• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.1243-1252
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• 2017

There are limited programs for low sodium intake based on the nutrition education model for housewives who cook family meals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of model-based nutrition programs for low sodium intake among housewives residing in Seoul by incorporating social cognitive theory. A questionnaire survey before and after education was conducted on 140 housewives who participated in the 'Low Sodium Nutritional Education Program' delivered by a district public health center for 12 weeks from November 2015 to January 2016. The contents of the nutrition education program and program evaluation items were based on the action plans for 'Less Sodium Healthy Practice' suggested by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The results show that program participants showed a lower preference for sodium, higher selection of low sodium dishes from restaurants or cafeteria if available, and increased awareness of the need of restaurants to serve low sodium dishes compared to before. In terms of behavioral changes, there were significant improvements in checking nutrition labeling and selection of foods with low sodium, use of low sodium food products, use of natural seasonings to reduce salt intake, and consumption of fast foods and processed foods. On the other hand, requesting less salty meals when ordering and introducing restaurants or cafeterias with healthy and low sodium menus turned out to be difficult to put into practice. In conclusion, the nutrition education program for sodium intake reduction for housewives was effective in increasing knowledge, environment recognition, and behaviors related to low sodium intake but not behaviors related to physical environmental factors. Therefore, further nutrition education programs and practices for sodium intake reduction should be comprehensively implemented with improvement of physical environments for low sodium intake.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.504-518
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• 2017

Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a processed foods database (DB) for estimation of processed food intake in the Korean population using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES). Methods: Analytical values of processed foods were collected from food composition tables of national institutions (Development Institute, Rural Development Administration), the US Department of Agriculture, and previously reported scientific journals. Missing or unavailable values were substituted, calculated, or imputed. The nutrient data covered 14 nutrients, including energy, protein, carbohydrates, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C. The processed food DB covered a total of 4,858 food items used in the KNHANES. Each analytical value per food item was selected systematically based on the priority criteria of data sources. Results: Level 0 DB was developed based on a list of 8,785 registered processed foods with recipes of ready-to-eat processed foods, one food composition table published by the national institution, and nutrition facts obtained directly from manufacturers or indirectly via web search. Level 1 DB included information of 14 nutrients, and missing or unavailable values were substituted, calculated, or imputed at level 2. Level 3 DB evaluated the newly constructed nutrient DB for processed foods using the 2013 KNHANES. Mean intakes of total food and processed food were 1,551.4 g (males 1,761.8 g, females 1,340.8 g) and 129.4 g (males 169.9 g, females 88.8 g), respectively. Processed foods contributed to nutrient intakes from 5.0% (fiber) to 12.3% (protein) in the Korean population. Conclusion: The newly developed nutrient DB for processed foods contributes to accurate estimation of nutrient intakes in the Korean population. Consistent and regular update and quality control of the DB is needed to obtain accurate estimation of usual intakes using data from the KNHANES.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.104-108
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• 2006

Water extracts of Jehotang were evaluated for their growth-promoting effects on Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus sp., L. acidophilus, and Clostridium perfringens. Addition of Jehotang water extract to modified EG media at 0.1 mg/mL increased growths of B. longum, Lactobacillus sp., and L. acidophilus, with 1.8-fold increase in growth of L. acidophilus compared to that of control. Studies on these strains by agar diffusion method showed Lactobacillus sp. and L. acidophilus were activated by addition of Jehotang extract at 10 mg/disc. Proliferation responses of mice splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells to ConA by LPS-stimulation at 500 mg/kg B.W./day Jehotang extract were investigated in vitro. Upon treatment of 1 mg/mL Jehotang water extract to mice, proliferations of splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells increased 1.4- and 1.6-fold compared to control, respectively. In mice administered Jehotang extract, production of intestinal secretory IgA (sIgA) increased 2.4-fold compared to control. These results indicate water extract of Jehotang stimulated intestinal immune system of mice. In mice treated with Jehotang extract, production of lymphocytes was 4% lower, whereas those of granulocytes and platelets were 4% and slightly higher than control, respectively.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.489-499
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to present basic data for an improvement of school foodservice by identifying students' preference level for school meal menu. A survey was carried out in two high schools provided with different types of consignment service in Daegu. Study subjects were consisted of 100 high school students from a school with on-site service and 119 students from the other school with external transporting service. More than half of students (54.2% of male and 68.3% of female) had normal weights while 13.5% of male and 30.1% of female students had underweights. 'Taste' and 'family' were the most important factors in meal choices and in eating habits, respectively of all the study subjects. Students who answered to have unbalanced diet (33.0%) were less in school with on-site service than those (56.1%) with external transporting service. Compared with on-site service, preferences for meats fruit and milk were higher and as cooking method, preference for blanching lower but stew, roasting and frying higher in the school with external transporting service. Various types of cooking methods and food materials were better accepted by the students with on-site service than those with external transporting service who preferred meat more exclusively regardless of cooking methods of main dish. Most kinds of kimchi was less liked by the students with external transporting service. It is concluded that low preference for most menus provided by the external transporting service is attributed by limitation in food materials, cooking methods and maintenance of food temperature. The limitation could be overcome by more intensive efforts for developing menus and using more efficient facilities and ultimately by changing meal service system in cooperation with school administrators, dietitians and parents.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.232-244
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• 2019

