• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.179-189
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a brown rice and vegetable dietary program on the defecation conditions and health status of high school students. Method: A non-equivalent control group and pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were 62 students (28 in the intervention group, 34 in the control group) who voluntarily participated in the study. The program was conducted from April 6, 2012 to July 3, 2012 at two high schools in Daegu city. During that time, two meals a day were supplied to the experimental group. Data on defecation condition and health status was collected using self-questionnaires. Results: After 12 weeks, students in the intervention group had a significantly better defecation condition than students in the control group. Students in the intervention group also had a significantly higher health status than students in the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that a brown rice and vegetable dietary program improves the defecation condition and health status of high school students. Therefore, the development and study of nursing intervention and public health education program about brown rice as well as vegetable and fresh fruit consumption are necessary for these subjects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.11
• /
• pp.4429-4436
• /
• 2014

Background: Although the nutritional may exert effect on the breast cancer risk, it is not clear whether the role diet is the same in sedentary and physically active women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between fruit, vegetable and carbohydrate intake and the risk of breast cancer among Polish women considering their physical activity level. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted that included 858 women with histological confirmed breast cancer and 1,085 controls, free of any cancer diagnosis, aged 28-78 years. The study was based on a self-administered questionnaire to ascertain physical activity, dietary intake, sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive factors, family history of breast cancer, current weight and high, and other lifestyle factors. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in unconditional logistic regression analyses including a broad range of potential confounders. Results: With comparison of the highest vs lowest quartile of intake, strong significant associations were observed for total vegetables (OR=0.37, 95%CI=0.20-0.69 P for trend <0.01 and OR=0.53, 95%CI=0.29-0.96, P for trend <0.02), and total fruits (OR=0.47, 95%CI=0.25-0.87, P for trend <0.05 and OR=0.47, 95%CI=0.24-0.90, P for trend <0.02) among women characterized by the lowest and the highest quartile of physical activity. No associations were observed for total carbohydrate intake. Additional analysis showed a positive association for sweets and desert intake among women in the lowest quartile of physical activity (OR=3.49, 95%CI=1.67-7.30, P for trend <0.009) for extreme quartiles of intake comparing to the referent group. Conclusions: The results suggest that a higher consumption of vegetable and fruit may be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer, especially among women who were low or most physically active throughout their lifetimes. These findings do not support an association between diet high in carbohydrate and breast cancer. However, a higher intake of sweets and deserts may by associated with an increased risk of breast cancer among women who were less physically active.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.201-206
• /
• 2002

Findings from European and American studies have indicated such health behaviors as smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, and insufficient intake of grains, fruits and vegetables as risk factors for hypertension. However, because dietary pattern and health behaviors of Korean differ from people of other countries, the risk factors for Koreans could be different. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify food consumption patterns and health behavior characteristics of Korean hypertensive adults. Data on food consumptions and other health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and exercise together with development of hypertension were collected from 597 persons aged 20 to 69 years in a local community. The first stage of analysis utilized cluster analysis to aggregate individuals into different health behavior and food consumption groups. Four health behavior groups were characterized by passive cluster, smoker cluster, fitness cluster and drinker cluster. Food consumption patterns of the subjects were also aggregated into 4 different clusters: dairy cluster, grain & vegetable cluster, fruit cluster, and fish & meat cluster. Then univariate analysis was followed to identify the variables associated with hypertension. The final stage of analysis was the identification of the relative importance of the variables selected from the univariate analysis on hypertension, using multiple logistic analysis. The results showed that heavy drinking was the most significant health behavior associated hypertension, which was similar to the findings in European and American studies. However, unlike the findings from foreign studies, grain and vegetable consumption appeared to be a risk factor for hypertension. A possible reason for the contradictory results between Korean and Western studies may be the dependence of Koreans on white rice as the major staple food, and/or the frequent consumption of salted vegetables, rather than fresh vegetables as is customary in Europe and America.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.411-419
