• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 2013

This study was conducted to obtain data and offer advice regarding dietary intake at kindergarten and to recommend dietary habits to prevent childhood obesity. The study was conducted in 85 children aged 4 to 5 years. Body weight and height, dietary intakes of lunch served at Kindergarten and questionnaires for dietary behaviors in Kyeongnam area were studied. All subjects were classified by their weight-length index (WLI). According to the standard WLI values, 41.2% of the children were within the normal value ($90{\leq}$WLI<110), 23.5% of the children were overweight ($110{\leq}$WLI<120), and 35.3% of the children were obese ($WLI{\geq}120$). The mean energy intake at lunch for kindergarteners was $287.1{\pm}13.4$ kcal in the normal group, $307.6{\pm}10.2$ kcal in the overweight group and $323.7{\pm}8.6$ kcal in the obese group. The percent energy of estimated energy requirement (EER) was 21.8%. The intake of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, and pyridoxine were significantly different by WLI (P<0.05). A comparison of nutrients in the lunch menu provided with those of 1/3 recommended intake (RI) showed that preschoolers took in fewer calories, calcium, and vitamin $B_2$, and that their deficiency rates were high (81.2%, 76.5% and 70.6% of recommended levels, respectively). There was a significant difference in the preference of fruits and milk and dairy products by WLI. Therefore, a nutritional education program and new guidance in the proper nutrition management for kindergarteners should be developed to enhance nutritional status during childhood.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.25-43
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• 2003

In Korea, changes in children's diet patterns accelerate their physical growth and development: frequent snacking has been presumed to be a major cause of increasing dental caries. The present study attempts to clarify the relationship between the physical development of growing children and their tooth decay. For this purpose, 632 six-grade children in 4 elementary school located in Urban(Seoul) and Rural(Po-gok, Yang-In) were classified into three groups based on the Weight Length Index(WLI), known to reflect the nutritional conditions of school-age children, and the relationship was analyzed between each group and the variables considered to be related with dental caries. The result is as follows: The average weight and height of the male is $44.88{\pm}10.89$ kg, $148.49{\pm}7.33$ cm and female is $43.35{\pm}9.60$ kg, $149.23{\pm}6.73$ cm, respectively, which are in the similar level with the Korean Physical Standard. The classification of the children by the WLI reveals a relatively high distribution of over-weighted child ren - 212 persons, 335% of the entire population. The DMFT Index was a little high in the rural area(3.15 teeth in urban and 3.31, in rural). Among the groups of children classified by the WLI, the over-weight group have the highest DMFT index(3.69 teeth). The relationship between the frequency of taking in basic nutrients and the DMFT index is also found: the relationship is not evident in case of the foods containing rich calcium, protein, as well as fruits and vegetables. But, in the protein-rich food, higher frequency of its intake means significantly lower DMFT index in the normal-weight group of the urban children. In case of carbohydrate, higher frequency of its intake means significantly higher DMFT index in all the groups of the rural children. The DMFT index has some correlations with the relevant variables: the index has a positive correlation with the frequency of snacking, and a negative correlation with the economic status. That is, the higher the frequency of snacking is, and the lower the economic status is, the higher the DMFT index may be. In the logistic multiple regression analysis conducted with the presence of DMFT as a dependent variable, only the frequency of tooth brushing is turned to be a variable affecting the presence of either decayed, missing, or filled teeth. Based on the above result, the variables affecting the DMFT index are a time spent on eating, frequency of intake of protein and carbohydrate for a week, frequency of snacking, regular dental check-ups, preventive behaviors for oral health(fluoride gargling, tooth brusing after each meal, proper tooth brushing method). These variables have a relationship with the DMFT index, but the degree is somewhat different between the groups classified either by the region or by the WLI. Therefore, appropriate nutrition management should be conducted according to the individual's nutritional conditions when the services like nutritional education are provided based on the closely-examined characteristics of each target group. And, at the same time, oral health education should be strengthened, and its importance should also be emphasized so that people can pay attention to their own oral health.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.31-48
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• 2004

