• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.233-247
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe the development process of the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: The components of KHEI were selected based on Dietary Guidelines for Koreans, domestic and overseas dietary quality indices, and results of the analysis of association with chronic diseases. The standards for scoring of KHEI were selected based on the 2015 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRI). The KHEI scores of Korean adults were calculated using a 1-day 24-h recall data in the 2013-2015 KNHANES. RESULTS: The KHEI included eight adequacy components evaluating the proper intake of recommended foods such as fruit, vegetable, and milk and three moderation components evaluating the consumption of food that limit intake such as sodium and saturated fatty acid. In addition, three balance components assessing the balance of energy intake were included. The KHEI score was defined to range from the minimum of 0 point to the maximum of 100 points. Among Korean adults, the total KHEI score was 63.2 out of 100. Gender and age differences were found in the average of total KHEI scores. Women showed higher score than men (61.7 in men and 64.7 in women, respectively). By age group, 20s and 30s showed the lowest scores with 57.4 and 61.1 respectively, and the scores increased with age by peaking at 67.8 in ages 60-69 and slowed down again in ages 70 or over. CONCLUSIONS: The KHEI can be useful for establishing and assessing national nutritional policies and in epidemiological studies to assess the relationship between overall dietary quality and chronic diseases. KHEI will need to be continuously updated to reflect changes in dietary guidelines and the KDRI.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
• /
• v.22 no.8
• /
• pp.172-181
• /
• 2016

This study evaluated the satisfaction and healthy eating index of nutrition-plus program providing nutritional supplements to pregnancy, lactating women, infant and children. This program was carried out at Public Healthcare Center, Seodaemun-gu in Seoul from February 2014 to June 2014. The subject selected among applicants for low income family financing of the government included 159 subjects. There was no statistically significant difference for degree of satisfaction with supplementary food by age, but the degree tends to get higher at lower age. Degree of satisfaction with supplementary food by the duration for participation was shown higher as the duration gets longer. For questions of 'Do you check nutrition label?' and 'Do you preserve food as described at food label?' in healthy eating index evaluation, the scores appeared higher at younger age group as they check the nutrition label more. Also as the duration for participation gets longer, the scores appeared higher which can be interpreted as effect of nutrition education from Nutrition-Plus. Frequency of having breakfast gets lower at higher age of subjects. And it gets higher as the duration for participation gets longer even though that there's no difference between '3 to 4 months' and '5 to 8 months' of the duration of participation. For evaluation of food security in recent 1 year, 86.8% of subjects responded 'Food sufficiency' and 'Enough but not always the kinds of food we want', and there is no difference by age and the duration of participation. As a result of this research, it is shown that the subjects of nutrition support project are relatively satisfied with the support. And healthy eating index gets improved as the duration of participation gets longer which can be considered as effect of nutrition education. It seems to be necessary to keep nutrition education as well as food support so to perform food life education on appropriate purchase and consumption of food.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.322-328
• /
• 2011

The aim of this study was to use the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005) to assess diet quality and determine the relationship between the HEI-2005 and the energy and nutrient intakes of adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,104 healthy adolescents, mean age of $15.8{\pm}1.24$ years. Dietary intake was measured with the 24-hour dietary recall method, and dietary quality was assessed by means of the HEI-2005. Diet quality scores ranged from 23.7 to 77.5. The mean score was found to be $51.5{\pm}9.07$ according to the HEI-2005. There were no differences according to gender, 42.8% had a poor diet and 57.2% had a diet that needs improvement. No subjects had a "good diet". Lower mean subgroup scores were found for whole grains, total vegetables, total fruits, dairy products, and meat and beans. Fruits and vegetables scores were significantly high in girls, whereas sodium, oil, and meat and beans scores were significantly high in boys. Total HEI-2005 scores were increasingly associated with parental education level when age and gender were adjusted. There was a negative correlation between HEI-2005 scores and age, total energy intake, and fat intake. Positive correlation was only observed in the HEI-2005 scores for protein and dietary fibre intakes. Consequently, the overall diet quality and nutritional habits of Turkish adolescents need modification and improvement. In the family, measures should be initiated by the government, including advertisements and campaigns.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.250-266
• /
• 2024

