth to sixth grades of elementary school. Anthropometric measurements, 24-hour recall of dietary intakes, and a survey on nutritional knowledge, food habits, and lifestyles behavior were conducted in the 37 obese children (25 boys and 12 girls). The average age, body weight, BMI, and R$\ddot{o}$hrer Index were 12.4 years, 68.6 kg, $29.6kg/m^2$, and 194.9 in boys and 12.7 years, 65.7 kg, $29.8kg/m^2$, and 201.8 in girls, respectively. The percentage of correct answers on nutritional knowledge and nutritional attitude score/max score were 85.8% and 23.0/50 in boys and 87.0% and 17.5/50 in girls, respectively. Except for calcium (85.3%) in girls and calcium (62.7%) and folic acid (83.3%) in boys, the average daily nutrient intakes percentages of nutrients were greater than the DRIs values (107.9~327.3% in boys and 103.0~416.0% in girls). This study showed the existence of some problems associated with obesity, such as higher frequency of skipping breakfast, irregular meal times, unbalanced diet, lack of intake of some nutrients, low nutritional attitude, lack of physical activity, and time management in obese children. These results suggest that a systematic education program including nutritional education on balanced diet, good eating habits and behaviors, and importance of eating breakfast and meal regularity must be emphasized to improve nutrient intakes and food habits in obese children. Obese children also require a more concentrated program that includes physical activity, weight reduction, and weight maintenance strategies to improve their life habits.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.303-318
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examined the effects of nutritional education related to sugar in elementary school children on nutritional knowledge, attitude, and dietary behavior. Methods: A questionnaire survey on the knowledge, attitudes, and intake related to sugar was conducted on 572 students in grades 4-5, who were attending five elementary schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. Results: Among the survey subjects, 270 (49.8%) were cognitive in education, and 302 (50.2%) were non-cognitive. The sugar-related knowledge score was 3.67 points in the cognitive education group, which was significantly higher than the 3.55 points in the non-cognitive group. The rate of checking the sugar content in the nutrition label was 31.2% in the cognitive education group, which was significantly higher than in the non-cognitive group, 15.4%. The cognitive education group had a higher intake frequency of unsweetened candy, jelly, and raw fruits, and higher sugar intake of unsweetened bread, white milk, and raw fruits than the non-cognitive group. In the case of the cognitive education group, the total knowledge score showed a positive correlation with the food behavior scores, and a negative correlation with the frequency of purchasing snacks after school, and the average sugar intake per day. In the cognitive education group only, the education of nutrition teachers was analyzed as a factor to reduce the total sugar intake. The cognitive group of sugar education tried to eat foods with a lower sugar content than the non-cognitive group, and nutrition education was an important factor affecting the sugar intake. Conclusion: To reduce the sugar intake of elementary school students, it will be necessary to practice oriented-nutrition education by nutrition teachers continuously. In addition, it is important to develop and disseminate various types of nutrition education materials related to sugar that can be utilized easily by nutrition teachers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.1265-1273
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the BMI, intake of snacks, and perceptions and use of food and nutrition labels by middle school students (144 boys and 189 girls) in Chuncheon area. The average height and weight of boys were $171.0{\pm}6.4$ cm and $61.0{\pm}11.4$ kg, respectively, whereas those of girls were $160.0{\pm}4.8$ cm and $50.8{\pm}6.6$ kg, respectively. Average body mass index (BMI) of boys and girls were $20.8{\pm}3.3$ and $19.8{\pm}2.4$, respectively (p<0.01). Dietary intake attitude score of girls ($34.39{\pm}5.66$) was higher than that of boys ($33.92{\pm}5.40$) (p<0.05). Subjects bought and ate snacks 1 to 3 times per week (40.2%) by themselves, and most consumed snacks were cookies (23.1%), instant noodles (16.2%), ice cream (13.2%), and candy and chocolates (13.2%). The most important factor in purchasing of snacks was 'taste' ($4.49{\pm}0.67$). When subjects bought processed foods, the rates of reading food labels was 86.6%. The most important factor of the food labels was 'expiration date' (42.9%). The degree of reading food labels on processed foods by girls ($22.70{\pm}5.72$) was higher than that of boys ($20.96{\pm}5.35$) (p<0.01). Of the 13.2% of subjects that did not read food labels, the reason why was that they were not interested (50.0%). Of the 78.4% of subjects that read nutrition labels, the most important component of the nutrition labels was 'calories' (75.9%). The main reason for reading nutrition labels was 'to control weight' (45.6%). In general, use of food labels correlated positively with dietary intake attitude score (p<0.05) and use of nutrition labels (p<0.01). Using multiple regression analysis, we found that 'usefulness of dietary life' was the most significant variable that affects the importance of food and nutrition labels. Therefore, development of an educational program on food and nutrition labels for adolescents will be effective in improving dietary life.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.681-689
