• 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.40 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 2007

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one the most common prostate diseases in middle aged and elderly men. This study was conducted to investigate diet and lifestyle risk factors for benign prostatic hyperplasia in a community-dwelling free-living population group. The dietary data were collected from the 601 male subjects aged 50-79 years using the 24-hour recall method. The mean age of the BPH group ($63.0{\pm}7.9$ years) was significantly higher than that of the non-BPH ($58.8{\pm}7.4$ years). Among many nutrients, the amount of animal fat intake was increased while that of carbohydrate intake decreased in subjects with BPH compared to those with non-BPH. In BPH subjects, the proportion of energy from fat was also greater than in subjects with non-BPH. The logistic regression analysis on the food consumption data showed that the consumption of total animal food was increased while that of mushrooms was decreased in patients with BPH compared to the subjects with non-BPH. The age-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidences limits for BPH incidence in subjects whose milk and milk products, beverages and alcoholic liquors intake was greater than the median were 1.796 (1.167-2.782) and 1.738 (1.129-2.676) respectively, compared to those in subjects whose intakes were below the median. These results may be applicable in the development of a nutrition intervention and education program toward a reduction in the risk for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.480-486
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• 2010

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is increasingly common with the rapid economic growth. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin and mineral supplement use among adults aged 20 or older from the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey data and to explore the effect of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors as well as nutrient intake on taking supplements. People who had participated in both a health questionnaire and a nutritional survey were selected, and 2,871 men and 3,555 women were finally included in this analysis. Both men and women with a higher level of education, those residing in a metropolitan area, and those with higher income were more likely to take supplements. Health behaviors were not significantly associated with taking supplements. Mean nutrient intake of all nutrients except energy intake was not significantly different in men or women taking supplements after adjusting for age, education, marital status, resident area, smoking, and energy intake. Compared to Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for Koreans, most vitamins and minerals, except vitamin $B_2$ and calcium, were consumed at higher than the Recommended Intake (RI) without supplements. In conclusion, taking supplements such as vitamin $B_2$ and calcium may promote health and prevent disease. However, the type and frequency of other vitamin and mineral supplements consumed should be considered with caution.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.554-566
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Urban-rural inequities in health and mortality exist in Korea, a highly centralized developed country. The potential impact of multiple health-related lifestyle behaviors on mortality and difference between urban and rural areas is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of high-risk health behaviors on all-cause mortality among residents living in urban and rural in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on 8,298 adults aged 40 yrs and older from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2015. High-risk behaviors were defined as having poor diet quality, current smoking, high-risk drinking, or insufficient physical activity. Mortality status was linked to the Cause of Death data followed up to December 31, 2019. The associations between all-cause mortality and high-risk behaviors were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, income, and survey year. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated, and effect modification analysis was conducted. Participants were stratified by residential area (urban or rural). RESULTS: During the follow-up (median: 5.4 yrs), 313 deaths occurred. A higher proportion of rural residents than urban residents engaged in multiple high-risk behaviors (28.9% vs. 22.6%; P < 0.0001). As individual factors, a greater risk of mortality was associated with poor diet quality, current smoking, and inadequate physical activity, and these tendencies persisted in rural residents, especially for diet quality. Multiple high-risk behaviors were positively associated with a higher risk of mortality in Koreans living in urban and rural areas. PAF (95% confidence interval) was 18.5% (7.35-27.9%) and 29.8% (16.1-40.2%) in urban and rural residents, respectively. No additive or multiplicative effect of the region was observed. CONCLUSION: The higher prevalence of multiple high-risk lifestyle behaviors in rural residents may explain the higher mortality in rural areas compared to urban areas. Comprehensive public health policies to improve health-related behaviors in rural populations may be needed.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.702-710
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• 2008

