• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.166-176
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• 2009

This study was performed to develop dietary education programs for children, by researching the actual conditions of dietary education and its demand aimed at teachers in child centers in Masan. Most of the interviewed teachers were in their 20s(71%) with under 5 years teaching experiences(56.8%), and working in a kindergarten environment(34.9%). The rate of doing dietary education on mealtime was 96.4%. The main items taught pertained to 'not leaving food(20.6%)' and 'washing hands before meals(20.5%)'. The primary teaching method for students with unbalanced eating habits was 'eating after teaching them to understood(76.8%). The primary reward for good behavior was 'using food(76.8%)', usually as 'candy'(50.8%) or 'cookies'(25.8%). The desirable dietary education type was 'during spare moments(52.6%)' and 'at mealtime (23.5%)'. The concepts taught were 'balanced eating(23.2%)' and 'food hygiene(21.2%), and the students were interested in 'the roles of foods and nutrients'(34.5%), 'balanced eating(20.9%)', and 'food hygiene(19.1%)'. Educational activities encompassed 'pictures and drawing(25.7%)', 'fairy tales(23.4%)', 'songs(19.4%)', and 'play(14.1%)'. Also, the activities of most interest were 'fairy tales(29.4%)', 'play(24.4%)', and then 'songs(23.1%)'. The greatest difficulties during dietary education were 'attracting interest from the children(37.8%)' and 'making and purchasing materials(33.9%)'. Approximately, 44.2% of the teachers had experiences in dietary education, and 96.4% stated teachers had the intention to participate in dietary education. They want to address 'child meal direction(23.0%)', 'health problems(22.7%)', and then 'child nutrient requirements (17.3%)'. Also the majority wanted it two times per year(57.6%) or one time per year(30.9%). This study indicated that proper dietary education must be established in child centers by developing various practical dietary education programs and then implementing them.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the eating behavior, growth, and dietary practices of children aged 3~5 years living in the Seoul and Gyeonggi Provinces. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 237 mothers of preschool children between April and June 2018. Z-scores for weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age were calculated to determine the children's growth status. Dietary practices were evaluated using the nutrition quotient for Korean preschoolers (NQ-P). Results: In our study, 29.5% of children were in the eating-small-amounts group, 46.8% of children were in the neophobic behavior group, and 61.2% of children were in the refusal-of-specific food group. Specific foods found to have a high frequency of rejection are listed in descending order as follows: shellfish, soy, mushroom, shrimp, vegetables, milk, eggs, yogurt, seaweed, meat, fruits, and fish. The eating-small-amounts group had lower Z-scores for weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age than the non-picky eaters' group. Compared to the non-picky eaters' group, the eating-small-amounts group of picky eaters had lower scores on the moderation and environment items of the NQ-P, the neophobic behavior group had lower scores on the balance and environment items of the NQ-P, and the refusal-of-specific food group had lower scores on the balance, moderation, and environment items of the NQ-P. Conclusions: Children classified with picky eating behavior had lower growth and development, lower diet diversity, less balanced food intake, and had greater difficulty in abstaining from eating unhealthy foods than non-picky eaters. Therefore, a lot of patience and intensive efforts are needed to encourage children to encounter, experience, and accept unfamiliar food. It is more effective to provide eating behavior guidance by gently encouraging children, than by being strict and forceful. Besides, since the eating behavior of children is influenced maximally by the dietary lifestyle at their homes, it is important to ensure that a healthy dietary lifestyle is maintained at home.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.430-441
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between school administrator support as perceived by nutrition teachers (dietitians) and job satisfaction in order to provide data concerning efficient job performance of nutrition teachers, to determine effects of school administrator support on job satisfaction in nutrition teachers, and to provide basic data that could help improve school meals. Major supporters of nutrition teachers (dietitians) were chief administrators (55.3%), principals (27.2%), assistant principals (15.0%), and managers in charge (2.4%). Nutrition teachers (dietitians) scored 3.38 for perception of school administrator support, 3.66 for emotional support, 3.27 for informational support, 3.22 for instrumental support, and 3.11 for evaluation support. Support of nutrition teachers (dietitians) by school managers included emotional support (3.66)>informational support (3.27)>instrumental support (3.22)>evaluative support (3.11). Nutrition teachers (dietitians) scored 3.37 for job satisfaction, as follows: work performance (4.19)>interpersonal relationships (3.39)>job satisfaction in general (3.37)>job itself (3.29)>job environment (3.07)>performance rating and benefits system (2.70). Statistically significant correlation was observed between perception of school administrator support and job satisfaction (r= .771, p< .01). Therefore, school administrators are necessary to provide evaluative supports to nutrition teachers (dietitians), performance assessment, employee benefit packages, and improvement of school meal plans and quality.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 2017