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of alcoholic drinking on the dietary habits among university students. The data was collected from 355 students (male : 188, female : 167) living in Busan. The questionnaire composed of general information, person with the lunch meal time, skipping meal, meal type place overeating, snacking eating out, food intake pattern. For statistics analysis, SPSSWIN 12.0 was used. The results were summarized as follows. First, the rates of alcohol drinking in male and female students were 94.1% and 93.4% respectively and the rate of under 19 years old's drinking were 94.4%. Second, in the appearance of drinking, the difference in dietary habits wasn't shown to be significant. However in term of dinner, few female students sometimes haven't dinner (p<0.01). And female group showed frequently eating out (p<0.05) and overeating more than male group(p<0.001). Third, the alcohol drinking group and non-alcohol drinking group showed significantly similar consumption frequency of cereal, meat products, fruits vegetable, oil sugars. But the intakes of milk and dairy products in male students were significantly higher than in female students (p<0.001). These results indicated that more attention should be taken to university students, having habits of skipping meal, alcohol drinking and low intake for nutrition knowledge or attitude so as to improve their health.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between obesity indices, nutritional knowledge, nutritional intake status, and some blood parameters in obese middle-school students. Anthropometric measurement, 24-hour recall for dietary intake, blood analysis and Questionnaire response including nutritional knowledge, nutritional attitude, and self-satisfaction were conducted in 42 obese middle-school students (28 male and 14 female) participated in the nutritional camp program carried by Bucheon district public health center in Kyunggi-do. The mean age of subjects was 13.9 years. The average body weight, BMI, obesity index, WHR and percent body fat were 75.5 kg, 29.1 kg/$m^2$, 30.1, 0.89 and 33.3% in male subjects, and 67.8 kg, 27.5 kg/$m^2$, 25.3, 0.81 and 34.6% in female subjects. The average nutritional attitude, the self-satisfaction and the nutritional knowledge scores were no significant difference between male and female subjects. Average intake of energy were 85.5% of RDA in males and 98.1% of RDA in females. The percentage of energy from fat was higher in both male (29%) and female (26%) subjects than recommended level. Calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B$_2$, vitamin C, niacin and folate intakes were below the RDA for them. In the results of correlation analysis, body weight, BMI and obesity index were positively correlated with systolic blood pressure and cholesterol intake. There was a negative correlation between percent body fat and nutritional knowledge. Body weight was negatively related to HDL-cholesterol, whereas it has positive relation with RBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit. BMI and obesity index were negatively related to HDL-cholesterol, but positively related to RBC, respectively. WHR showed positive relationship with serum GPT, glucose and MCV.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 2009

The principal objective of this study was to provide basic data regarding health care services for middle-aged men, via an analysis of the relationships among stress level, food habits and well-being-related attitudes with social-demographic characteristics and health-related factors. The main findings of this study were as follows. The average age of the participants was $48.7{\pm}5.2$. With regard to health status, 18.8% of the participants were diagnosed with digestive diseases within the past year. Stress levels were higher in the participants with lower levels of educational attainment. Furthermore, participants who had become divorced or lived separately from their families, participants who did not have their own houses, and participants who reported low marital satisfaction also had high levels of stress. Our food habits scores revealed meaningful differences among the study subjects, and were shown to vary with marital satisfaction, occupation, and residence type. In terms of both the importance and practice level of well-being-associated food habits, the most frequent response in this study was 'Consume home-made food rather than processed or ready-to-eat food' ($4.30{\pm}0.86$, $3.68{\pm}1.04$). In terms of importance level, the factors most relevant to well-being in terms of food habits were education level, marital satisfaction, residence type, self-assessed health status, smoking, drinking, regular exercises and leisure activities. With regard to practice levels, the degree to which subjects engaged in food habits targeted toward well-being differed meaningfully depending on marital status, marital satisfaction, residence type, family type, self-assessed health status, smoking, drinking, nutritional supplement intake, regular exercises and leisure activities. After analyzing the correlation among stress level, food habit score and the attitude towards well-being-related dietary habits (importance and practice level), we observed a meaningful relationship between the four factors at the level of p<0.001. According to the above result, continuous attention to health, including the appropriate control of smoking and drinking, as well as, stress management, via regular exercises and appropriate food habits is expected to exert a positive influence on the prevention of disease, and is also expected to improve quality of life. For all well-being-associated items, the importance level was shown to be higher than the practice level. Thus, in order to foster health-oriented food habits, we recommend that a new plan be designed, targeted toward ease of active practice for middle-aged men.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.486-495
