사무직 남성 직장인의 연령별 식습관과 건강기능식품에 대한 인식 및 섭취 실태

Dietary Habits and the Perception and Intake of Health Functional Foods in Male Office Workers by Age

To investigate male office workers' dietary habits and their perception and intake of health functional foods, 234 male employees were surveyed by questionnaire. The results were categorized into three age groups: under 35 years, 35 and 45 years, and over 45 years. The over 45 years group had significantly better dietary habits than the others (p<0.05). The most common reason for skipping breakfast was lack of time. Frequency of drinking alcohol was higher in the older group, where tiredness after drinking was lower in the younger group. The perception score of health functional foods was highest in the over 45 years group. Perception of health functional foods was more positive as the age of the groups increased (p<0.01). The number of health functional foods consumed, duration of intake, and beneficial health effects were higher in older groups. Although older people are more concerned about health than relatively younger people, they did not necessarily have reduced the amounts of smoking and drinking. Instead, they simply showed higher intakes of health functional foods to prevent and cure disease and improve their health. Therefore, older people need to receive education about their dietary and living habits instead of simply eating health functional foods. It is necessary to provide correct information about health functional foods by nutritional education.