Purpose: School meal programs should be part of the educational process to promote good eating habits for students. The purpose of this study was to develop an evaluation scale for educational school meal programs and evaluate the achievement level of educational school meal programs using the developed scale. Methods: The evaluation scale for educational school meal programs consisted of 23 items in eight categories and was developed using content validity ratio (CVR) analysis and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) by 15 related experts. The results of a survey on nutrition teachers or dietitians at 91 elementary, middle, and high schools in Gyeonggi province, South Korea were analyzed to evaluate the achievement levels of educational school meal programs. Results: Overall, total average score was 45.7 out of 100, with significant differences among schools (p = 0.005). Elementary schools (51.9) showed a higher average score than middle (41.5) and high schools (37.1). The score for the category of regular nutrition and dietary education was the lowest (5.7 out of 33.7). In addition, school meal environment (5 out of 10), educational activities through school meal time (9.2 out of 19), and extra-curricular experiential activities (3.5 out of 10) also showed inadequate levels. Conclusion: The results show that the overall level of educational school meal programs is not adequate and needs to be improved, especially at middle and high schools. Government support polices need to be implemented to encourage educational activities related to school meal programs.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.165-177
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• 2015

Objectives: Based on individual and environmental characteristics of low-income children, we developed a nutrition education program for school-aged children from low-income families according to effective use in social welfare centers. Methods: We conducted in-depth group interviews to assess program needs in 28 participants, 10 low-income school-aged children and 9 of their care givers, 9 social workers and 9 care-givers. Theoretical backgrounds of our program were heath belief model and social cognitive theory considering motivation, action and environment characteristics. Results: Based on the findings of this qualitative study, we developed major program themes and contents. Five selected key themes were 'balanced diet', 'processed food', 'food hygiene and safety', 'Korean healthy traditional diet', and 'family cooking' to induce changes in dietary behaviors. Main findings of in-depth group interviews included 'child's active participation', 'simple and easy to understand messages', and 'environmental constraints' such as a lack of child care at home, limited budget of social welfare centers, and less qualified educators for nutrition and health. Each lesson was constructed as a 1-hour program particularly emphasizing activity-based programs, including cooking and teamwork exercises. Program contents in each session consisted of activities that could induce outcome and value expectations, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and barriers and cues to actions regarding diet behavior. Conclusions: We developed a nutrition education programthat is rarely available for low-income children in Korea, considering theoretical bases. Further studies are needed to validate our program.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.59-72
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• 2001

This study investigated the effects of factors on the academic achievement in the 'Food and Nutrition' units in the Practical Arts : factors such as gender. family and home environment. and participation in. interest in attitude toward. and encouragement by mother in meal management. The factors were surveyed for 453 grade four elementary students (226 boys and 227 girls) and their mothers in Busan. The extent of participation in meal management. of interest. of attitude. and of the mother's encouragement was broken into three groups. Upon completing the 'Table Setting with Fruits'unit. the students'academic achievements were evaluated and compared according to these factors. The results were as follows : 1. The girls participated in meal management more frequently than the boys. Most of the children exhibited a high interest. the girls showing a higher interest than the boys. Both sexes showed a positive attitude toward meal management. Mothers encouraged girls more often than boys to manage meals at home. 2. The academic achievement of the girls was higher than that of the boys. Children living in apartments and more affluent environments scored higher than those who were less well off and living in independent households. 3. Those who frequently participated in meal management. exhibited a high interest. and showed a positive attitude towards it. achieved higher scores than those who showed a lower interest. less positive attitude. and only occasionally participated in it. 4. Those who were encouraged frequently to manage meals by their mother showed a tendency to score higher than those who wee encouraged only occasionally. In conclusion. academic achievement in the 'Food and Nutrition'units in Practical Arts was affected by gender. domestic economy. type of residence. participation in meal management in the home. interest in it. attitude toward it. and encouragement in participation by the other. Thus academic achievement in food. nutrition. and meal management is dependent upon both the school and home environments. Children would learn more in the 'Food and Nutrition'units when their parents set a positive and encouraging environment in the home.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2021

