• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.323-330
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the actual conditions of vitamin supplement usage, the importance of their agents for health management, and the distribution of basic data for their correct consumption. For a period of one month 2003, the study was conducted based on questionnaires to the parents of students in both a middle school and a high school, and the personnel of K Company at random. The material used the survey sheets by setting up the previous investigation. The collected data analyzed the frequency and percentage of the following items: General demographic characteristics of consumers; the supplements taking; the reasons for taking them; the kinds of supplements taken; the media used for distributing data on their use; the potential use in the future, etc. According to the survey, the number of people who were taking supplements was higher than the number of people who weren’t taking them. Multi-vitamins were mostly consumed. The rate of supplements consume was high in people of a higher income bracket, had the time to exercise and to enjoy physical recreation. Most of the consumers who were taking the supplements said they did it to maintain their health and to recover from the fatigue. Those who weren’t taking them said they had enough vitamins from eating the appropriate food, and they were also concerned about the effectiveness of taking the supplements. The majority of useful information or advice for purchasing vitamins came from doctors, medical experts, relatives, and various media sources such as TV, newspapers, and magazines.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2009

The objectives of this study were to investigate 1) the nutritional knowledge, 2) the use of nutritional supplements, and 3) nutrient intakes of male elite bodybuilders (n=20). Participants carried out a comprehensive survey, anthropometric assessment, and 1 day food record. Daily nutrient intakes of the subjects were analyzed using Computer Aided Nutritional Analysis Program (Can-pro 3.0). The mean age of the subjects was 23.4 years. The mean duration of exercise was 5.3 years. The average scores of nutritional knowledge were 71.0%. The subjects were gathered nutrition information from nutrition book (65%), mass communication (50%), friends (50%) and coach (30%) in order. Ninety percentage of the subjects reported that they were taking nutritional supplements. Major reasons for taking nutritional supplements were to improve performance and to build-up muscle. The most frequently taken nutritional supplements were protein powder (85%), multivitamin/mineral (75%), BCAA (60%) and glutamine (55%) in order. The average daily energy intakes of the subjects were 4,248.7 kcal. The mean intake of protein was 370.3 g/day (3.93 g/kg BW). The ratio of total energy intake from carbohydrate, protein and lipid was 51 : 34 : 15. The intakes of most vitamin and minerals through food and nutrition supplements were much higher than those of each nutrient of the RDAs. Especially, vitamin B complex and vitamin C intakes were ranged from 500 to 3,000% of KNHNES. More research needs to be conducted to determine the optimal amounts of carbohydrates, protein, lipid and micro-nutrients for the bodybuilders.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.94-106
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• 1998

Nutrient supplements are often used by athletes as ergogenic aids. This study was done to investigate the use of nutrient supplements, nutritional knowledge and nutrient intakes of athletes. Subjects of this survey consisted of 195 national team athletes. The prevalence of nutrient supplement use among all subjects was 30.3%, and the frequency of use, by decreasing order, was weight lifting, taekwondo and badminton athletes. Sport drinks were the type of nutrition supplement used most frequently and vitamin C was the second one. Major reasons for nutrient supplement use were to improve training performance and to recover from fatigue, to supplement fluid and to control weight. The average score of nutritional knowledge was $19.9\pm{2.5}$ for nutrient supplement users, and $19.8\pm{3.6}$ for nutrient supplement nonusers. Intakes of protein, calcium and niacin of the user were higher than those of the nonuser. This information provided by this study can help sport nutritionists identify nutrient supplement most often consumed by national elite athletes and can aid counselors as they guide athletes towards more healthful nutrition practices.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.341-351
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• 2018

Objectives: Use of dietary supplements containing vitamins and minerals is growing in Korean adults, especially in pregnant and lactating women. Vitamin and mineral supplements are available in different composition and in a wide range of contents. The purposes of the study were to examine nutrient composition and content of vitamin and mineral supplements for pregnant and lactating women and assess their appropriateness as dietary supplements. Methods: Information on the name, manufacturer, nutrient composition, and usage of vitamin and mineral supplements for pregnant and lactating women were obtained from the homepage of the Food Safety Information Portal managed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and Korean Index of Medical Specialties. A total of 264 products were identified. Results: Among 264 products, 26.1% were single nutrient products, and 73.9% were multinutrient products. The most commonly included nutrient was iron (70.1%), folic acid (66.3%), vitamin $B_{12}$ (45.8%), vitamin C (38.6%), and vitamin $B_6$ (38.6%). Although more than 50% of products contained nutrients less than 150% of Recommended Nutrient Intakes or Adequate Intakes for daily use, some products contained inappropriately high amounts of nutrients. When a maximum daily dose of supplements was taken as described on the label, iron in 73 products (39.5%), folic acid in 14 products (8.0%) were likely to be consumed in amounts greater than Tolerable Upper Intake Levels. Most products were assessed as inappropriate for pregnant women due to the possibility of excessive intake of vitamins or minerals when compared with Dietary Reference Intakes. Conclusions: Pregnant and lactating women need to carefully select dietary supplements containing adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. Nutritionists should provide guidelines regarding selection of appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements for pregnant and lactating women.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.332-342
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• 2000

