Korean Journal of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회지)

The Korean Society of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회)
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Intake of energy and macronutrients according to household income among elementary, middle, and high school students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

코로나19 팬데믹 전후 초·중·고등학생의 가구소득별 에너지 및 다량영양소 섭취: 국민건강영양조사 (2016-2022) 자료 활용

  • Chae-Eun Jeong (Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Heejin Lee (Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jung Eun Lee (Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University)
  • 정채은 (서울대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과) ;
  • 이희진 (서울대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과) ;
  • 이정은 (서울대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과)
  • Received : 2024.05.16
  • Accepted : 2024.06.07
  • Published : 2024.06.30
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Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the intake of energy and macronutrients among elementary, middle, and high school students according to household income before the COVID-19 pandemic (2016-2019), during the social distancing period (2020-2021), and after the social distancing measures were lifted (2022). Methods: We included 5,217 students aged 5-18 from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted between 2016 and 2022. Dietary intake was assessed using one-day 24-hour dietary recalls. We estimated the least squares means (LS-means) of intake according to household income for each period using a weighted linear regression model, adjusted for age and sex. Differences in LS-means between the periods were analyzed using the t-test. Results: During the social distancing period, the LS-means of energy intake among students decreased significantly by 143.2 kcal/day compared to pre-pandemic levels (P < 0.001). Students from low-income households experienced a more pronounced decrease in energy intake (-379.1 kcal/day, P < 0.001) and macronutrient intake compared to those from other income groups. Energy intake at school significantly declined for all income groups during the social distancing period compared to before the pandemic. No significant changes in home energy intake were observed among low-income students, whereas there was an increase for students from higher-income groups. Before the pandemic, 8.5% of students from low-income households reported insufficient food due to economic difficulties; this figure rose to 21.3% during the pandemic. Conclusions: During the pandemic, students from low-income families experienced significantly lower intake of energy and macronutrients compared to pre-pandemic levels. The most substantial reductions were noted among low-income students, largely due to the lack of compensation for decreased school-based intake with increased intake at home.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University.

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