• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.496-507
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• 2024

Purpose: This study examined the nutritional status and Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) scores pre- and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in elderly men and women living in rural areas. Methods: The participants were 1,747 rural elderly people aged 65 or older who participated in the nutritional survey of the 2018-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey. The nutrient intake was estimated from a 24-hour recall. Results: Following the COVID pandemic, the intake of fat, saturated fatty acids, and sodium increased in elderly men and women, whereas the intake of thiamine decreased. In elderly men, the intake of protein, niacin, and vitamin D decreased, but the sugar intake increased. In elderly women, the cholesterol intake increased. The KHEI score was significantly lower in rural elderly men and women after the pandemic than before (male: 62.60 ± 0.56 for the post-COVID-19 and 64.76 ± 0.75 for the pre-COVID-19, p < 0.05; female: 64.07 ± 0.80 for the post-COVID-19 and 64.47 ± 0.62 for the post-COVID-19, p < 0.001). Regarding the KHEI component, in men, the intake of meat, fish, and legumes, all sources of protein, decreased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. In women, the total food intake and the intake of breakfast decreased significantly after the pandemic. In the moderation components, men were unable to limit their total sugar and sodium intake, while women were unable to control their saturated fatty acids and sodium intake. Furthermore, considering the total KHEI score, both elderly men and women had decreased values in the moderation and adequacy components following COVID-19. Conclusion: These results provide foundational data for elderly nutrition policies or educational programs targeting the elderly population in rural areas in similar pandemic situations in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.241-250
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• 2016

This study was conducted in order to compare weight control behaviors, eating disorder risk, and depression in female adolescents according to dieting experience during the last year. The subjects were 707 students attending a girls' high school in Seoul, and all the information was collected by self-administered questionnaire. Eating disorder risk and depression were determined by using EAT-26 (Eating Attitude Test-26) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), respectively. Data were compared between subjects with experience of dieting (320) and those without (387). More of the subjects with dieting experience were unsatisfied with their own body weights (76.9% vs. 44.2%, P<0.01) and weighed themselves frequently (P<0.01) compared to those without diet experience. EAT-26 ($11.63{\pm}8.3$ vs. $5.99{\pm}4.7$, P<0.01) and PHQ-9 scores ($7.05{\pm}4.6$ vs. $6.00{\pm}4.4$, P<0.01) were higher in subjects with dieting experience compared to their counterparts. Therefore, we concluded that dieting is associated with several undesirable psychological aspects such as eating disorder risk and depression in adolescent girls, and thus providing proper education is urgently needed to emphasizing importance of healthy weight and the danger of unnecessary dieting.

• Journal of Sasang Constitution and Immune Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