Vitamin mineral supplement usage by self-prescription is popular behavior among adolescents. This study was conducted to investigate the behaviors of vitamin·mineral supplement usage and the relationship between demographic variables and supplement usage by healthy adolescents. Nine hundred seventy two boys and girls, aged 13-18 years, attending general middle or high schools were chosen from various cities and rural communities in Korea. As a result, vitamin·]mineral supplements were taken by 31.3% of subjects. Users tended to take vitamin·mineral supplements more frequently when they were healthy than when they suffered from disease. The taking period of supplements was different according to school type such as middle or high school(p<.05), sex(p<.001) and residence of subjects(p<.01). The main information source of supplements was newspaper/magazine/TV, and it was affected by sex(p<.05) and residence(p<.01). Vitamin·mineral supplements were generally recommended by their mothers instead of health professionals. The commonly cited taking reason of supplements was affected by sex(p<.01)and socioeconomic status of family(p<.05). The frequently responded effect obtained from supplement use was recovery from fatigue and it was different according to sex(p<.01). The major mentioned reason of not taking vitamin·mineral supplements by non-users was 'I eat a balanced diet'. The most frequently consumed supplements were vitamin C, followed by multi-vitamins supplements, and this pattern was different according to school type(p<.001), sex(p<.01) and residence(p<.05). These findings show that the behaviors of vitamin·mineral supplement usage by subjects are not resonable, and their supplement usage tends to be affected by demographic variables. Therefore, nutritional understanding and education that are intended to form the resonable behaviors toward vitamin·mineral supplement usage of adolescents should be provided with considering the relationship between demographic variables and supplement usage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.480-486
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• 2010

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is increasingly common with the rapid economic growth. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin and mineral supplement use among adults aged 20 or older from the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey data and to explore the effect of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors as well as nutrient intake on taking supplements. People who had participated in both a health questionnaire and a nutritional survey were selected, and 2,871 men and 3,555 women were finally included in this analysis. Both men and women with a higher level of education, those residing in a metropolitan area, and those with higher income were more likely to take supplements. Health behaviors were not significantly associated with taking supplements. Mean nutrient intake of all nutrients except energy intake was not significantly different in men or women taking supplements after adjusting for age, education, marital status, resident area, smoking, and energy intake. Compared to Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for Koreans, most vitamins and minerals, except vitamin $B_2$ and calcium, were consumed at higher than the Recommended Intake (RI) without supplements. In conclusion, taking supplements such as vitamin $B_2$ and calcium may promote health and prevent disease. However, the type and frequency of other vitamin and mineral supplements consumed should be considered with caution.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.223-234
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• 2004

The aim of this study was to investigate intake of health foods and supplements and its associated factors in middle and old-aged adults in order to contribute to health promotion of Korean population by providing a guide for proper use of health foods and supplements. About 69% of the subjects reported that they were currently taking health foods and supplements or had experiences of having them in the past, whereas 31.2 % reported they had never taken them. The most commonly used type of health foods and supplements was vitamin C as reported by 41.8% followed by others such as lactobacillus products, multi-vitamins, tonic medicine and cardiotonic drug, artificially processed Ginseng foods, vitamin B complex, enzyme supplement, calcium, aloe, apricot extract products, chitosan products, loyal honey, squalene, refined fish oil and iron products. The major reason for taking health foods and supplements was 'to protect the weak constitution' with 155 (42.1%) responses, and the motive for the intake was the suggestion from family-relatives with 235 (63.9%) responses, and the place of purchase was pharmacy with 140 (38.0%) responses, the average monthly expense was 20,000-40,000 won with 140 (26.2%) responses, and effects after the intake was 'so and so' with 180 (33.6%) responses as the highest. More health foods and supplements were consumed as age and education were statistically significantly increased (p<0.05). For health and lifestyle and the intake of health foods and supplements, perceived health status, the presence of illness, and the presence of health management were statistically significant (p<0.05). Male subjects than female subjects and the 30s than the 405 and 50s were appeared to have poorer dietary behaviors (p<0.05). For the health locus of control and the intake of health foods and supplements, the health locus of control score was 22.82 for consumers and 22.79 for non-consumers, showing no significant difference. Logistic regression analysis was performed to find out major factors that affect the intake of health foods and supplements, in which gender, education, smoking, perceived health status, the presence of illness, and health management were significant to the intake of health foods and supplements. It is shown that subjects with perception and attitude of 'health foods and supplements are useful in health maintenance and disease prevention' and 'the information and variety for health foods and supplements are great' have higher probability of taking health foods and supplements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2011

