• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.655-671
• /
• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: While plate waste has been widely investigated in hospitals, there have been minimal studies specific to the texture-modified diet (TMD). This study aims to determine the percentage of plate waste among patients prescribed with TMD and its contributory factors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a single-centre study conducted in the university hospital on three types of TMD (blended diet, mixed porridge, minced diet) during lunch and dinner meals. Weighing method and visual estimation method assisted by digital photograph were adopted in this study. Face to face interview was carried out to investigate on 1) the food/food service quality factors in terms of patients' satisfaction level towards sensorial quality of food and food services provided and 2) the clinical/external factors including appetite, the provision of oral nutrition support, time taking the diet, the need for feeding assistance and the length of hospital stay. RESULTS: The mean percentage of overall plate waste of 95 patients receiving TMD was high (47.5%). Blended diet was identified as the most wasted diet (65%) followed by minced diet (56%) and mixed porridge (35%). Satisfaction level among patients was moderate. Patients on TMD in general had higher satisfaction level on the aspect of food service as compared to food quality. Substantial association between sensorial qualities of food and plate waste were varied according to individual TMD type. A multiple linear regression showed that only the satisfaction level toward the aspects of appearance and variety of foods were the predictors of TMD plate waste (R² = 0.254, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A significant relationship between the percentage of plate waste and the overall satisfaction level of patients receiving TMD suggests that vigorous strategies are needed to reduce the food waste of TMD which will lead to a better nutritional status and clinical outcomes among the patients.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.620-629
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study was to assess dietary habits and seasonal variation and diversity of food intakes of elderly women living alone as compared to those of elderly women living with family in a rural area. Forty nine elderly women living alone and forty one elderly women living with family who reside in Goryeong-gun, Gyeongbuk, were interviewed using questionnaires in summer 2005, and their food intakes were assessed secondly in winter and thirdly in spring 2006. The average ages were 74.7 years for elderly living alone and 72.8 years for elderly living with family. Tooth status and bone fracture experience were similar between the groups. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disease was 61.2% and that of circulatory disease was 32.7% of the subjects. Average of total score of mental depression of the subjects was 5.94 out of 12 points, and it was not significantly different between the two groups. Skipping meals was more frequent and mealtime was more irregular in the elderly women living alone as compared with the elderly women living with family. Consumption of dietary supplements was also less in the elderly women living alone. Food intakes by the elderly women living alone tended to be lower than those by the elderly women living with family. Dietary diversity score was significantly lower with the elderly women living alone as compared with the elderly women living with family only in summer (p < 0.01). Percentages of the subjects who have taken meat group and vegetable group were significantly lower in the elderly living alone compared with the elderly living with family during summer. Therefore, it is necessary to develop food assistance or supporting program suited for the season within a community for elderly women living alone.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.145-152
• /
• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the meal quality and dietary behaviors of low-income family children by qualitative method. The subjects were 12 children(2 boys and 10 girls) aged 7 to 11, enrolled in an after-school care center in Kimpo, Gyeonggi province. Most of their mothers had jobs(83.3%) and 75% were the beneficiaries of a government assistance program. When compared using body mass index(BMI) percentile, 16.7% of the subjects were classified as being overweight. The food intake patterns and meal qualities were evaluated from dietary records for three non-consecutive days. The mean dietary diversity score(DDS) was 3.8, suggesting at least one food group was deficit. Only 8.3% of the records indicated a satisfactory intake of all five food groups, and fruit was the most deficit food group(58.3%). Also, the proportion of balanced of meals was low, especially breakfast(36%), in that main dish(the source of protein) was not included. The children had problematic eating behaviors, such as an unbalanced diet, eating meals in a hurry, skipping breakfast, and irregular meal times. They answered that they liked to eat simple meals and convenient foods. In conclusion, nutrition education should incorporate strategies to reach families and help with meal planning and management, as well as modifying the eating behaviors of children, in order to improve nutritional status.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.163-175
