• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.190-205
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumption of health functional foods according to age group. We surveyed 300 subjects with quota sampling aged 10 to 50 and over. The rate of consumption of health functional foods by users was substantial (52.7%). Consumers of health functional foods showed higher scores for interest in health (3.97 vs 3.49, P<0.001) and knowledge of health functional foods (3.79 vs 3.30, P<0.001) than non-consumers of health functional foods. Regarding consumers of health functional foods, the number (P<0.01) and types (P<0.05) of health functional foods, reasons for taking (P<0.05), motivations for buying (P<0.05), periods of taking (P<0.001), cost per month (P<0.01), observance of instruction (P<0.01), and effectiveness (P<0.01) were significantly different according to age group. For non-consumers of health functional foods, reasons for not-taking (P<0.01) and types of health functional foods to be planned (P<0.001) were different according to age group. For consumers and non-consumers, problems (P<0.01) andimprovements (P<0.001) for health functional foods showed significant differences according to age group. The majority of subjects (85.4%) answered that heath functional foods had no side-effects. Reported side effects were inappetence (6.6%), constipation (2.6%), and headache (2.0%). In conclusion, differentiated strategies and specialized education programs according to age group might be needed for promoting adequate consumption and preventing side-effects of health functional foods.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.272-278
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• 2005

The object of this study was to examine attitudes and knowledge of Korean dieticians about functional foods. We investigated their perceived knowledge and their attitudes regarding risks versus benefits, and recommendation about the use of functional foods; as well as their frequency of personal use, and the educational supports and training needs of dieticians. We developed a questionnaire to assess the dieticians' attitudes related to functional foods. This questionnaire was used for characterizing functional food-related attitudes on the basis of factor and reliability analysis in the following study. The questionnaires were distributed to 802 practicing dieticians working in Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo. A total of 244 respondents (mean age $34\pm5.7$ years) returned the completed questionnaires through online surveys. Descriptive statistics and ANOV A were used to analyze data. Fewer than $2\%$ of dieticians claimed themselves to be knowledgeable about functional foods, more than $79\%$ consumed functional foods more than once a week, and $88\%$ of dieticians expressed an interest in receiving training about functional foods. Dieticians had favorable attitudes about the rewards from functional foods but were not confident about the safety and usage recommedation of these foods. The level of knowledge and educational support at their universities about functional foods affected the dieticians' attitudes regarding the rewards from and recommendation about the use of functional foods. These results suggest a need for additional educational opportunities to facilitate a better understanding of the risks and benefits of functional foods and their proper usage. Dietetics professionals must adapt to changes in health practices through effective educational programs integrating sufficient knowledge about functional foods.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.23-36
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• 2021

Objectives: This study sought to assess the prevalence and duration of weight-control or health functional food use, associated weight-control behavior, perception, and knowledge among university students. Methods: The subjects were 442 university students in Cheonju, Korea, and data was collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Both χ2 and t-tests were conducted for categorical and mean comparisons. Results: An estimated 62.7% (female 69.0%, male 54.8%) had ever attempted weight-control. Among these, an estimated 59.2% of females and 38.9% of males had used weight-control or health functional foods with significant gender difference. The weight-control foods commonly used included chicken breast, protein powder, low-fat milk and soymilk, and meal replacement drinks, while garcinia cambogia extract and green tea extract were frequently used as health functional foods. One of 10 (10.3%) consumers of weight-control foods reported ≥ 7 months use, with less frequent long-term consumption of health functional foods (4.2%). The average degree of satisfaction was 3.24 ± 0.92 for weight-control foods and 2.72 ± 0.97 for health functional foods on a 5-point scale, meaning 'slightly satisfied' and 'slightly dissatisfied', respectively. Females or students with an experience of weight-control reported poorer perceptions of their health and body image as well as a higher need for weight control. Besides, both male and female subjects felt a high need for correct information regarding weight-control methods. Conclusions: Our results provide a better understanding of the characteristics associated with the use of weight-control or health functional foods among university students and will be useful in developing a nutrition education program by incorporating correct body image, knowledge, and practical yet desirable practices for weight control.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.832-838
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to identify the status of health functional food consumption of working women. The 558 subjects of the study were aged between 10-60 years, and had previous experiences of consuming health functional foods. The majority of the subjects lived in Seoul, and some lived in the Gyeonggi Province. The most prevalent goals that the subjects hoped to achieve by consuming health functional foods were improvement of physical health status and reduction of exhaustion. Other goals included supplement of nutrition, and prevention or treatment of diseases. Those who were older or who possessed a high BMI spent more expenses on health functional foods, and showed a higher intake frequency as well as longer periods of consumption. Subjects placed in the older group showed a lower level of knowledge related to functional foods, which turned out to be statistically significant. Most of the respondents answered that their knowledge related to functional foods was picked up from listening to others. In conclusion, we were able to observe that groups with elder working women and high BMI show higher consumption and expense rates of health functional foods, as well as longer periods of consumption. However, they show a minimum level of knowledge related to functional foods. According to our results, these subjects should seek practical help in order to select functional foods that will aid their health, and learn the proper method of consumption. In order to reduce inaccurate consumption of health functional foods, it is imperative that more in-depth study is carried out in this field.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.758-771
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• 2012