Dental caries taking place with milk teeth affects eruption of permanent teeth adversely, and thus, it is very important to prevent dental caries from taking place with a child in maintaining his/her physical, mental and emotional health. In this study as conducted to obtain basic data to be required for development of a program for letting preschool children form a habitual life for oral health and right dietary life, a total 172 children aged 5 years and 6 years were selected from children who lived in Hwasung-si, Kyunggi-do and attended preschools (childrens houses) located there with the consent of their guardians. Then, the weight length index (WLI) and blood components of each child were analyzed, and each relation between the weight length index (WLI) and dental caries of milk teeth and between blood components and dental caries of milk teeth was comparatively examined, and thereby, the following results were obtained. When the dmf rate of each group according to the obesity was examined, it was found to be 87.50% in the under-weight group, 71.20% in the normal weight group and 83.87% in the overweight group. And when the dmft rate of each group was examined, it was found to be 48.43% in the under-weight group, 37.10% in the normal weight group and 47.17% in the overweight group. Also, when the dmft index of each group was examined, it was found to be 3.9 in the under-weight group, 3.0 in the normal weight group and 3.8 in the overweight group. That is to say, the under-weight group and the overweight group having an abnormal weight were found to be higher in all of the dmf rate, the dmft rate and the dmft index than the normal weight group. It could be, therefore, known that normal weight should be maintained in order to prevent dental caries of milk teeth. And, it is thought that a right dietary life habit ensuring intake of balanced nutrients should be formed for maintenance of a normal weight. As a result of examining the relation between nutrient components in blood and dental caries of milk teeth, in the case of children with no dental caries, inorganic nutrient components of blood had a tendency to be a little higher, but no statistical significance was observed therein. Meanwhile, it was found that there was a relation between blood type and the dmft index.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.383-392
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• 2010

This study was conducted to prepare basic materials and offer advice regarding dietary habits to prevent and cure childhood obesity by comparing and analyzing dietary habit, nutritional status, blood factors, and mineral contents of hair. All subjects were stratified by their weight-length index (WLI). According to the standard WLI values, 64.9% of children were within the normal value, 13.5% of children were underweight, and 21.6% of children were overweight and obese (WLI ${\geq}$ 110%). Overall, the score assessed dietary habit for all children was $21.32{\pm}2.55$ point (921 subjects), with 5.1% of children having excellent dietary habits and 3.1% having poor dietary habits. Additionally, 37.9% of underweight children, 37.6% of normal weight children, and 43.2% of overweight and obese children consumed higher amounts of protein than underweight children did (meat, fish, eggs, and soy products) (P < 0.05). Overweight and obese children consumed more fried foods than underweight or normal weight children (P < 0.05). Moreover, 38.0% of the children had hemoglobin levels of 12 g/dl, while 7.6% were anemic (11.1 g/dl). When a hematocrit level of 33% was taken as the standard, 11.0% of children were anemic. The plasma transferrin content was $263.76{\pm}54.52$ mg/dl in overweight and obese children. The mean values of Fe, Cu, Ca, Cr, Mn, Se, Na, K, Li, V, Co, and Mo were within the reference values, but the Zn concentrations of underweight, normal weight, and overweight and obese children were $67.97{\pm}28.51$ ppm, $70.09{\pm}30.81$ ppm, and $73.99{\pm}30.36$ ppm, respectively. The Zn concentration of overweight and obese children ($73.99{\pm}30.36$ ppm) was lower than that of the standard value (180~220 ppm). Therefore, a nutritional education program and new guidance for dietary pattern should be developed to reduce the number of underweight and overweight and obese children.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to estimate the nutrient intake, dietary habits, and body indices among preschool children. The study subjects were 166 kindergarten children, aged 4 to 6 years. A measurement of the weight, height, chest circumference, and head circumference of the children was conducted. The general home environment and factors related to the eating habits of children were collected using a questionnaire that included information about physical activity, outdoor playing time, television watching, family income, and parents education and occupations. Underweight, overweight were defined based on a value of less than 110 and more than 140 on the Rohrer Index, or less than 90 and more than 120 on the weight-length index (WLI). The average Rohrer and WLI for the preschool children were 14.3 $\pm$ 23.2% and 104 $\pm$ 13.5%. Using the WLI, 12.7% of the preschool children were underweight 62.6% were normal, and 24.7% were overweight or obese. On the Rohrer Index, 32.0% of the preschool children were underweight, 34.7% were normal, and 34.1% were overweight or obese. With regard to frequency of regularity of eating breakfast, 2.5% of preschool children skipped breakfast every morning. The risk of being overweight increased in preschool children who had faster eating times. The Rohrer and WLI were negatively related to faster eating times. The average daily energy intake was 1272 Kcal, which corresponded to 79.5% of the Korean RDA. In particular, the average intakes of calcium, iron, and vitamin B$_2$ were much lower than the Korean RDAs for each of those nutrients. Children whose mothers had occupations were at greater risk of decreased nutrient intake than those whose mothers were at home. The data presented in this study confirm that, in preschool children, undernutrition remains the nutritional problem of great concern in Korea, even though Koreans are starting to have worrisome rates of overweight. Therefore, during the early years of life, focus should remain on sustaining Proper growth and development.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.16-27
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity and to examine the eating habits of elementary school students in Iksan dity. The study was carried out on 292 students(male: 151, female : 141)in May of 1997. The average height and weight of the subjects were 141 cm and 37kg in males and 142 cm and 36kg in females, which were similar to the average of Chonbuk. A Weight/Length Index(WLI), Broca Index, Rohrer Index(RI), Body Mass Index(BMI) and Waist Hip Ratio(WHR) were used as an obesity index to classify degree of obesity. WLI, Broca Index and RI were proper for judging child obesity and strict judgments were conducted in the order of RI, WLI and Brcoa Index. The subjects were classified as 30.8% underweight, 43.5% normal, 8.2% overweight and 17.5% obese by WLI and there were significant differences between height(p＜0.05) and weight(p＜0.01) according to obesity degree among the four groups. 50.3% of the boys and 55.3% of the girls are regularly, and the main reason they didn＇t ate regularly, and the maim reason they didn＇t eat breakfast(78.4%) was due to lack of time. The frequency of snacks were 1-2 times a week(40.4%), fruits(40.4%) from market and supermarket(68.2%). According to the survey 84.6%, 77.45, 78.1%, 69.9%, 59.9% and 86.6% of subjects didn＇t eat meat, fish, soysauce, instant food, sugar and seaweed respectively. Seaweed, meat, and soysauce showed low preferences. 69.5% and 74.75 of the subjects drink milk and ate kimchi respectively. By analyzing eating habits according to the degree of obesity, the rate of skipping breakfast(p＜0.01), and eating meat or fish(p＜0.05) were high in the overweight and obese groups of girls. In the boys case, the rate of not eating food in sugar(p＜0.05) was high in the obese group. Obese children need to correct their eating habit. This reasserts the importance of nutrition education in children though teachers, parents, and dietitions. The findings of this study may be applied to nutrition education to ensure better physical fitness for children.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.212-221
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• 2011

