A Study on Seasonal Variations of Food Consumption of Korean Farmers

한국농촌주민(韓國農村住民)의 계절별(季節別) 식품섭취조사연구(食品攝取調査硏究)

This is the report of a food consumption survey of 193 members of 30 farm families in three rural villages of Korea. From a total of 188 households of the three villages, namely Wolgok in Kyunggi Do Province, Wachon in Kangwon Do Province, and Sobong in Cholla Namdo Province, 30 households were chosen for the survey. Four consecutive seasonal surveys, beginning in the autumn, November 1974 and finishing with the summer, August 1975, were made and each survey covered three consecutive days. The Precise Weighing Method was used in evaluating the kinds of food and nutrient intakes of the subjects. This method entails the accurate weighing of all foods by the investigator just prior to their consumption by the subjects under investigation. This survey was male to determine the actual food eaten by the members of these farm families at each season of the year, and to note any special differences in the foods consumed. The results obtained are summarized as follows: Food Intake The traditional ordinary diet of Korean farmers consists mainly of rice and other cereals as staple foods, and simple subsidary foods. The nutritional shortcomings of rice as a staple food are evident in the subclinical status of nutritional deficiencies. The mean consumption of cereals and their products was very high and it was more than half of the daily total food intake throughout all the seasons. The consumption of animal food, fruits, and fat by the farmers was very low. Fruit intake during winter and spring was almost nil. One of the special foods in the Korean dietary pattern is Kim-chi, a variety of pickled and fermented vegetables. The mean intake of Kim-chi during autumn and winter was very much higher than the other seasons. Korean farmers have difficulties in balanced year-round supply of food due to seasonality of food production and lack of food preservation. As nutrition problems of Korean farmers are highly influenced by seasonal variations, the expansion of an appropriate food preservation and storage programme should be encouraged. Special consideration should be given to new methods of preservation, the types of foods preserved, and production and consumption of nutritionally valuable foods for the improvement of the nutritional status in rural communities. Nutrient Intake Average adult rates for calorie and protein in the three study areas were 0.80 and 0.87 respectively, with little variations by villages. The adult caloric intake in averaged 2,928 kcal for autumn, 2,662 for winter, 2,673 for spring, and 2,760 for summer. Cereals contributed most of the total calories. In terms of the recommended daily dietary allowances for the Korean given by the Korea FAO Association, the diets in this survey were adequate except in the winter and spring. The protein intake averaged from 76.4 grams in autumn to 83.4 grams in summer and was near the recommended allowance, but a relatively large proportion of the total protein came from cereals and their products. The fat intake was unsatisfactory, ranging from 19.2 grams to 29.3 grams for the four seasons, and the consumption during farming season was higher than other seasons. It is apparent that the diet of the Korean farmers should be supplemented by calcium during autumn and winter. The highest calcium intake, with a mean of 583.5 milligrams, was recorded in summer. The mean intake of iron ranged from a low of 9.2 milligrams in the autumn to a high of 15.0 milligrams in the spring and it was satisfactory for all seasons. Among the vitamin group, the daily average intakes of vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid were lower than the desired intake throughout all the seasons. The mean vitamin A intake as ${\beta}-carotene$ ranged from a low of 2,807.8 IU to a high of 5,221.0 IU. The thiamine intake ranged from 0.98 milligrams to 1.19 milligrams, while mean riboflavin intake ranged from 0.92 milligrams to 1.13 milligrams. Ascorbic acid intake was 37.3 milligrams, the lowest, and the highest 47.8 milligrams. Niacin intake among Korean farmers was higher than the recommended allowance throughout all the seasons, and the mean intake ranged from 18.3 milligrams to 25.8 milligrams. The main character of the Korean farmers' diet has been found low in quality of protein and high in carbohydrate. Attention should be paid to the low intake of vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid among Korean farmers.