• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.277-287
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• 2023

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the eating behavior (EB) and nutritional status of university students in Gwangju, and to compare their nutrition quotients (NQs) and problems according to their EB types. Methods: The subjects were 219 (127 female and 92 male) undergraduate students from Gwangju. The Student's t-test was used to compare the EB levels according to gender, and Pearson's χ² test was used to compare the distribution of EB types by gender. A gender-adjusted analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to examine the difference in NQs by EB types. Results: First, there were significant differences in the EB scores and the distribution of EB types according to gender. Female students showed higher levels of emotional (Emo) and external (Ext) EBs than the male students, and Emo, Ext, and combined (Com) EB types were more evident among female rather than male students. Second, there was a difference in NQs according to the EB types. The Emo EB type subjects had a lower NQ than those of the restrained (Res) EB type and showed significant differences in diversity and dietary behavior. Specifically, the Emo EB type subjects displayed significantly lower efforts to maintain a healthy diet and subjective health status than the Com EB type and their levels of checking nutrition labels, hand washing, and water intake were significantly lower than that of the Res EB type. The Ext EB type showed significantly lower moderation of Ramyeon and sweetened drink intake than the Res and Com EB types. Conclusion: The level of EBs and the distribution of EB types varied according to gender, and the NQs were different according to EB types. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the establishment of customized strategies for improvement by identifying major nutritional problems by gender and the EB types of university students.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.343-350
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• 2023

Objectives: Water constitutes a majority of the human body and is essential for health. In addition, water intake can prevent dental caries by improving salivary lubrication and self-cleaning. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the amount of daily water intake and the symptoms of oral disease in Korean adolescents. Methods: We used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS), conducted in Korea in 2021, and identified the relationship between daily water intake and oral disease symptoms in Korean adolescents. KYRBS is a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), and a total of 54,848 participants were included in this study. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis showed that tooth pain was more often experienced by those who drank less than two cups of water per day (odds ratio [OR]: 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.30) than those who drank five or more cups of water per day. Conclusions: A low daily water intake is associated with tooth pain, a symptom of dental caries. The results of our study suggest that increasing water intake may reduce dental caries. Therefore, adequate water intake may help prevent dental caries.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.407-418
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• 2015

Purpose: Given that the indicators related to chronic diseases are important to evaluating goals of the national health policy, the aim of this study was to develop dietary behavior items available in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: The dietary behavior items were developed based on the literature reviews, need assessment of the field, expert focus-group interviews, and expert advisory meeting. Questions for each dietary behavior item were developed by reflecting on environmental, personal, and behavior factors of the ecological frame and then revised through expert focus-group interview and expert advisory meeting. The understanding and reliability of the developed questionnaire were assessed by cognitive interview and test-retest reliability. Results: The developed items were sodium and salt intake, added and simple sugar intake, enough time to consume a meal for all ages, caffeine drinks and fresh/healthy food intake for children and adolescents, and limited dietary intake, fresh/healthy food intake for seniors. In most questions except some questions on sodium and salt intake, subjects understood over 70% and consistency of responses based on the kappa values was acceptable. Conclusion: Developed dietary behavior items are expected to be useful for evidence-based nutrition policy, interventions and research targeting dietary patterns through investigating and monitoring dietary behavior patterns.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.340-356
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a nutrition quotient (NQ) to assess overall dietary quality and food behaviors of Korean adults. Methods: The NQ was developed in three steps: item generation, item reduction, and validation. Candidate items of the NQ checklist were derived from a systematic literature review, expert in-depth interviews, statistical analyses of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010 ~ 2013) data, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. A total of 368 adults (19 ~ 64 years) participated in a one-day dietary record survey and responded to 43 items in the food behavior checklist. Pearson's correlation coefficients between responses to the checklist items and nutritional intake status of the adults were calculated. Item reduction was performed, and 24 items were selected for a nationwide survey. A total of 1,053 nationwide adult subjects completed the checklist questionnaires. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to develop a final NQ model. Results: The 21 checklist items were used as final items for NQ. Checklist items were composed of four factors: nutrition balance (seven items), food diversity (three items), moderation for the amount of food intake (six items), and dietary behavior (five items). The four-factor structure accounted for 41.8% of the total variance. Indicator tests of the NQ model suggested an adequate model fit (GRI = 0.9693, adjusted GFI = 0.9617, RMR = 0.0054, SRMR = 0.0897, p < 0.05), and item loadings were significant for all subscales. Standardized path coefficients were used as weights of the items. The NQ and four-factor scores were calculated according to the obtained weights of the questionnaire items. Conclusion: NQ for adults would be a useful tool for assessing adult dietary quality and food behavior. Further investigations of adult NQ are needed to reflect changes in their food behavior, environment, and prevalence of chronic diseases.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.518-531
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examined the association between fruit and vegetable intake and mental health in Korean adolescents. Methods: This study used the data from the 2014-2017 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a national cross-sectional survey on 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls aged 12-18. Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed based on the frequency of consumption. The outcome variables were the perceived happiness, perceived stress, depressive symptom and suicidal ideation over the previous 12 months. Logistic regression models were used after adjusting for the demographic, life style and other dietary factors. Results: Only 34% and 29% of Korean adolescents consumed fruits more than 5 times/week and vegetables more than 2 times/day, respectively; whereas 37%, 25% and 12.2% of Korean adolescents had perceived stress, depressive symptom and suicidal ideation, respectively. After adjusting for the confounding variables, the greater consumption of fruit and vegetable were all associated with a higher odds of perceived happiness; the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) (95% CI) were 1.53 (1.46-1.60) in boys and 1.82 (1.73-1.90) in girls who consumed fruit ≥ 5 times/week, and 1.65 (1.54-1.76) in boys and 1.62 (1.51-1.72) in girls who consumed vegetable ≥ 2 times/day. In contrast, the consumption of fruit or vegetable were all significantly associated with a lower odds of perceived stress, depressive symptom, and suicidal ideation; the AOR (95% CI) were 0.70 (0.67-0.73), 0.88 (0.84-0.93), and 0.78 (0.73-0.83) in boys who consumed fruit 3-4 times/week, and 0.71 (0.67-0.76), 0.88 (0.81-0.94), and 0.68 (0.62-0.74) in boys who consumed vegetable 5-7 times/week. Similar associations of fruit or vegetable consumption with perceived stress, depressive symptom, or suicidal ideation were found in girls. Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that increasing fruit and vegetable intake is important for better mental health among adolescents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.87-102
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a valid instrument for measuring the dietary quality and behaviors of Korean elderly. Methods: The development of the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E) was conducted in three steps: item generation, item reduction, and validation. The 41 items of the NQ-E checklist were derived from a systematic literature review, expert in-depth interviews, statistical analyses of the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. Pearson's correlation was used to determine the level of agreement between the questionnaires and nutrient intake level, and 24 items were selected for a nationwide survey. A total of 1,000 nationwide elderly subjects completed the checklist questionnaire. The construct validity of the NQ-E was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, LISREL. Results: The nineteen checklist items were used as final items for NQ-E. Checklist items were composed of four-factors: food behavior (6 items), balance (4 items), diversity (6 items), and moderation (3 items). The standardized path coefficients were used as the weights of the items. The NQ-E and four-factor scores were calculated according to the obtained weights of the questionnaire items. Conclusion: NQ-E would be a useful tool for assessing the food behavior and dietary quality of the elderly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.419-438
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• 2023