This study examined the sociodemographic and anthropometric data, health-related habits, physical activity, and scores of the Korean Healthy Eating Index according to the obesity of youths aged 19~39 years. Among the subjects of the 2020~2021 Korean National Health and Examination Survey, 2,954 were analyzed. Statistical analyses were used for complex samples using the SPSS software package. The marital status (P<0.001) and economic activity status (P<0.01) of male youth (MY) and the household income level (P<0.01), education level (P<0.01), and economic activity status (P<0.05) of female youth (FY) showed significant differences according to obesity. In MY and FY, age (P<0.001), perceived health status (P<0.001), self-recognized body image (P<0.001), weight change (P<0.001), and weight control (P<0.001) showed significant differences according to the obesity. The prevalence of hypertension (P<0.001), diabetes (P<0.001), hypertriglyceridemia (P<0.001), and hypercholesterolemia (MY P<0.05, FY P<0.001) in MY and FY showed significant differences according to obesity. In MY, the obese group performed higher leisure-related medium-intensity physical activity (P<0.05) than the control group. In FY, the obese group had more stress (P<0.01), lower scores of total fruit intake (P<0.01), fresh fruit intake (P<0.01), and milk and milk products intake (P<0.05) and higher scores of percentages of energy from saturated fatty acid (P<0.05) and total sugar (P<0.05) than the control group. Therefore, the factors associated with obesity in youth differ according to sex, and health promotion programs specified by sex are needed to prevent youth obesity effectively.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.316-329
• /
• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between dietary quality based on the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI), and the prevalence of chronic conditions among middle-aged individuals (40-60 yrs of age) living alone. MATERIALS/METHODS: The participants were selected (1,517 men and 2,596 women) from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2016-2018 and classified into single-person households (SPH) and multi-person households (MPH). Nutrient intake, KHEI, and the prevalence of chronic conditions were compared according to household size. The odds ratios (ORs) of chronic conditions were analyzed according to the tertile levels of KHEI by gender within each household size category. RESULTS: Men in SPH had a significantly lower total KHEI score (P < 0.0001) and a lower prevalence of obesity (OR, 0.576) than those in MPH. For men, the adjusted ORs for obesity, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia in the first tertile (T1) of KHEI scores within SPH compared with the third tertile (T3) were 4.625, 3.790, and 4.333, respectively. Moreover, the adjusted OR for hypertriglyceridemia in the T1 group compared to the T3 group within the MPH was 1.556. For women, the adjusted ORs for obesity and hypertriglyceridemia in T1 compared to T3 within the SPH were 3.223 and 7.134, respectively, and 1.573 and 1.373 for obesity and hypertension, respectively, within MPH. CONCLUSIONS: A healthy eating index was associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions in middle-aged adults. Greater adherence to a healthy eating index could lower the risk of chronic conditions in middle-aged adults living alone.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.516-527
• /
• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association of depressive symptoms, stress perception, and suicidal ideation with overall dietary quality using the newly developed Korean healthy eating index (KHEI). SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 9,607 adults (3,939 men and 5,668 women, ≥ 19 years) who participated in the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 and 2015. The KHEI scores were calculated using the food frequency questionnaire data. Survey logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the association between psychiatric distress and dietary quality. RESULTS: The percentage of subjects with experience of depressive mood, higher stress perception, and suicidal ideation was 8.2%, 25.0%, and 3.7% in men and 15.4%, 27.3%, and 6.0% in women, respectively. The mean KHEI score was 61.5 ± 0.29 in men and 64.8 ± 0.24 in women (P < 0.001). The present study found a difference in the adherence to specific dietary components of the KHEI between sexes. Men experiencing depressive symptoms were less likely to eat meat, fish, eggs, and beans, while depressed women showed lower vegetable intake. Both men and women with suicidal ideation showed a lower intake of vegetables. The men with stress had a lower breakfast eating score than those without stress (7.21 vs. 6.77, P = 0.016). The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for depressive symptoms, stress perception, and the suicidal idea in women with the highest quartile of KHEI scores compared to the lowest quartile was 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.92), 0.73 (0.58-0.82), and 0.52 (0.33-0.82), respectively and significant dose-response associations were observed (P for trends < 0.05 for all). On the other hand, these associations were not observed in men after adjusting for the confounding variables (P for trends > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Poor adherence to dietary recommendations is associated with psychological distress, especially in women.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.36-45
• /
• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this studay was to compare the eating-related index and the patterns of pre- and post-prandial gut hormone level in normal-overweight and obese subjects of Taeemin population. Methods: We enrolled healthy male participants who were diagnosed with Taeeumin by Sasang Constitutional diagnosis and who were normal-overweight ($18.5kg/m^2{\leq}$body mass index [BMI)< $25kg/m^2$) or obese ($25.0kg/m^2{\leq}$BMI< $30kg/m^2$). Eating behavior and gastrointestinal problems were assessed by using standardized scale. Subjective appetite ratings using visual analogue scales and the profiling of serum levels of ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY) were assessed before and after a standard meal (6 time points: 30 minutes pre-prandial, immediately before meal, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes post-prandial). Results: Tewnty two healthy Taeeumin people classified as normal-overweight group or obese group are the final subjects. External eating score of Dutch eating behavior questionaire scores is higher in normal-overweight group than in obese group. The variations of subjective appetite ratings in obese group are smaller than in normal-overweight group. The pattern of ghrelin in normal-overweight group shows a high peak at 30 minutes post-prandial point, which is contrary to existing studies. The pattern of PYY in obese group decreases from 15 minutes post-prandial point and shows lower peak level, whereas in normal-overweight group shows increasing tendency from pre-prandial point until 30 minutes post-prandial point. Conclusions: There are differences in the eating-related index and the gut hormone patterns related to obesity.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.116-125