The elderly is a target group for health functional foods (HFFs). We surveyed 825 Korean elderly (71.4- years-of-age) for HFF use and significant variables for HFF use including demographic characteristics, health related variables, and nutritional beliefs. The prevalence of HFF use was 48.7%, and among all types of HFF, red ginseng products were eaten most frequently, followed by ginseng products, nutritional supplements, and mushroom products. The mean age of users of HFFs was lower than nonusers (p<.01). HFFs were eaten more frequently by subjects from families living with a spouse or unmarried children (p<.01) and those with higher levels of monthly pocket money (p<.001). HFFs were also eaten more frequently by subjects or their spouses with a higher education level (p<.001). The social activity participation ratio (p<.01) of subjects and the HFF usage ratio by the spouse (p<.001) were higher in users of HFF than in nonusers. Dietary assessment scores were not different between the two groups, and users had a more positive view concerning the potential health benefits of HFFs than did nonusers (p<.001). Most users of HFF ate HFFs "when they were healthy" (52.2%) and experienced some effect through HFF use (45.8%). Most users of HFFs received information on HFFs through their families or relatives (38.1%) and most purchased HFFs at the pharmacy or oriental medicine clinic (44.8%). HFF users preferred multivitamin- and Ca-supplements most among the vitamin and mineral supplements belonged to HFFs. The above results show that HFF use is widely spread among subjects, and that use of HFF is influenced by various factors. Thus, practical guidelines for HFF use should be provided for the elderly through elderly focused-nutrition education based upon significant variables and consumption behaviors for their HFF use of present study.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.294-303
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• 2010

Various types of health functional foods (HFF) are popularly used among middle-aged. We surveyed 946 middle-aged in Korea for HFF use and significant variables for their HFF use including demographic characteristics, health related variables and nutritional beliefs. The use prevalence of HFF was 58.9%, and among all types of HFF, red ginseng products were taken most frequently, followed by nutritional supplements, ginseng products > mushroom products. HFF was taken more frequently in subjects from high monthly family income (p < .001), and in those from families with a high socioeconomic status (p < .001) in comparison to each corresponding group. Mean age of users was higher than nonusers (p < .001). Self concern about health (p < .001) and usage ratio of HFF by family (p < .001) were higher in users than in nonusers of HFF. Total dietary assessment score was not different in two groups, and users had a more positive view concerning the potential health benefit of HFF than nonusers (p < .001). Most users of HFF took HFF when they were healthy (52.8%) and experienced a little effect through the HFF use (51.2%). Most users of HFF obtained the information on HFF through family and relatives (30.5%) and most of them purchased HFF at pharmacy or oriental medicine clinics (44.5%). HFF users preferred multivitamin and Ca-supplements most among the vitamin mineral supplements belonged to HFF. Given the widespread use of HFF and inappropriate usage of HFF among subjects, the proper use of these products for the contribution to their optimal nutrition and overall health is a subject that should be formed through practical nutrition education considering the various variables affecting their HFF use.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.864-872
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• 2005

Various types of functional foods for health (FFH) are popularly used among adolescents. We surveyed 858 students, $15.0 \pm$ 1.6 (14-18) years of age, attending general junior or senior high schools in Korea for FFH use and significant variables for their FFH use including demographic characteristics, food consumption frequency and nutritional beliefs. The use prevalence of FFH was $47.8\%$, and among all types of FFH, nutritional supplements were taken most frequently, followed by red ginseng products > enzyme containing products > plant extract-fermented products. FFH use was higher in older aged-group, subjects lived in small or middle city, and those from families with a high socioeconomic status in comparison to each corresponding group. Health concern on offsprings by parents and usage ratio of FFH by family was higher in users than in nonusers of FFH. Total score of dietary assessment was higher in users than in nonusers of FFH, and users had a more positive view concerning the potential health benefit of FFH than did nonusers. Most users of FFH took FFH when they were healthy ($50.7\%$) , and they did not feel special effects through the FFH use ($57.1\%$) . Most users of FFH got the information on FFH through family and relatives ($61.5\%$) , and most of them purchased FFH at pharmacy or oriental medicine clinics ($55.1\%$) . FFH users preferred vitamin C-and Ca-supplements most among the vitamin mineral supplements belonged to FFH. Given the widespread use of FFH by adolescents, the reasonable use of these products for the contribution to their overall health and well-being is a subject that is emphasized in nutrition education for them. (Korean J Nutrition 38(10) : 864$\sim$872,2005)