• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.629-647
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was undertaken to develop a nutrition quotient for elementary school children (NQ-C) for evaluating the overall dietary quality and eating behaviors. Methods: The NQ-C was developed by implementing 3 stages: item generation, item reduction, and validation. Candidate food behavior checklist (FBC) items of the NQ-C were derived from systematic literature reviews, expert in-depth interviews, statistical analyses of the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. For the pilot survey, 260 elementary school students (128 second graders and 132 fifth graders) completed self-administered questionnaires as well as 24-hour dietary intakes, with the help of their parents and survey team staff, if required. Based on the pilot survey results, expert reviews, and priorities of national nutrition policy and recommendations, checklist items were reduced from 41 to 24. A total of 20 items for NQ-C were finally selected from results generated from 1,144 nationwide samples surveyed. Construct validity of the NQ-C was assessed using the confirmatory factor analysis, LInear Structural RELations. Results: Analyses of the exploratory factors of NQ-C identified that 5 dimensions of diet (balance, diversity, moderation, practice and environment) accounted for 46.2% of the total variance. Standardized path coefficients were used as weights of the items. The NQ-C and 5-factor scores of the subjects were calculated using the obtained weights of the FBC items. Conclusion: Our data indicates that NQ-C is a useful and suitable instrument for assessing nutrition adequacy, dietary quality, and eating behaviors of Korean elementary school children.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.142-157
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a nutrition quotient for adolescents (NQ-A) to assess overall dietary quality and food behavior of Korean adolescents. Methods: Development of the NQ-A was undertaken in three steps: item generation, item reduction, and validation. Candidate items of the NQ-A checklist were selected based on literature reviews, results of the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, dietary guidelines for Korean adolescents, expert in-depth interviews, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. A total of 213 middle and high school students participated in a one-day dietary record survey and responded to 41 items in the food behavior checklist. Pearson's correlation coefficients between the responses to the checklist items along with nutritional status of the adolescents were calculated. Item reduction was performed, and 24 items were selected for the nation-wide survey. A total of 1,547 adolescents from 17 cities completed the checklist questionnaire. Exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to develop a final NQ-A model. Results: Nineteen items were finalized as the checklist items for the NQ-A. Checklist items were composed of five factors (balance, diversity, moderation, environment, and practice). The five-factor structure accounted for 47.2% of the total variance. Standardized path coefficients were used as weights of the items. The NQ-A and five-factor scores were calculated based on the obtained weights of the questionnaire items. Conclusion: Nutrition Quotient for adolescents (NQ-A) would be a useful instrument for evaluating dietary quality and food behavior of Korean adolescents. Further research on NQ-A is needed to reflect changes in adolescent's food behavior and environment.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.342-350
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• 2014

Purpose: This study investigated the eating behaviors of Chinese children using the Nutrition Quotient for Children (NQ-C). Methods: The research subjects were 336 students (166 boys and 170 girls) in the 5th and 6th years at two elementary schools in Shandong Province and Jiangsu Province. Results: The average score of the Children's NQ was good, reaching 69.6 points. The factor scores for balance, moderation, diversity, regularity, and practice were 58.8, 84.9, 63.6, 76.1, and 73.6 points, respectively. Compared with the diagnostic cut-off points of the factors, mean balance, moderation, regularity, and practice scores were above the cut-off points, but diversity score did not meet the cut-off points. Fathers' education level showed positive correlation with the balance, regularity, and NQ scores of the students. Mothers' education level also showed positive correlation with the balance and regularity scores and mother's employment showed positive correlation with regularity score. As the exercise hours per day increased, the NQ score also increased. Conclusion: The questionnaire of NQ-C developed in Korea can be used in assessment of nutrition behavior of Chinese elementary students who have similar eating patterns.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2010