• /
• 2023

The present study sought to examine the association between an infant's anthropometric outcomes with maternal Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Alternate Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy (AHEI-P) scores during the third trimester of pregnancy. This prospective cohort study was applying 130 pregnant women, at the pregnancy training center in west Tehran, Iran (November 2020 to July 2021). The maternal dietary intake, and body mass index (BMI), and social economic level were evaluated. The data about birth weight, birth height, head circumference, and, gestational age at birth were extracted from each child's health records. The ultimate sample included 122 (93.8%) pairs of women/newborn children. The participants, mean age was 28.13 ± 4.66 years with gestational age between 28 to 40 weeks and the mean of BMI was 24.62 ± 3.51. Our outcomes, after adjustment for confounding factors, suggested that those newborn infants in the highest quartile of maternal DII score had a significantly lower weight (p < 0.001) and height (p = 0.05), in comparison to those in the lowest quartile, but not head circumference (p = 0.18). Moreover, after adjustment for confounding factors, results suggested that those newborn infants in the First quartile of maternal AHEI-P score had a significantly lower weight (p = 0.018) and, in comparison to those in the higher quartile. It appears that newborn infants with lower maternal DII and higher AHEI-P scores may have a better anthropometric outcome. Further longitudinal and in-depth qualitative and quantitative studies, with a longer-term follow-up, is warranted to support the integrity of our outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.273-280
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The study aimed to examine whether healthy diet score was associated with stress and social support among 472 Chinese college students in Korea. Methods: The study participants were 472 (187 male, 285 female) Chinese college students in Gyeong-gi area. From April 2013 to Oct 2013, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires on healthy diet score (20 questions), stress (20 questions), and social support (20 questions). Each question was scored by a 5-point Likert scale (total scores of each questionnaire were ranged from 20 to 100). Questions on healthy diet were sub-categorized as 'Healthy food eating (HFE)', 'Healthy eating habits (HEH)', and 'Avoidance of unhealthy food (AUF)'. Reliability test was conducted with Cronbach's ${\alpha}lpha$ (${\alpha}=0.79$). Results: Healthy diet score was higher in participants who stayed longer in Korea, who spoke Korean language fluently, and who assessed his or her own health status as very good. Adjusted means of healthy diet scores were estimated after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, duration of staying, and Korean language fluency. According to tertile categories, participants with low tertile stress but high tertile social support showed the highest score of healthy diet ($72.59{\pm}1.45$), whereas participants with high tertile of stress but low tertile of social support had the lowest score of healthy diet ($59.22{\pm}1.54$). As for the three sub-categories of healthy diet score, the score of HFE increased as the score of social support increased. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that social support system is beneficial to alleviate stress and to improve healthy diet score.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.135-142
• /
• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study assessed household food security status and determined its association with diet quality and weight status among indigenous women from the Mah Meri tribe in Peninsular Malaysia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The Radimer/Cornell Hunger and Food Insecurity Instrument and the Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (HEI) were used to assess household food security status and diet quality, respectively. Information on socio-demographic characteristics and 24-hour dietary recall data were collected through face-to-face interview, and anthropometric measurements including weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were obtained from 222 women. RESULTS: Majority of households (82.9%) experienced different levels of food insecurity: 29.3% household food insecurity, 23.4% individual food insecurity, and 30.2% fell into the child hunger group. The food-secure group had significantly fewer children and smaller household sizes than the food-insecure groups (P < 0.05). The mean household income, income per capita, and food expenditure significantly decreased as food insecurity worsened (P < 0.001). The food-secure group had significantly higher Malaysian HEI scores for grains and cereals (P < 0.01), as well as for meat, poultry, and eggs (P < 0.001), than the food-insecure groups. The child-hunger group had significantly higher fat (P < 0.05) and sodium (P < 0.001) scores than the food-secure and household food-insecure groups. Compared to the individual food-insecure and child-hunger groups, multivariate analysis of covariance showed that the food-secure group was significantly associated with a higher Malaysian HEI score while the household food-insecure group was significantly associated with a higher BMI after controlling for age (P < 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of indigenous households faced food insecurity. Food insecurity at the individual and child levels was associated with lower quality of diet, while food insecurity at the household level was associated with higher body weight. Therefore, a substantial effort by all stakeholders is warranted to improve food insecurity among poorer households. The results suggest a pressing need for nutritional interventions to improve dietary intake among low income households.