This study was conducted to identify differences in growth based on the obesity index in sixth grade. Heights and weights of 141 students from first to sixth grades were collected from school records. Other information was gathered by survey, and the weight length index (WLI) was calculated. Subjects were classified into three groups: underweight (n = 57, UG), normal (n = 53, NG), and obese (n = 31, OG) using the WLI. Differences in weight, height, and growth velocity were compared among the three groups from the first to sixth grades. With regard to growth, the past physical status of the three groups was maintained. More than 50% of the OG was in the overweight range when they were in the third to fifth grades. Approximately 60% of NG was in the normal weight range between the first and fifth grades. More than 70% of UG was in the underweight range when they were in the first to fifth grades (p < 0.001). Growth velocity was faster in OG than that in NG and UG (p < 0.001). The annual growth rate of children was the highest when they moved from the third to the fourth grade (p < 0.001). The results indicate that general balanced diet education should be implemented in lower grades, because physical growth formed in lower grades tended to be maintained in senior grades. It would be better to educate students about diet to prevent obesity before the fifth grade when a major change in body structure has occurred.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.321-327
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the mother's interest in weight control and its association with the preschooler's obesity and weight related concerns. This was a cross-sectional study based on 470 parents' self-reports. To score interests in weight control, mothers rated each of 6 items on a five-point Likert scale ranging from disagree (1) to agree (5). The perceptions of mothers' weights and their children's weights, mothers' Body Mass Index (BMI), preschoolers' Weight-Length Index (WLI) (%), and weight-related concerns were determined. The mothers' BMI was significantly correlated with interest scores of weight control in mothers (r=0.632, p<0.001) while their children's obesity was weakly correlated with the mothers' interest scores (r=0.133, p=0.025). Mothers with a high interest of weight control reported higher percentages of family history of obesity than mothers with lower interests (63.2% vs. 36.8%, p<0.001). Two-thirds of the mothers (65.4%) were accurate in their perceptions about their weights. Similarly, 63.7% of mothers knew exactly their children's weight-statuses. Compared with mothers with low interest in weight controls, mothers with high interest in weight control had lower correct-perceptions about their weights (p<0.05) but higher correct-perceptions about their children's weights. More than two-thirds of mothers (85%) reported not worrying about their children's obesity in the future. Only 14.3% of the mothers were satisfied with their current weight statuses. Three-fourths of mothers preferred exercise as an effective weight-control method for their children, 20% preferred diet therapy and 5.5% preferred behavior modification. More girls were overweight / obese, than boys (overweight: 16.1% (girl) vs. 12.8% (boy), obese: 5.4% (girl) vs. 4.5% (boy)). About 40% of overweight girls' mothers had low interests in their weight controls with low correct-perceptions in their children's weights, which suggests possible elevated risk of obesity, especially in girls, in the future.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.156-166
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• 2002