Nutrient limitation and light limitation was examined for the Youngsan Lake by collecting chlorophyll $\alpha$ and other properties including light intensity, nutrient concentrations, pheopigment ratio monthly from March, 2003 to April, 2004 (except for November-January). Chlorophyll $\alpha$ was fractionated into net-(>$20\;{\mu}m$) and nano-size(<$20\;{\mu}$). Light and nutrient limitation index was calculated based on the equations incorporating the mechanisms of limitation of light and nutrients from the literature. Phytoplankton population (chlorophyll $\alpha$) was low during the wet season especially in August and increased in short-period during other seasons. Photoperiod was short during the wet season but long during the dry season. Nutrients such as phosphate and ammonium were rapidly increased in spring, 2004. Light limitation index was minimum (0.01) in August during the wet season and nutrient limitation index was relatively high (>0.4) except for May and September. Light limitation may affect phytoplankton growth rather than nutrient limitation considering that nutrient levels are high in the Youngsan Lake. Results of correlation analyses showed a negative correlation between light and nutrient limitation indices and net-pheopigment index, and a positive correlation between the indices and nano-pheopigment index. These results suggest that phytoplankton response to change of light and nutrient may be size-dependant.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.86-96
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• 2023

Purpose: This study analyzes the association between depression, emotional eating, and dietary practices, and investigates the mediating effects of emotional eating between depression and dietary practice. Methods: A total of 345 women aged 40-59 years participated in the Seoul and Gyeonggido region. Assessments were achieved by self-reported questionnaires for emotional eating (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire), Nutrition Quotients (NQ), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). Results: Analyzing the NQ scores by considering the depression group, revealed that compared to the normal group, balance, diversity, and eating behavior scores were lower in the depression group, whereas the moderation score was lower in the borderline depression group and depression group. The emotional eating scores were determined to be higher in the depression group than in the normal group. Partial correlation analysis between depression, emotional eating, and NQ revealed that depression is positively correlated with emotional eating and negatively correlated with all other factors of the nutrition quotient, balance, diversity, moderation, and eating behavior. Among the nutrition quotient factors considered, emotional eating was determined to be negatively correlated with both diversity and moderation. The bootstrapping method was applied to analyze the mediating effect of emotional eating for determining the association between depression and NQ. Results indicate that among the nutrition quotient factors evaluated using emotional eating as a medium, depression exerted a negative effect on moderation. Conclusion: Results of this study confirm that emotional eating, as a medium, affects the intake of unhealthy foods especially when depression is associated with dietary practices.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.378-394
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• 2016

Purpose: Screening of preschool-age children for nutrition programs to improve dietary intake and behaviors requires cost-effective and easily administered validated assessment tools. The purpose of this study was to develop a parent/caregiver-administered instrument for measuring diet quality and behaviors of preschoolers as a nutrition quotient for preschoolers (NQ-P). Methods: Development of NQ-P was carried out in three steps: item generation, item reduction, and validation. The 24-h dietary record was selected as the gold standard reference tool. The 38 items of the NQ-P checklist were derived from a systematic literature review, expert in-depth interviews, statistical analysis of the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. Self-administered questionnaires were delivered to parents who recorded 24-h dietary intakes of 100 responders aged 3~5 yr. Pearson's correlation was used to measure the level of agreement between questionnaires. Item reduction was performed, and 20 items were selected based on survey results, expert reviews, and priorities of national nutrition policy and recommendations. The 412 nationwide subjects sampled through daycare centers completed the 20-item checklist questionnaire. The construct validity of the NQ-P was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, LISREL. Results: After analyses of exploratory factors, NQ-P items identified three dimensions of diet (balance, moderation, and environment). The three-factor structure accounted for 49.28% of the total variance. Standardized path coefficients were used as weights of the items. The NQ-P and three-factor scores of the subjects were calculated by the obtained weights of the questionnaire items. Conclusion: A food behavior checklist for preschoolers' NQ would be a useful and suitable instrument for evaluating nutrition adequacy and dietary quality of Korean preschoolers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.149.2-149.2
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• 2003

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.141-154
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• 2022