The principal objective of this study was to assess the effects of eating habits and health-related lifestyle on blood pressure, $\gamma$-Glutamic acid Peptide Transferase ($\gamma$-GPT), glucose and HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C). All subjects (261 male, 252 female) were from the Iksan area of Korea, and were at least 50 years of age. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and HDL-C for all the subjects was 131.3 mmHg, 78.5 mmHg, and 43.1 mg/dl, respectively. The HDL-C of the $50{\sim}64$ year-old group was higher than that of the over-75-year-old group. The "regular breakfast" group evidenced a lower SBP, $\gamma$-GPT, and higher HDL-C than the "seldom breakfast" group (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.01). SBP in the "snacking everyday" group was higher than that of the "seldom snacking" group (p<0.001). As for the frequency of using alcohol, SBP and $\gamma$-GPT for the group using alcohol everyday were higher than those of the non-drinking group (p<0.001, p<0.001), SBP and DBP were higher and $\gamma$-GPT was lower in the group that regularly drank more than 4 glasses of Soju than in the non-drinking group (p<0.001, p<0.05, p<0.001). SBP, DBP, and $\gamma$-GPT for the "heavy smoker" group were higher than those of the non-smoker group (p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.05). The HDL-C was lower in the "heavy smoker" group than in the "non-smoker" group (p<0.05). The SBP with exercise was as follows: Group 1 ($0.022{\sim}0.073\;kcal/min/kg$) was lower than that of Group 3 ($0.144{\sim}0.161\;kcal/min/kg$) and Group 4 (0.161 kcal/min/kg) (p<0.001). To conclude: advancing age, snacking, and frequent alcohol consumption increased blood pressure; the lowest blood pressure was detected in the group that ate breakfast everyday and in the group that engaged in more frequent exercise; Moreover, $\gamma$-GPT was higher and HDL-C was lower in the smokers' group than in the non-smokers' group. Considering the results of this study, there appears to be an urgent need to instruct aging adults about eating breakfast everyday, reducing smoking, using less or no alcohol, and getting proper and regular exercise.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.828-843
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• 1998

To find the association of perception of health status with lifestyle of different ethnic groups living in north-eastern part of China, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was done by 10 local health workers for 375 Korean immigrants and 217 Chinese whose age was 30 years old or more. Because Korean immigrants showed higher mortality than Chinese, we expected to find significant lifestyle related with perception of health status which was known to be a predictor of mortality by different ethnic groups. The results were as follows : 1. We found that 59.7% of Yanbian Koreans and 42.9% of Yanbian Chinese felt unhealthy (p=0.000). 2. For Yanbian Koreans, significant variables associated with perception of health status were selected through logistic regression analysis and they were sex; female to male with an OR=2.45 (95% confidence interval[CI] 1.06, 5.64), prevalence of chronic illness with an OR=5.48 (95% CI: 4.62, 15.56), mont of meal; small or moderate to full with an OR=2.67 (95% CI : 1.40, 5.09), preference of spicy food with an OR=1.78 (95% CI : 1.04, 3.04), and less amount intake of vitamin $B_2$, with an OR=2.29 (95% CI : 1.33, 3.93). 3. For Yanbian Chinese, significant variables associated with perception of health status were prevalence of chronic illness with an OR=4.97 (95% CI : 2.11, 11.68), history of taking ginseng with an OR=3.72 (95% CI : 1.33, 10.43), and less intake of vitamin C with an OR=0.18 (95% CI : 0.07, 0.46). In conclusion, sex, presence of chronic illness, dietary habit, and amount of $vitamin-B_1$ intake were associated with perception of health status in Yanbian Koreans. Presence of chronic illness, experience of ginseng intake, and amount of vitamin C intake were associated with perception of health status in Yanbian Chinese. To prove cause-effect relation between perception of health status and lifestyle, further study is needed for these different ethnic groups.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.218-229
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a hereditary disease that is also strongly dependent on environmental factors, lifestyles, and dietary habits. This study explored the relationship between lifestyle habits and glycosylated hemoglobin management in T2DM patients to provide empirical outcomes to improve T2DM management and patient health literacy. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study enrolled 349 diabetic patients with more than 5 care visits to a Diabetes Mellitus care network under the Health Management Plan led by Taiwan Department of Health (DOH). Based on relevant literature, an Outpatient Record Form of Diabetes Mellitus Care was designed and lipid profile tests were conducted for data collection and analysis. RESULTS: When modeling the data, the results showed that the odds for HbA1c > 7.5% in T2DM patients duration over 10 years was 3.785 (P = 0.002) times that in patients with disease duration of fewer than 3 years. The odds of HbA1c > 7.5% in illiterate patients was 3.128 (P = 0.039) times that in patients with senior high school education or above. The odds of HbA1c > 7.5% in patients with other chronic illness was 2.207 (P = 0.019) times that in participants without chronic illness. Among 5 beneficial lifestyle habits, the odds of HbA1c > 7.5% in patients with 2 or 3 good habits were 3.243 (P = 0.003) and 3.424 (P = 0.001) times that in patients with more than 3 good habits, respectively. CONCLUSION: This empirical outcome shows that maintaining a good lifestyle improves T2DM management and patients' knowledge, motivation, and ability to use health information. Patients with longer disease duration, education, or good lifestyle habits had optimal HbA1c management than those in patients who did not. Thus, effective selfmanagement and precaution in daily life and improved health literacy of diabetic patients are necessary to increase the quality of T2DM care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