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed factors affecting consumption frequencies of vegetables and fruits in Korean adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Consumption frequencies of vegetables and fruits, general characteristics, meal, health, and other variables were analyzed for a total of 147,047 adolescents who participated in the KYRBWS (Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey) conducted in 2006 and 2011 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RESULTS: Consumption frequencies of vegetables and fruits more than once a day significantly decreased in 2011 compared to 2006 based on Chi-square test conducted for every factor employed in the study. Analysis of factors showed that consumption frequencies of vegetables and fruits were reduced in both study years as subjective income decreased, whereas intake frequencies increased with mother's education level and reduction of adolescent stress level. CONCLUSIONS: In general, consumption frequencies of vegetables and fruits decreased in 2011 compared to those in 2006. Thus, future research needs to improve dietary guidelines for nutrition education in order for students to recognize the importance of food consumption and necessity of increasing daily serving sizes of vegetables and fruits for their balanced consumption.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.207-215
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the degree of adherence to the Korean Dietary Action Guides for Children (KDAGC). In a cross-sectional study based on a child care center-based survey in Seoul, Korea, we collected parental-reported questionnaires (n = 2,038) on children's weight and height, frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption, and the quality of dietary and activity behaviors based on the 2009 KDAGC Adherence Index (KDAGCAI) which was developed as a composite measure of adherence to the KDAGC. Overweight and obesity were determined according to age- and sex-specific BMI percentile from the 2007 Korean national growth chart. Associations were assessed with generalized linear models and polytomous logistic regression models. Approximately 17.6% of Korean preschool children were classified as overweight or obese. Obese preschoolers had lower adherence to the KDAGCAI compared to those with lean/normal weight. Preschoolers with a high quality of dietary and activity behaviors had a 51% decreased odds ratio (OR) of being obese (highest vs. lowest tertile of KDAGCAI-score, 95% CI 0.31, 0.78; P = 0.001); the associations were more pronounced among those who were older (P = 0.048) and lived in lower income households (P = 0.014). A greater frequency of vegetable consumption, but not fruit, was associated with a borderline significant reduction in the prevalence of obesity. Our findings support the association between obesity prevention and high compliance with the Korean national dietary and activity guideline among preschool children.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.36 no.12
• /
• pp.201-216
• /
• 1998

This study was conducted to assess the nutrient intake and diet quality of college students in Seoul. Dietary survery data were obtained by 24-hour recall method from 774 students, 553 males and 191 females. Mean daily intake of energy was 2,480kcal with 56.4% of energy intake from carbohydrate, 14.6% from protein, and 25.5% from fat. Percentage of fat was higher than mean values of National Nutrition Survey(NNS), adults in rural area or younger students in previous studies. Mean daily intakes of calcium and vitamin A did not meet RDA levels in both sexes and intake of iron in females was insufficient to meet RDA level. The percentage of animal food to total food intake was 25% and consumption of meat, beverage and milk group was higher than those of National Nutrition Survey(NNS). When the consumption of 5 major food groups(grain, meat, milk, fruit, vegetable) were evaluated, 22% of students consumed all 5 groups and 47% consumed 4 groups, which show more balanced food group intake than adults in rural area. Food groups which were omitted frequently were milk and fruit. These results show that college students in Seoul consume better diet than subjects of National Nutrition Survey(NNS) or adults in rural area. However, high fat intake, low calcium and vitamin A intake and low iron level in women were observed. Majority(78%) of students had at least one food group omitted in their diet. Appropriate nutrition education may help to improve the quality of diet in these students.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.404-418
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the trends in kimchi, vegetable, and fruit consumption among the Korean population and identify the factors associated with this consumption. The goal was to provide fundamental data for developing appropriate guidelines to increase kimchi consumption by understanding its characteristics. Methods: The analysis utilized data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted between 1998 and 2020. A total of 81,680 adults, aged 30 years or older, were included in the trend analysis. For the analysis of factors associated with kimchi, vegetable, and fruit intake, a subgroup of 22,122 adults aged 30 years or older from the KNHANES (2016-2020) was divided into two groups: 30-64 years old and 65 years old or older. Since the KNHANES data employed a complex sampling design, the statistical analysis was conducted using the appropriate complex sampling design method. Results: The overall consumption of kimchi exhibited a declining trend among both men and women. Specifically, there was a significant decline in the intake of baechu kimchi among both genders. The decline in kimchi consumption above the standard was associated with a decrease in meal frequency and an increase in the frequency of eating alone. However, the patterns for unsalted vegetables and fruits differed compared to kimchi. Conclusion: In this study, there was a decline in kimchi consumption among both men and women, and the potential factors associated with this trend included Westernized dietary habits, the presence of a spouse who influenced dietary habits, and an increased frequency of solitary dining due to the rise in single-person households. Therefore, it is necessary to develop dietary guidelines that consider these factors.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.70-75