The object of this study was done to assert the dietary habits, food intake, and dietary attitudes of 332 middle school students in a small city. The subject were divided into doe groups based on weight length index (WLI). Anthropometric data showed that the mean height and weight were 169.5 $\pm 8.2 cm and 55.1 $\pm 11.5 kg in the male students and 158.9 $\pm 5.9 cm and 48.1 $\pm 7.6 kg in the female students. The mean WLIs for male and female students were 103.0 $\pm 19.7 and 96.3 $\pm 12.8, respectively. Of the male students 27.9% and of the female students 32.1% were underweight, and of the male students 28.9% and of the female students 13.0% were overweight based on WLI index. Lack of good dietary habits in the overweight group tended to be the highest, the normal group was the second highest, and the underweight group was the lowest. The regularity of eating breakfast and flood prejudice scores in the overweight group were significantly higher than those in the normal and underweight group. With respect to flood intake, the normal group tended to consume grains, yellow or green vegetables, vegetables with light color, fruits, milk, yogurt, cheese, seaweeds, fat-floods, instant floods, sweet floods, carbonated drinks, and spicy and salty floods more frequently. The underweight group tended to consume meat-ham, eggs, fish and fried, stir-fried flood more frequently In dietary attitudes, the overweight group tended to have more favorable dietary attitudes, and the normal group tended to have negative dietary attitudes. The underweight group showed more negative responses to trying to eat/drink milk, yogurt, or cheese everyday than the overweight groups. It might be suggested that more effective nutritional programs should be developed and implemented to ensure good dietary habits in middle school students, including the overweight, as well as the underweight group. Further research on the comparison of dietary characteristics is needed, with consideration of the subjects WLI.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.475-485
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• 2001

This study was conducted to find the differences in the physical changes, eating habits and dietary intake by obseity index of sixth grade primary school students is Seoul.The subjests were classified into three groups, an underweight group(90% under, 12l Ug), normal group(between 90-110%, 153, NG), and obese group(110% over, 91, OG) according to WLI(Weight-Length Index)calculated with their present (6th grade) height and weight. The physical growth of the subjects was generally good, although problems of both underweight and obesity were existed together. The mean heigh growth velocity per year, weight growth velocity per year and WLI changes per year of OG were higher than those of the other groups(p〈0.01). The past physical status of the three groups were maintained from 1 st grade to sixth grade, As eating habits and lifestyles, they were not statistically significant but there were some differences among the three groups. More students of the UG disliked a certain food than those of the other groups. UG liked fried or roasted foods more(p〈0.001). NG tended to eat three meals more irregularly. OG tended to have meal times more regularly and do more regular exercise than the other groups. The dietary intakes of three groups were generally good. They were not statically significant among the three groups. With theses difference among the three groups, it is recommended to educate about unbalanced diet for the underweight group, regularity, of meals for the normal group, doing exercise for the obese for the obese group, and increasing Ca and vitamin A intake for most students, As the physical status for th lower grades have been maintained up to the sixth grade, nutrition education programs should be started at the lower grades in the elementary school.