Objectives: By the end of the 2000s, the economic situation in many European countries started to deteriorate, generating financial uncertainty, social insecurity and worse health status. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the recent financial crisis has affected the lifestyle health determinants and behaviours of older adults living in the Mediterranean islands. Methods: From 2005 to 2015, a population-based, multi-stage convenience sampling method was used to voluntarily enrol 2749 older adults (50% men) from 20 Mediterranean islands and the rural area of the Mani peninsula. Lifestyle status was evaluated as the cumulative score of four components (range, 0 to 6), that is, smoking habits, diet quality (MedDietScore), depression status (Geriatric Depression Scale) and physical activity. Results: Older Mediterranean people enrolled in the study from 2009 onwards showed social isolation and increased smoking, were more prone to depressive symptoms, and adopted less healthy dietary habits, as compared to their counterparts participating earlier in the study (p<0.05), irrespective of age, gender, several clinical characteristics, or socioeconomic status of the participants (an almost 50% adjusted increase in the lifestyle score from before 2009 to after 2009, p<0.001). Conclusions: A shift towards less healthy behaviours was noticeable after the economic crisis had commenced. Public health interventions should focus on older adults, particularly of lower socioeconomic levels, in order to effectively reduce the burden of cardiometabolic disease at the population level.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.521-532
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• 2005

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) continues to rise in industrialized countries related to Western lifestyle, including dietary habits, especially imbalance of intake of dietary fatty acids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary fatty acids and the assess the blood fatty acid composition and immune parameters in AD patients. AD (n = 50) patients and gender ${\cdot}$ age matched healthy controls (HC) were studied in case-control clinical trail. Current fatty acids intake status was determined by 3-day food record method. Blood sample were collected from 30 subjects in each group and blood fatty acid composition and immune parameters were analysed. AD patients consumed less PUFA and their n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was higher than that of HC. Both the ratios of PUFA and MUFA were positively correlated with SCORAD in AD patients (p < 0.05). In the AD patients, there were abnormalities in the fatty acid composition of the RBC and WBC, SFA being significantly high and most n-3 PUFA being significantly low. Moreover, both the ratios of EPA and DHA in WBC were negatively correlated with dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in AD patients (p < 0.05). Serum total IgE and IL-4 levels of AD patients increased significantly compared with the levels of HC (p < 0.01). Ratios of monocyte and eosinophil in WBC of AD patients increased significantly compared with the levels of HC including total WBC count (p < 0.01), and ratios of Iymphocyte and basophil in WBC of AD patients decreased significantly compared with the levels of HC (p < 0.05). Moreover, the ratios of eosinophil in WBC were positively correlated with dietary P/M ratio (p < 0.05), and the ratios of monocyte in WBC were positively correlated with n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (p < 0.05) in AD patients. This results indicated that AD patients had significantly high intake of dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA compared with HC. Imbalance of intake of dietary fatty acids affected fatty acid compositions in the RBC and WBC, and these lead to immune imbalance and grow worse of AD.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2001

The aim of this study was to determine the association between, smoking, exercise, sex, and dietary carotenoids ($\alpha$-carotene, $\beta$-carotene, $\beta$-cryptoxanthin, lutein + zeaxanthin, lycopne) intake in Korean middle-aged adults. Food-frequency questionnaire were analyzed from 304 healthy adults (115 men, 189 women) aged 20 - 59. The self-administered questionnaire contained subject s habitual diet and alcohol intake were the previous 3 months. Data on frequency of 102 foods, including vegetables, fruits, beverages and legumes were analyzed. Total dietary carotenoids intake were 27.13 $\pm$ 3.09 mg/d for men and 26.71$\pm$ 2.82 mg/d for women. It was found that smoking had no significant contribution to the dietary intake of carotenoids. Among other lifestyle factors that had significant correlation was the amount of exercise time. The increases in exercise time was associated with increase in carotenoids intake (r= 0.121, p : 0.04). The major contributors of $\alpha$-carotene and $\beta$-carotene were carrots consumed as single-food item or carrot juice. Lutein and Zeaxanthin intake mainly came from spinach and most lycopene intake was derived from tomato products not fresh tomatoes. Persimmon was the major contributor of $\beta$-cryptoxanthin. These findings provide valuable information on understanding the unique pattern of dietary intake of Korean, which might help identify the risks for developing various diseases.