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to examine the operations of school food services to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in schools nationwide. The survey data on school food service operations targeting nutrition teachers and nutritionists at 1,023 schools in 2020 and 1,177 schools in 2021 were used. The year 2021 saw an increase compared to 2020 in the following: 'average days to be served with meals for a year (144.5 vs. 184.7)', 'provided meals to all students (92.3% vs. 96.6%)', 'utilization of additional staff for foodservice assistance (33.4% vs. 38.8%)', 'installation of partitions (61.2% vs. 83.8%)', 'provision of general diet (96.1% vs. 99.1%)', and 'use of kitchen utensils (91.3% vs. 95.1%)', 'use of cafeteria water cup (9.9% vs. 31.0%)' and 'use of drinking water in school (46.8% vs. 52.1%)'. Compared to 2020, in 2021, it was confirmed that the school food service operations stabilized due to the increase in the normal school attendance rate and that systems were in place for operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, it will be necessary to develop manuals and special recipes necessary for responding to infectious diseases, and to operate a manpower pool that can quickly find replacement personnel if required.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.215-229
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study examines the attitude of South Korean adults toward food aid to North Korea and factors associated with it. Methods: An online survey involving 1,000 adults aged 19-69 years was conducted between September-October 2019. Throughout South Korea, the subjects were proportionally distributed with respect to gender, age, and region, to represent South Korean adults. Results: A total of 44.6% of the respondents agreed (Agreement group), 36.7% disagreed (Disagreement group), and 18.7% neither agreed nor disagreed to food aid to North Korea. Compared to the Disagreement group, the Agreement group had a higher concern of food aid to North Korea and a more positive perception on the effect of it. The Agreement group selected "direct assistance from the government" whereas the Disagreement group chose "support through international organizations" as the most appropriate channel for food aid to North Korea. Logistic regression analysis revealed that South Korean adults showing a more positive perception on the effect of food aid to North Korea were more likely to agree to the aid (odds ratio [OR], 19.32). Moreover, compared to the conservatives, the progressives were more likely to agree to food aid to North Korea (OR, 5.94). South Korean adults in their 40-50s were more likely to agree to food aid to North Korea than those in their 20-30s (OR, 2.81). South Korean adults with a higher concern of food aid to North Korea (OR, 3.93) and a greater positive perception on Korean unification (OR, 1.88) were more likely to agree to food aid to North Korea. Conclusion: The most important factor associated with the attitude of South Korean adults toward food aid to North Korea was their perception on the subsequent effect. As strategies to draw social consensus on food aid to North Korea, we recommend systematizing the monitoring process on the effect of providing food aid to North Korea and informing the public of the outcomes.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.146-153
• /
• 2011

For the purpose of carrying out nutrition counseling effectively and efficiently, this study assessed the nutrition counseling practice, perception and nutrition knowledge of elementary school children in Gyeongbuk province. Survey questionnaires were distributed between November 2009 and December 2009 to 100 nutrition counseling experienced children (participants) and 110 nutrition counseling non-experienced children (non-participants) and were completed with nutrition teachers' assistance. According to the survey results, girls and overweight/obese children showed higher tendency of participation in nutrition counseling (p<0.001). Participants who took nutrition counseling according to their own intentions showed satisfaction after counseling on diverse subjects such as obesity, unbalanced diet, and weight control. Particularly, 'lack of counseling session time', 'unfavorable counseling condition' or 'difficult explanation' caused participants unsatisfaction after counseling. Participants usually perceived the meaning of nutrition counseling more correctly than non-participants and showed positive intentions for taking further counseling in the future(p<0.001). Diet good for weight control, good food to fix unbalanced diet and diet good for growing stature were the top three subjects of nutrition counseling chosen by subjects (p<0.001). Participants also showed higher nutrition knowledge scores than non-participants. Therefore, it is critically important to apply nutrition counseling in the proper environment (counseling room, time, teaching materials, etc) to elementary school students to fix healthy food habits. Therefore, nutrition teachers need to be provide professional nutrition counseling skills and knowledge.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.466-476