Purpose: This study examines the effectiveness of personalized goal setting and smartphone-based nutrition counseling among adults in their 20s and 30s. Methods: Nutrition counseling was conducted for a total of 30 adults through a 1:1 chat room of a mobile instant messenger, once a week for 8 weeks. The first week of counseling included a preliminary online questionnaire survey and a dietary intake survey. Based on the results of the preliminary survey, 2 dietary goals were set in the second week and the participants were asked to record their achievements on a daily checklist. From the third week onwards, counselors sent feedback messages based on the checklist and provided information on dietary guidelines in a card news format every week. Post-counseling questionnaires and dietary intake surveys were conducted in the seventh week. Changes in dietary habits during the counseling were reviewed in the eighth week, followed by a questionnaire survey on the evaluation of the counseling process. Results: The nutrition quotient (NQ) scores and self-efficacy scores were significantly higher after nutrition counseling. The NQ scores of consumption frequencies of fruits, milk and dairy products, nuts, fast food, Ramyeon, sweet and greasy baked products, sugarsweetened beverages, the number of vegetable dishes at meals, and breakfast frequency were significantly higher after nutrition counseling. The intake of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, calcium, and iron, and the index of nutritional quality of vitamin A, riboflavin, folate, calcium, and iron were higher after nutrition education. The participants were satisfied with the nutrition counseling program and the provided nutrition information. Conclusion: Personalized goal setting and smartphone-based nutrition counseling were found to be effective in improving the quality of diet and self-efficacy in young adults. Similar results were obtained in both the underweight/normal weight and the overweight/obese groups.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.136-152
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• 2024

Purpose: A comprehensive evaluation item was developed to assess adolescent dietary habits and nutritional practices, considering food intake, eating behaviors, and food culture, such as social support and food environment. Methods: The 59 candidate items of the evaluation checklist were obtained based on the results of the eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, Korea Dietary Reference Intakes, dietary guidelines for adolescents, Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, national nutrition policies and dietary guidelines, and literature reviews. Four hundred and three middle and high school students residing in metropolitan areas participated in a survey using the 58-item checklist, which was selected through expert evaluation and content validity ratio analysis. The construct validity of the assessment tool for the quality of adolescent diets was assessed by exploratory factor analyses to determine if the checklist items were organized properly and whether the responses to each item were distributed adequately. Results: The Bartlett sphericity test was significant for each area (p <0.001), and the eigen values were greater than one. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and cumulative proportions by areas were food intake (0.765 and 56.8%, respectively), eating behaviors (0.544 and 64.8%, respectively), and food environment (0.699 and 62.4%, respectively). Twenty-two checklists were determined for the final evaluation items for the adolescents' dietary habits and nutritional practices and were categorized into three distinct factors: food intake (10 items), eating behaviors (4 items), and food environment (8 items). Conclusion: The evaluation items for adolescent dietary habits and nutritional practices is a useful checklist for easily and quickly assessing the dietary qualities and reflecting Korean adolescents and their food environmental factors related to a sustainable diet.