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the food behavior and vegetable preferences of elementary school students in the metropolitan areas of, South Korea. Five hundred and eighty students (277 male and 303 female) studying in grades 5~6 participated in the survey. We assessed food behavior by evauating the Nutrition Quotient (NQ). Through a questionnaire, which consisted of 20 food behavior checklist items. These items were grouped under five factors: balance, diversity, moderation, practice and environment. All data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. The average NQ score weighted using the five factors was 61.32 points. Among the five factors, moderation showed the lowest score, whereas environment showed the highest score. The average score of the vegetable preference was 3.36 points out of a total of 5 points. The vegetable preference was found to be highest for bean sprouts and followed by tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, Chinese cabbage, sesame leaf, pumpkin, carrot, radish, chives, lotus roots, onions, broccoli, sweet peppers, and eggplant. The results of vegetable preferences by NQ grade were 4.13±0.63 points for the high grade, 3.68±0.75 points for the medium-high grade, 3.41±0.82 points for the medium-low grade, and 2.94±0.78 points for the low grade. There was a significant positive correlation between NQ and vegetable preferences (r=0.477, P<0.001). If vegetables with high preference are frequently provided in school meals, it might contribute to improving overall food behavior.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.573-588
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• 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate various jobs and foodservice environments, as well as work performances of school foodservice dietitians and nutrition teachers in accordance to the years of service in Daejeon and Chungnam provinces. A survey was conducted among school foodservice dietitians and nutrition teachers; a total of 415 from selected elementary, middle and high schools in the areas. In this study, we surveyed the participants and analyzed the current state of general characteristics, status of their job environments and foodservice environments by frequency, and the averages and differences in work performance with regard to 12 work parts and 57 works using one-way ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range test according to the years of service. Six parts among 12 work parts were significantly different in work performance according to the years of service. The 6 work parts were menu (nutrition) management, utensil recovery and management, sanitation management, foodservice administration & evaluation, dietary habit guide, and other works. The 11-15 years group ranked as the top on the total score and means of work performance. While the 16-years or more group, 6-10 years group, and under 5 years group followed consecutively. Correlation analysis between job or foodservice environments and work performances showed that work performances of school dietitians were mostly influenced by employment status, education level, and annual salary among the variables of job or foodservice environments. Other works, dietary habit guides and menu management were mostly influenced by variables of job and foodservice environments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.646-658
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the differences in households, parental perception, and dietary behaviors of preschool children from kindergartens with environment-friendly food service (environment-friendly food service group; EFG) versus children from kindergartens with general food service (general food service group; GFG). We sought this basic information to examine the impact of environment-friendly agricultural products in preschool food services. Age, education level, and monthly family income of the EFG were significantly higher than the GFG. The frequency of purchasing environment-friendly agricultural products was significantly higher in the EFG than the GFG, with the most frequently purchased items in both groups being vegetables. The GFG had a significantly higher perception than the EFG in the superior quality of environment-friendly agricultural products; however, a greater proportion of the GFG than the EFG thought environment-friendly products were too expensive. The most frequent reason for purchasing environment-friendly agricultural products in both groups was safety. When purchasing environment-friendly agricultural products, the most important selection factor for the majority of both groups was the label certifying quality assurance. Both groups also considered price reduction as essential for promoting environment-friendly agricultural products. In regard to parental perceptions on food service in kindergarten, the EFG had a significantly higher satisfaction with the nutritional adequacy of the menu compared to the GFG. Both groups considered food safety and health as primary reasons for using environment-friendly foods in the preschool food service, with a greater proportion of the EFG than the GFG responding this way. There were significant differences between the EFG and GFG, as the main satisfaction from using environment-friendly foods in the EFG was safety, freshness, and good hygiene, whereas the main satisfaction in the GFG was a good food service menu, freshness and good hygiene. Dietary behaviors of preschool children in the EFG were also significantly superior to the GFG. Thus, environment-friendly agricultural products have positive effects on the dietary behaviors of preschool children and should be increased in the preschool food service. Lowering prices and a strict supervision of quality assurance is also necessary to promote consumption of environment-friendly food materials.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 1980

The main purposes of the nutrition and clinical surveys were to provide baseline information on the nutritional status of pre-school children in rural health demonstration project areas of the Korea Health Development Institute (KHDI) for nutrition guidance services for the MCH target group. The survey covered a total of 222 pre-school children and 135 mothers in Okgu Gun, Cholla Pukto Province from August 10 to August 17, 1979. The survey results are summarized as follows: 1) Family Environment Seventy percent of the households had more than three children, and the mean family sire was 6. Sixty-nine percent of the mothers and 47% of the fathers of the surveyed households were educated at or below the primary school level. The majority, 70% of the mothers, were aged between 20 years and 35 years. 2) Anthropometric Measurements and Hemoglobin Value 4.5% of the children were lower than 80% weight for age of the Korean standard, and 5.4% were lower than 85% arm circumference for age of the Jelliffe's standard resectively, and those were suffering from protein-energy malnutrition. Angular stomatitis were observed on 66.2% of the subjects. Mean hemoglobin value was 11.1g/100m1, and 44.2% of the subjects were categorized as anaemia. 3) Food and Nutrient Intake of animal foods was very low, ranging from 2.9 to 17%. Consumption of eggs was less than 2% of total food intake, and intake of legumes was also very scanty, between 0.8 to 3.7%. These data present evidence of very poor protein intake, quality as well as quantity. Energy intake of children was 60.0 to 64.4% of the recommended allowance, and mean protein intake only met 47.4% of the recommendation. Low intake of vitamins except thiamin were also found. 4) Mother's Nutrition Knowledge Eighty-five percent of the mothers were entirely ignorant regarding the 'five basic food group' which is most important fact on food and nutrition guidance. Mean knowledge score from 14 basic questions about food and nutrition was as low as 5.1. There was a significant positive correlation between mother's educational level and nutrition knowledge score. 5) Family Planning Variable There were significant correlation among maternal, family planning variables, and some of the nutritional and physical measurements. The study revealed that the mother's educational level and nutrition knowledge score are more crucial factors than the family planning variables on effecting food intakes on children. Recommendation : According to the results of the surveys, there were high incident rates of nutritional anaemia and angular stomatitis among pre-school children, and most of rural women had very limited knowledge about food and nutrition. As a main part of the health education activities, the community health workers should provide nutrition education to the village mothers to improve the nutrional status of young children in rural areas. Nutrional promotion at the primary health care level should be mainly based on appropriate nutrition education.