This research contains awareness of antioxidant and intakes of antioxidant foods for the present evaluate college students in Seoul, 375 patients were investigated. The subjects, the woman college student more than male's responded, showed a uniform distribution in the allowance, grade and the most type of residence is living apart from their family. All male and female college students recognize a lot about health, but male college students had higher than female students interested in the health, on the other hand, female college students had higher than male college students for the health efforts for the promotion of a healthy. Awareness about the oxide and active oxygen is moderate level, but knowledge about active oxygen is low level, they responded that active oxygen was caused when received stress or do strenuous exercise. General Health Functional Foods recognized that the usual intake, but intake of antioxidant was when the activity was caused by active oxygen. They recognized that the antioxidant effect is anti-aging and vitamin, wine and tea, were perceived as antioxidant foods, are popularly known. Usually, people was initially recognized through the internet in university or high school, they desire to obtain information was high but the effort to gain understanding and knowledge about antioxidant are relatively low. The result of comparing the difference of natural antioxidant foods and antioxidant healthy functional foods, recognizes of effects and absorption rate are similar, but recognizes that natural food intake is better recognition in the economics and health functional food is better recognition in the easy intake and nature foods was more preferred than functional foods because of nature friendly. Trying to intake of antioxidant foods is low, but people is expected anti-aging and fatigue recovery through the intake of antioxidant food. People think that intake is irrelevant to the season, but summer is higher than other seasons. Showed that efficacy perceptions about health supplements are higher, but efficacy perceptions about antioxidant health supplements when ingested are at a moderate level, which is lower, due to low antioxidant for understanding. Antioxidant functional health food intake will be affected the gifts or the people around them and purchase is also more influenced by surround people than themselves. So showed that most college students prefer natural antioxidant foods than antioxidant health supplements, in case of ingested antioxidant health supplements also showed that it was consumed by surround people than personal will.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.27-39
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• 2011