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance evaluation index for a salt reduction project. Questionnaires were developed in order to investigate salt reduction programs nationwide. The evaluation index and programs were analyzed through the case study of a salt reduction program in public health centers. The validity of the salt reduction program's evaluation index was determined based on study of the Delphi survey and on discussion with nutrition and health care professionals. The Delphi survey showed that daily salt intake was the most valid nutritional evaluation index. Stroke mortality and stomach cancer mortality were good health care evaluation indexes. The method for measuring salt intake that had the greatest validity was a 24-hour urine collection. However, 24-hour urine collection had the lowest score for ease of performance. The combined scores of validity and ease of performance showed that the survey method for dietary attitude and dietary behavior, dietary frequency analysis (DFQ 15), and a salty taste assessment, in that order, were proper methods. The high reliability of the salty taste assessment indicated that the percentage of the population that exhibits proper salt intake (2,000 mg sodium or less daily) and the percentage of the population that consumes low-salt diets as nutritional evaluation indexes also will be helpful to evaluate performance of salt reduction programs.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.668-679
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relations of children's skipping meals after researching eating habits and lifestyle, parents' appreciation in nutrition behavior and dietary intake, throughout the research based on 4th to 6th grade students, total of 362 children at an elementary school in Inchoen. There were 104 students in skipping meals group and 258 students in eating meals group, with the average ages of 10.9, and 10.8, respectively. The average height and weight were 144.5 cm, 38.6 kg for skipping meals group, and 145.7 cm, 39.3 kg for eating meals group. Parents' appreciation of importance in breakfast showed a significant difference in whether children skip the meals or not (p<0.01). 43.7% of parents in skipping meals group answered that they serve breakfast everyday, compared to eating meals group with the percentage of 94.9%, showing significant difference in frequency of serving breakfast for their children (p<0.001). The skipping meals group answered that the reason they do not have breakfast is because they do not have time, which showed the highest percentage of 41.2%. For the eating meals group, 40.5% of students answered that they do not have appetite, which also showed difference (p<0.001). The skipping meals group tended to wake up later than those who have breakfast in the morning(p<0.01). The breakfast time for skipping meals group was later than the eating meals group, and according to whether they have breakfast of not, it showed a difference as well(p<0.01). Total score of nutrition attitude in skipping meals group and eating meals group were 30.8 and 32.1, showing that eating meals group showed more good in nutrition attitude (p<0.05). Daily intakes of energy (p<0.01) and protein (p<0.01) in skipping meals group were significantly lower than those in eating meals group. Skipping meals group bad lower rates in INQs of protein (p<0.01) and zinc (p<0.01), showing that skipping meals group is having low quality meals in nutrition. In conclusion, this study revealed that students with skipping meals are more likely to have meals that lacks nutrition or have low quality meals, and the time of rising hour in the morning, frequency of eating snacks can also affect whether or not they skip meals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.735-744
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sweets preference, food frequency, dietary habits, and nutrition knowledge of middle school students who like sweets. A survey instrument consisted of a self-administered questionnaire, a food frequency questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements. Three hundreds thirty five students aged 13 to 15 years old were divided into two groups, Sweets Liking Group (SLG) and a control group based on the subjects' scores for dietary habits, sweets preference, and food frequency. For dietary habits, the score for meal regularity was significantly lower in the SLG group compared to the control (p<0.001). In addition, the SLG group was more likely to skip breakfast (p<0.001), eat inadequate amount of meals (p<0.001), and consume yellow-green vegetables less frequently (p<0.001) than the control. The subjects' nutrition knowledge was assessed using 20 questions representing five categories, including functions of nutrients, nutrition and health, food pyramid and food groups, healthful snacking and the right dietary attitude. The total scores for nutrition knowledge indicated that the SLG had a poorer nutrition knowledge for all five categories than the control (boys p<0.05, girls p<0.01). For food frequency, the SLG consumed more sweets but less grains, cereals, fishes, beans, vegetables, and milk and milk products than the control (p<0.001). Strong positive correlations appeared between sweets preference, sweets frequency, and sweets-related dietary habits; and all were negatively correlated to nutrition knowledge. Sweets frequency was negatively related to meal regularity, breakfast consumption, meal adequacy, and balanced meals. The findings suggest that nutrition education is necessary to improve the dietary pattern, especially sweets consumption, of Korean young adolescents.