• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.25-42
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• 1976

In order to determine nutrition education needs and related problems, a study was conducted of children's dietary habits, focusing on parental influence and degree of agreement between parent and child on foods liked, accepted, or disliked, in addition to a general survey of food atiitudes. This study was conducted throughout a two-month period, June to July of 1974. One thousand children of both sexes, from the fifth grade, junior and senior high schools of Seoul city, and their 2,000 matched parents, were surveyed, Teachers distributed questionnaires in the classroom and assisted the children in answering. Questionnaires also were distributed to the parents through their children, after the teachers explained the procedure of study. As to the influence of parents' food preferences, the following conclusiolns can be reached, in light of the results of chi-square tests conducted: 1. Agreement between mother and child on food preference was much higher than that between father and child, regardless of sex or birth order of the child. This observed difference in degree of agreement was greatest for children in the middle birth order, and greater for girls than for boys. 2. Various food attitudes: a. Food preferences: Beef, milk, and mandoo (boiled or steamed, filled dumplings) were extremely well liked by all subjects, regardless of age or sex. Cucumber, lettuce, and spinach also were lied. Most disliked foods were fatty layers of pork and liver. Cooked rice in the too wet or too dry state and pork were low preference items. b. Socioeconomic background and dietary practice: Higher educational background of the wife and higher income level of the family were associated with greater knowledge of nutrition, and interest in family nutrition and in introducing new foods to the family. But use of food as prize or punishment was found, regardless of the mother's educational and economic status. c. Change of food habit: Over 70 percent of subject had changed ad improved their dietary habits, mostly by reason of husbands' and wives' mutual influence after marriage. This study emphasized the great importance of nutrition eudation for mothers, and their prominent role and responsility in guiding the family to better nutrition, whatever the mother's educational background.