Purpose: This study determined the relationships between maternal comprehensive feeding practices (CFP) and dietary practices of preschool children. Methods: Participants of the study were 227 mothers of children aged 3 to 5 years attending daycare centers and kindergartens in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province of Korea. The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire was used to assess the maternal feeding practices. The Nutrition Quotient for Preschoolers (NQ-P) was measured to evaluate dietary practice and diet quality of children. Results: The balance of NQ-P for children was positively correlated with the modeling, restrictions for weight control, encouragement of balance and variety, pressure, and involvement among maternal CFP. Moderation of NQ-P was positively correlated with monitoring, modeling, teaching about nutrition, encouragement of balance and variety, environment, and involvement among maternal CFP. However, it was negatively correlated with emotion regulation, food as a reward, and child control in maternal CFP. Among maternal CFP, the environment of NQ-P was positively correlated with monitoring, modeling, teaching about nutrition, encouragement of balance and variety, environment, and involvement, and it was negatively correlated with emotion regulation. As a multiple regression analysis, maternal CFP that positively predicted balance of NQ-P indices were restricted for weight control, pressure, and involvement. Among maternal CFP, encouragement of balance and variety, and environment were positive predictors, while food as a reward, and child control were negative predictors for the moderation of NQ-P. Items of maternal CFP positively predicting environmental factors of NQ-P were monitoring and environment. Conclusion: Mothers are recommended to practice dietary guidance to their children, such as monitoring, modeling, teaching about nutritional information, recommendation of balance and diversity, healthy eating environment, and participation in meal plan and preparation, while they are advised not to conduct any adverse dietary guidance such as emotional control, compensation with food, child control, and food coercion.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.494-499
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• 2019

This study examined the dietary behavior of elementary school students in the Gyunggi area using the Nutrition Quotient (NQ). The subjects were 406 students (199 boys and 207 girls) in their fourth and fifth grades. The NQ, consisting 19 items, was grouped into five domains (balance, diversity, moderation, regularity, and practice). The NQ score of the boys and girls was similar (boys $61.40{\pm}14.31$, girls $63.02{\pm}14.62$). Among the five domains of the NQ, girls showed a higher score in moderation (boys $63.57{\pm}19.00$, girls $70.84{\pm}16.20$) and practice (boys $58.56{\pm}20.50$, girls $64.69{\pm}22.57$) than boys. No gender differences in diversity (boys $71.70{\pm}24.72$, girls $71.26{\pm}23.57$), regularity (boys $59.39{\pm}23.73$, girls $59.34{\pm}23.57$), and balance (boys $56.73{\pm}19.62$, girls $54.58{\pm}20.03$) were observed. The percentage distribution of the NQ grade was 10.8% (highest), 9.4% (high), 45.1% (medium), 20.4% (low), and 14.3% (lowest). More opportunities should be provided for children with a low and lowest NQ grade to participate in nutrition education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between obesity indices, nutritional knowledge, nutritional intake status, and some blood parameters in obese middle-school students. Anthropometric measurement, 24-hour recall for dietary intake, blood analysis and Questionnaire response including nutritional knowledge, nutritional attitude, and self-satisfaction were conducted in 42 obese middle-school students (28 male and 14 female) participated in the nutritional camp program carried by Bucheon district public health center in Kyunggi-do. The mean age of subjects was 13.9 years. The average body weight, BMI, obesity index, WHR and percent body fat were 75.5 kg, 29.1 kg/$m^2$, 30.1, 0.89 and 33.3% in male subjects, and 67.8 kg, 27.5 kg/$m^2$, 25.3, 0.81 and 34.6% in female subjects. The average nutritional attitude, the self-satisfaction and the nutritional knowledge scores were no significant difference between male and female subjects. Average intake of energy were 85.5% of RDA in males and 98.1% of RDA in females. The percentage of energy from fat was higher in both male (29%) and female (26%) subjects than recommended level. Calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B$_2$, vitamin C, niacin and folate intakes were below the RDA for them. In the results of correlation analysis, body weight, BMI and obesity index were positively correlated with systolic blood pressure and cholesterol intake. There was a negative correlation between percent body fat and nutritional knowledge. Body weight was negatively related to HDL-cholesterol, whereas it has positive relation with RBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit. BMI and obesity index were negatively related to HDL-cholesterol, but positively related to RBC, respectively. WHR showed positive relationship with serum GPT, glucose and MCV.