Introduction The clinical usefulness of Sasang Digestive Function Inventory (SDFI) for analyzing Sasang type-specific pathophysiological symptom was illustrated repeatedly. It was revised to enhance its validity, reliability and clinical usefulness, however its clinical studies supporting these were not sufficient yet. Methods 193 healthy university students responded once to Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean (NDIK), Functional Dyspepsia-Related Quality of Life (FDQOL), and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and twice to SDFI with four weeks of interval. The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Ponderal Index (PI) were also calculated. The 4-week test-retest reliability and correlation coefficients between NDIK, FDQOL, DEBQ, and SDFI were examined using Pearson's correlation. The significant differences between Sasang types in SDFI and its subscales were examined using ANCOVA with the age as covariate. Results The range of test-retest reliability for SDFI and its subscales was from 0.801 to 0.887. The SDFI-total correlated positively with BMI (r=0.323) and DEBQ-External Eating (r=0.433), while the SDFI-Digestion negatively with NDIK (r=-0.472) and FDQOL-total (r=-0.364). The SDFI-Habit correlated positively with BMI (r=0.310) and DEBQ-total (r=0.481), and the SDFI-Appetite with DEBQ-total (r=0.322). The SDFI-total, SDFI-Digestion, and SDFI-Habit scores of Tae-Eum type (35.6±6.25, 12.38±3.24 and 9.89±3.38, respectively) were significantly bigger than those of So-Eum type (29.84±8.31, 9.93±4.28 and 7.66±3.96). Discussion The SDFI was found to be an objective clinical measure with sufficient concurrent validity for measuring eating behavior and quality of life related to overeating and dyspepsia, and illustrated distinctive differences between Sasang types. It might be useful for the effective medical education and integrative medical practice.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to compare weight control behaviour, eating habits and health-related life habits according to the obesity degree by body fat percentage (%Fat) among middle-aged women. The subjects were 170 middle-aged women who lived Gunsan City, and they were assigned to one of the following groups based on their %Fat; normal weight group (18% - < 28%), overweight group (28% - < 33%) and obesity group (over 33%). The height, body weight, %Fat, the circumference of waist and hip of them were measured. Eating habits and health-related life habits were evaluated based on questionnaires. The results were as follows. Their weight, %Fat, body mass index (BMI), relative body weight (RBW), waist, hip, and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were significantly higher in the obesity subjects when compared to the normal and overweight subjects. Self-perception for weight (p < 0.001), desire for weight control (p < 0.01), and reasons of weight control (p < 0.05) were different among three groups. The main skipped meal was breakfast (67.9%), reasons of skipping meals were different among three groups (p < 0.05), and main reasons were "lose one's appetite" and "have not enough time". Food habits score for each food was not significantly different among three groups, but eating the meal on thinking with food combination in normal group was higher than overweight and obesity group (p < 0.01). Correlation coefficients of food habits score and anthropometric measurements were that salty of food was negative and food habits scores were positive correlation for anthropometric measurements and obesity index (p < 0.05 - p < 0.001). Frequency of exercise and fitting exercise for body were different among three groups (p < 0.05). Obesity group was lower frequency of exercise than the other groups. Regular diet was positive correlation with food combination (p < 0.01), taking fish (p < 0.05), taking vegetables (p < 0.01), taking bean products (p < 0.01) and food habits score (p < 0.01), frequency of eating out and snacks were negative correlation with taking fruits and fishes. Therefore, proper nutritional education for middle-aged women in obesity group is recommended regular diet, good food habits and exercise. The middle-aged women must decrease the frequency of eating out, snack and the salty foods, and increase the fruits and vegetables. They must have healthy life styles for exercise, smoking, and drinking.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.248-259
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Adequate nutritional intake is essential for good health and well-being. We aimed to compare the nutrient intake from homemade meals, meals sourced externally ("eating out"), and meals from workplace foodservices, as well as the potential association between foodservices used and nutritional quality among adult Korean workers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional survey on the health and nutritional status of the Korean population. Data from 6,845 workers aged 20-64 years were included. A survey on dietary behavior and nutrition was conducted using the 24-h dietary recall method. Nutritional quality was examined using the index of nutritional quality (INQ) score. Higher INQ scores reflected poorer nutritional quality, with insufficient intake of a higher number of nutrients. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify the association between the foodservices used and INQ scores after adjusting for other covariates. RESULTS: We found that foodservice users exhibited a higher 1-day intake of total energy and macronutrients (all P < 0.05) and lower INQ scores (P < 0.01) than non-users. The INQ scores for total daily meals decreased with the frequency of foodservice use (P < 0.01). A significant association was observed between the non-use of foodservices and INQ scores (β = 0.29, P < 0.01) after adjusting for other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: The use of workplace foodservices contributed to higher dietary nutritional quality among workers. This study highlights the importance of expanding the scope of workplace foodservices to promote higher nutritional quality and healthy dietary habits among workers.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.623-632
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• 2005

This study was intended to collect the baseline information on dietary behavior of adults to develop nutrition education program in the context of healthy weights at community level. Nutrient intakes of 128 housewives were assessed by 24 hour recall method. Also food habits, nutrition knowledge and attitude were investigated by self-administered questionnaires. Subjects were divided to under-weight, normal-weight, over-weight groups by body mass index (BMI). Most under-weight groups evaluated as their current body images were normal. $41\%$ of normal-weight groups judged as their current body images were obese. Energy and fat intakes of over-weight group were significantly higher than that of under-weight and normal weight groups (p<0.05). However, carbohydrate and protein intakes showed no significant differences among the three groups. It appeared that active attitude toward change in nutrition attitude of normal weight group was significantly higher than that of under-weight group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences of food habit score, nutrition knowledge, and obesity habit scores among the three groups. The frequency of eating-out showed significant difference among three groups (p<0.05). Food habit scores were positively related to health-concerned attitude (r=0.174), convenience-concerned attitude (r=0.229) and food enjoyed attitude (0.213) and negatively related to obesity habit score (r=-0.206). Also, positive correlation of body fat mass with frequency of eatingout (r=0.213), instant food (r=0.227) and amount of meal (r=0.187) existed (p<0.05). We concluded that nutrition education programs for housewives should include specific strategies to modify unsound food behaviors and inappropriate perception of body image for a healthy weight.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-121
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• 2014