Many Koreans have been interested in health functional foods(HHFs). Use of health functional foods is growing rapidly. This study aims to identify the determinants of HFFs use focusing on health related factors. The subjects were 24,626 samples from Korea Health Panel in 2008. The subjects were divided into two group: under the 20 years old and 20 old and over. The logistic regression model was used to examine influence of health-related factors on use of HFFs for each group. About thirty percent of the subjects have used HFFs. The larger family size, higher education level of parents, more stable economic status and chronic diseases were positively related to use more HFFs in younger 20 years old. Higher education level, more stable economic status, chronic diseases were more likely to use HFFs in 20 years of age and over. Health related factors such as disability, chronic diseases, admission, and physician visit affect the use of HFFs in both groups. We confirmed that health related factors as well as socio-demographic and economic factors affect use of HFFs. In-depth knowledge about relationship between health related factors and HFFs is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.1112-1121
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate intake status and recognition of health functional foods by pre- and post-menopausal women in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. Survey questions were administered to 400 women around menopausal period, and data analysis was completed using the SPSS window program. Thirty-three percent of women recognized that they are healthy, and 47.1% of respondents are concerned with maintaining their health. However, respondents showed a low level of knowledge about the definition of menopause and health functional foods. Health concerns of respondents were significantly affected by marital status and level of education (P<0.05). Purchasing and intake of health functional foods was also significantly affected by health concerns and menopause symptoms (P<0.05). Twenty-nine percent of participants had taken health functional foods to prevent disease. However, most of them (85.9%) showed no knowledge of the main components of functional foods. In addition, knowledge associated with menopause and functional foods was affected by the level of education. The respondents' health concern, and thus purchase and intake frequencies of health functional foods, were affected by level of education. 'Effect of functional foods' was a top priority when respondents purchased health functional foods. The respondents answered black bean and pomegranate as foods that relieve menopause symptoms. However, they actually showed high intake frequency of black beans than pomegranate due to the high accessibility of black beans. The results of this study show that educational support for dietary guidelines is needed for middle-aged woman to be healthy after menopause.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Increasing knowledge on the link between diet and human health has generated a lot of interest in the development of functional foods. However, several challenges, including discovering of beneficial compounds, establishing optimal intake levels, and developing adequate food delivering matrix and product formulations, need to be addressed. A number of new processes and materials derived from nanotechnology have the potential to provide new solutions in many of these fronts. Nanotechnology is concerned with the manipulation of materials at the atomic and molecular scales to create structures that are less than 100 nm in size in one dimension. By carefully choosing the molecular components, it seems possible to design particles with different surface properties. Several food-based nanodelivery vehicles, such as protein-polysaccharide coacervates, multiple emulsions, liposomes and cochleates have been developed on a laboratory scale, but there have been very limited applications in real food systems. There are also public concerns about potential negative effects of nanotechnology-based delivery systems on human health. This paper provides an overview of the new opportunities and challenges for nanotechnology-based systems in future functional food development.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.11
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• pp.41-51
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• 2008

Dietary supplements are used by more than one-half of the adult US population. By contrast, herbal products in Germany are carefully regulated by the same standards as drugs, and efforts are under way to standardize their regulation in the entire European Union. Most herbal users do not inform their physicians that they are taking these supplements, and most physicians do not inquire. Although some herbal products have clinically proven benefits, it is increasingly apparent that many contain potentially toxic substances, particularly in relation to interactions with drugs. Hence, it is essential that practicing physicians develop a working knowledge of herbals-specifically, about claims for their usage and potential or proven efficacies and toxicities-and that they incorporate such knowledge into the evaluation and management of their patients. By contrast, functional foods-integral components of the diet that are understood to contribute added health benefits-are the subject of intense and widespread research in food and nutritional science. Examples include many polyphenolic substances, carotenoids, soy isoflavones, fish oils, and components of nuts that possess antioxidant and other properties that decrease the risk of vascular diseases and cancer. Practicing physicians are advised to stay abreast of these emerging findings in order to best advise their patients on the value of health-promoting diets in disease prevention.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the changes in the eating habits and lifestyle of middle-aged women in Gwangju during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 428 middle-aged women aged between 40 and 60 participated in a survey relating to general information, food and lifestyle, health functional food, and menopausal symptoms. The correlation between the variables was analyzed. Results: In the positive habits, the intake of nutritional supplements for immunity enhancement increased the most, followed by the use of media to learn healthy eating tips, and diets including healthy food. Negative habits increased in the order of frequency of taking delivery orders, levels of stress or anxiety, and time spent sitting or watching movies. In the case of recommended foods, the intake increased the most in the order of eggs, fruits, vegetables, milk/dairy products, and seaweed. Non-recommended foods increased in the order of meat, bread, rice, and noodles. The awareness of health functional foods was in the increasing order of interest, knowledge, consumption experience, and purchase amount. The type of health functional food intake was in the increasing order of probiotics, multivitamin and mineral supplements, vitamin C, collagen, and omega-3. Menopausal symptoms were in the increasing order of bone and joint pain, poor sleep quality, emotional ups and downs, loneliness, and feeling of emptiness. In the correlation of major variables, positive habits showed a significant positive correlation with recommended food intake and the recognition of health functional foods. Negative habits showed a significant positive correlation with non-recommended food intake and a significant positive correlation with menopausal symptoms. Recommended food intake showed a significant positive correlation with health functional food recognition and intake and menopausal symptoms. Conclusions: This study suggests that it is necessary to establish social measures to reduce the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on middle-aged women and to ensure effective self-management through a healthy lifestyle since the pandemic has a long-term impact.