• /
• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Association between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and obesity is universally a controversial issue. This study was undertaken to examine the beverage consumption pattern of Korean adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data was collected from the 2016 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey involving 65,528 adolescent respondents. A list of the most frequently consumed beverages was analyzed, and the consumption frequency of carbonated beverages, SSBs, and energy drinks during the past seven-days was assessed. The main reasons for the adolescents to consume the beverages were also determined. RESULTS: The beverage preference of adolescents were carbonated beverages (31.0%), 'fruit and vegetable beverages (17.7%)', 'milk (13.6%)', and 'coffee (12.7%)'. Carbonated beverages and SSBs were consumed more than three times a week by 27.1% and 41.1% of the respondents, respectively. About 86.2% of adolescents did not take of any energy drinks during the last seven-days. Taste was the most common reason that adolescents considered when choosing a drink. Carbonated beverages consumed more frequently by boys than girls, and high school students drank coffee more frequently than middle school students. CONCLUSIONS: Boys had a higher preference for unhealthy beverages than girls, whereas consumption of high-caffeine drinks was greater amongst high-school students than middle school students.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.415-424
• /
• 2014

Objectives: Vegetables are the most left over side dishes in school lunch programs. This study intended to analyze the differences in preference for vegetables among the students of different age groups in order to determine potential ways of increasing vegetable consumption in this study group. Methods: A total of 308 primary to university students in Gyeongbuk area were recruited and a questionnaire-based survey was conducted. The preference score (7-Likert scale: very much dislike (1)~so-so (4)~like very much (7)) and intake frequency (5-Likert scale) of 48 kinds of vegetables in 4 vegetable groups, such as vegetable (fruit-, root-, leaf-, and stalk-vegetable), seaweeds, mushrooms, and kimchi were investigated, and data were analyzed by SPSS WIN (ver 12.0). Results: The preference scores of vegetables except for seaweeds were significantly different among school groups, university was the highest, followed by high school. Primary and middle school students showed the lowest preference score, especially for leaf- and stalk- vegetables. The preference score for seaweeds was the highest of 5.28, followed by kimchi of 4.99. With regard to kimchis, the preference score was the highest in university', followed by high school, middle school, and primary school' was the lowest. The number of vegetables with < 4.0 preference score was the highest in primary school of 16, 15 in middle school, 11 in high school, and 7, the lowest in university. The vegetable with preference score of < 4.0 in all 4 school groups were mallow, chard, bud, radish leaf, mugwort, butterbur and sweet potato stalk. With regard to the intake frequency of vegetables, kimchis, an indispensable part of the Korean diet, was the highest of 2 times/day, followed by cooked vegetables of 1.5 times/day. The correlation coefficients between preference scores and intake frequencies were statistically significant in all groups of vegetables. As for the coefficient of variation (CV) of preference score, primary school' was the highest and university' was the lowest. The number of vegetables with high CV and high inexperience were highest in primary school students. Conclusions: Providing more opportunities for consuming a variety of vegetables, such as leaf- and stalk-vegetable, it may be possible to increase vegetable consumption, especially for the primary school students.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.445-452
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a strong independent predictor of future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We evaluated the relationship between hsCRP and dietary intake in apparently healthy young women living in southern Vietnam. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Serum hsCRP was measured and dietary intake data were obtained using the 1-day 24-hour recall method in women (n = 956; mean age, $25.0{\pm}5.7$ years) who participated in the International Collaboration Study for the Construction of Asian Cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) in 2011. RESULTS: Women in the high risk group (> 3 mg/L) consumed fewer fruits and vegetables, total plant food, potassium, and folate than those in the low risk group (< 1 mg/L). A multiple regression analysis after adjusting for covariates revealed a significant negative association between hsCRP and fruit and vegetable consumption. A logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio (OR) of having a high hsCRP level in women with the highest quartiles of consumption of fruits and vegetables [OR, 0.391; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.190-0.807], potassium [OR, 0.425; 95% CI, 0.192-0.939] and folate [OR, 0.490; 95% CI, 0.249-0.964] were significantly lower than those in the lowest quartiles. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in young Vietnamese women, an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables might be beneficial for serum hsCRP, a risk factor for future CVD events.