Objectives: In this study, perception of body image, eating attitudes and weight control were examined by the degree of obesity using Body Mass Index (BMI). Methods: Out of 420 questionnaires distributed to the female middle school students (aged 12-16 years), 407 were returned (97% response rate) and 395 were analyzed (94% analysis rate). Female students were divided into two groups based on the BMI percentile using the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. (1) normal weight ($5^{th}$ percentile ${\leq}$ BMI < $85^{th}$ percentile) (2) obese ($85^{th}$ percentile ${\leq}$ BMI) by 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Satisfaction of self-body shape, risk of disturbed eating attitudes (Eating Attitude Test : EAT-26), and weight control behaviors were examined. Results: Distribution of the subjects by BMI was 74.5% of normal and 25.5% of obese. There were significant differences between self-perceived current body image and self-perceived ideal body image. The dissatisfaction of body image was higher in obese than in normal groups (p<0.001). 51.4% of female students were unsatisfied with their body image, while 2.6% were very satisfied. Among the students unsatisfied with their body image, 150 (52.1%) were of normal weight and 48 (49.4%) were obese. EAT-26 total scores were significantly higher in the obese group ($16.42{\pm}8.23$) compared with normal group ($13.72{\pm}8.10$) (p<0.01). Attempted to weight control were significantly different by the BMI (p<0.001). Conclusions: This study concludes that there was desire to become thinner than current status in female students, even those with normal BMI. Many female students were dissatisfied with their body image and attempted to lose weight. It is harmful to their health and nutritional status if they choose undesirable methods. These findings suggested that there are needs to encourage female students for maintaining healthy weight. A higher score of EAT-26 was associated with dissatisfaction of selfbody image and this may lead to unhealthy behaviors in obese female students.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.253-264
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigated the association between dietary quality and the prevalence of periodontitis in older Korean adults (≥60 years of age) using data from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII, 2016-2018). Methods: Among the 16,489 KNHANES participants from 2016-2018, those aged ≥60 years were selected as the eligible population. After applying our exclusion criteria, 3,527 participants were included in the final study population. Periodontal status was measured using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). To determine the association between dietary quality and the prevalence of periodontitis, analysis of variance, the chi-square (χ²) test, and logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: The population was divided into quartile groups and stratified by sex. The percentage of men and women with periodontitis was 54.34% and 42.74%, respectively. The quartile with higher Korean Healthy Eating Index scores had a lower percentage of people with periodontitis in both sexes. For men, only vegetable intake showed a significant difference between sub-groups with or without periodontitis, whereas, for women, the intake of fruits, milk, sweets, carbohydrates, and fats showed significant differences. There was a strong positive association between vegetable intake and periodontitis in men in the 3 models used in this study; model 3 had an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.367 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.091-1.712). In women, a strong positive association with periodontitis was shown for sweets in all 3 models, with an aOR of 1.477 in model 3 (95% CI, 1.125-1.939). Conclusions: Dietary quality was inversely associated with the prevalence of periodontitis in Korean adults aged ≥60 years. Further comprehensive studies are needed to help establish nutrition and health policies for older adults in Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.120-140
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether adherence to the Korea Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) was associated with metabolic syndrome and risk markers. Methods: The participants included 8,345 adults, aged 20-59 years, who took part in the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The data were analyzed using a complex-sample t-test, the Rao Scott χ²-test, and logistic regression analysis on the SPSS v. 26.0 software. The participants were divided into four groups by quartiles of KHEI scores. Results: The average KHEI score was 61.06 points out of 100, and the women's score (62.50 points) was significantly higher than that of men (59.63 points). The KHEI quartiles status showed significant differences by age (p < 0.001), household income (p < 0.001), smoking status (p < 0.001), and food security. Specifically, the KHEI quartiles in the men showed significant differences in education (p < 0.001) and economic activity (p < 0.001) whereas those of women showed significant differences in alcohol-consumption (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.01) and eating-out (p < 0.001). As the KHEI scores increased, the proportion of subjects with an energy intake below the estimated energy requirement (EER) was lower, and significantly better levels of intake were observed for carbohydrate, protein, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, and niacin. The incidence of the metabolic syndrome risk factors, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia for men and hypertension, and hyperglycemia for women showed significant differences. The KHEI scores were inversely associated with abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Based on these results, we conclude that higher adherence to the KHEI was associated with lower metabolic syndrome risk factors and incidence of the metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.873-879
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• 2005

Impact and process evaluations were performed in order to verify the effectiveness of a public health nutrition program developed for child-bearing aged women in Korea. Participants included 58 high school girls who were divided into two groups. Each group received four 50 - 60 minute nutrition education lectures regarding healthy eating, osteoporosis, constipation and nutrition labeling in every two weeks. Each session took 50- 60 minutes. Regarding nutrition knowledge, there was a significant increase of degree of perception (p = 0.0004) , but no change in degree of accuracy after implementation (p = 0.9522) . Nutrition education was also effective in attitude change, showing more participants were ready to change their eating behaviors in terms of meal regularity (p = 0.0455) and less processed food intake (p =0.0143) . After implementing nutrition education, effective behavioral changes were observed in milk consumption (p =0.0037) and meal regularity (p = 0.0882) as well as daily activity such as stair use (p = 0.0701) . However, nutrition education had no effect on body mass index and perceived health status. In process evaluation conducted by a 9 item questionnaire, grand mean score was $4.17 \pm$0.72 out of 5. Proportion of items with scores higher than 4 ranged $68-91\%$. These results suggest that the nutrition education program used in this study was effective and useful. For a wider use of this program, more research was recommend for a strategy development of program diffuse. (Korean J Nutrition 38(10): 873$\sim$879,2005)