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of eating behavior according to level of functional status of elders with dementia (EWD), and to examine feeding time, change in food intake and body mass index (BMI) according to eating behavior. Methods: Participants were 149 EWD residing in long-term care facilities located in Seoul or Gyeonggi province and evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Exam-Korean version, Korean version-Activities of Daily Living, and Eating Behavior Scale (EBS). Feeding time, change in food intake, and BMI were also measured. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0, specifically descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Chi-square test. Results: Participants' mean EBS score was $10.43{\pm}6.01$ and half of them (54.4%) needed moderate or total assistance while eating. The EBS score was significantly lower for elders with severe dementia compared to those with mild or moderate dementia; and elders with severe ADL dependence compared to those with mild or moderate ADL dependence. Lower EBS scores were related to longer feeding time, a greater the rate of participants with decreased food intake and 'underweight' BMI. Conclusion: Nursing intervention programs which are designed for EWD are needed to maintain functional eating skills and prevent negative consequences in this population.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.146-157
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Celiac disease (CD) is one of the most prevalent food-related illnesses in children, with a global prevalence of approximately 1.4%. CD can create an emotional burden, particularly on mothers, who are mainly responsible for managing challenges related to adherence to a gluten-free diet, high food costs, and food problems in schools and social areas. There is a gap in the literature, and parental experiences of raising children with CD should be explicitly examined. This qualitative study sought to provide insights into the experiences of parents raising a child with CD in the Turkish context. Methods: This study used a descriptive qualitative research methodology and conducted individual semi-structured video-based dyadic interviews with 19 parents. Results: Participants experienced both challenges and motivators through management of their children's CD. Analyses of the interview transcripts through the data uncovered three main themes focusing primarily on parental concerns: (1) parental challenges in child's disease management, (2) supportive care needs, and (3) parental expectations. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary team should approach the child and family immediately after diagnosis, and facilities should support parents with continuing education and psychological, financial, and social assistance.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.1001-1010
• /
• 2021

Normal people are not deeply aware of their dependence on sight when eating. However, since the visually impaired do not know what kind of food is on the table, the assistant next to them holds the blind spoon and explains the position of the food in a clockwise direction, front and rear, left and right, etc. In this paper, we describe the development of a meal assistance system that recognizes each food image and announces the name of the food by voice when a visually impaired person looks at their table using a smartphone camera. This system extracts the food on which the spoon is placed through the YOLO model that has learned the image of food and tableware (spoon), recognizes what the food is, and notifies it by voice. Through this system, it is expected that the visually impaired will be able to eat without the help of a meal assistant, thereby increasing their self-reliance and satisfaction.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.396-405
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to reduce safety accidents among food employees in contracted foodservice management companies, and to help provide high-quality foodservice and assistance. For this, a survey on the different opinions of workplace safety and education by employment type and employee perceptions of environment and safety at foodservice operations was carried out. The analysis showed that among the workers many women were irregular employees. For average age, between 40 and 49 was the most frequent, and for work duration, under one year was highest. Both regular employees and irregular employees deemed "enough staff" as the most major factor for good foodservice. The regular employees and irregular employees thought "high indoor temperatures and poor ventilation in the kitchen area" and "bad work cooperation between employees" as the main problems of foodservice operations, respectively. For satisfaction with the efficiency of foodservice production system, irregular employees had higher satisfaction than regular employees. Both regular employees and irregular employees thought "the number of foodservice employees" as the foremost improvement for safety-accident prevention and work-stress improvements. Regular employees, more than irregular employees, thought improvements in foodservice production systems would have a large affect on safety-accident prevention and work-stress improvements of food workers. Both regular employees and irregular employees thought "foodservice employees' safety consciousness" was an important part of safety-accident prevention. Likewise, they responded that "lectures by the person in charge of safety education" was a good methods of safety education, and "once a month" was the best period for safety education. For the difference in perceptions of environment and safety in foodservice systems, regular employees had a higher perception of safety than irregular employees.