Objectives: This study evaluated the nutritional status and prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the people who participated in the KNHANES according to the number of household members. They were assessed by using information from the 2013~2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: A total of 6,088 persons aged 19 years and over participated in 2013~2014 KNHANES, and they were classified into three groups according to the number of household members (single-person, two-person, three-person & over). The dietary behavior, nutritional status, health-related factors and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the subjects were investigated with using information from the survey questionnaires of KNHANES. The nutrient intake data of the subjects were obtained by the 24-hour recall method and this was analyzed for evaluating the nutrition adequacy ratio and the index of nutritional quality. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the subjects, and according to the study groups, was estimated using the blood and physical measurement data of the subjects. Results: As for EQ-5D index available for all the health states generated by the EQ-5D descriptive system, the single-person household member was the lowest among all the household types. The index of nutrition quality for protein, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin C in the single-person household was lower than that of the two-person or the three-person and over households (p<0.001). The mean adequacy ratio of single-person households was significantly decreased compared with that of the other types of households (p<0.001). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in the single-person households than that in the multiple-person households (p<0.001). Conclusions: These results showed that dietary behaviors, nutrition status and health status might be influenced by the number of household members. The results from this study would be useful for improving Korean people's dietary life and health status by implementing evidence-based, specialized intervention for the members of diverse types of households.

• 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.55 no.1
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• pp.155-173
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was undertaken to update the Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E), which reflects dietary quality and behavior among Korean older adults. Methods: The first 29 items of the measurable food behavior checklist were obtained from a previous NQ-E checklist, recent literature reviews, and national nutrition policies and recommendations. One-hundred subjects (50 men and 50 women) aged ≥ 65 years living in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, including Gyeonggi Province, completed a pilot survey from March to April 2021. Based on the results of the pilot study, we conducted factor analysis and frequency analysis to determine whether the items of the survey were properly organized and whether the distribution of answers for each evaluation item was properly distributed. As a result, we reduced the number of items on the food behavior checklist and used 23 items for the national survey. Nationwide, 1,000 subjects (472 men and 528 women) aged > 65 years, completed the checklist survey, which was applied using a face-to-face survey method from May to August 2021. The construct validity of the NQ-E 2021 was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, LISREL. Results: Seventeen food behavior checklist items were selected for the final NQ-E 2021. Checklist items addressed three factors: balance (8 items), moderation (2 items), and practice (7 items). Standardized path coefficients were used as the weights of items to determine nutrition quotients. NQ-E and three-factor scores were calculated according to the weights of questionnaire items. Conclusion: The updated NQ-E 2021 produced by structural equation modelling provides a suitable tool for assessing the dietary quality and behavior of Korean older adults.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.247-263
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• 2023

Purpose: This study was conducted to update the Nutrition Quotient for Adolescents (NQ-A), which is used to assess the overall dietary quality and food behavior among Korean adolescents. Methods: The first 30 candidate items of the measurable eating behavior checklist were obtained based on a previous NQ-A checklist, the results of the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, national nutrition policies and dietary guidelines, and literature reviews. A total of 100 middle and high school students residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province participated in a pilot study using the 25-item checklist. Factor analysis and frequency analysis were conducted to determine if the checklist items were organized properly and whether the responses to each item were distributed adequately, respectively. As a result, 22 checklist items were selected for the nationwide survey, which was applied to 1,000 adolescent subjects with stratified sampling from 6 metropolitan cities. The construct validity of the updated NQ-A 2021 was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Twenty checklist items were determined for the final NQ-A 2021. The items were composed of three factors: balance (8 items), moderation (9 items), and practice (3 items). The standardized path coefficients were used as the weights of items to determine the nutrition quotients. NQ-A 2021 and 3-factor scores were calculated according to the weights of questionnaire items. The weight for each of the 3 factors was determined as follows: balance, 0.15; moderation, 0.30; and practice, 0.55. Conclusion: The updated NQ-A 2021 is a useful instrument for easily and quickly evaluating the dietary qualities and eating behaviors of Korean adolescents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.135-145
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• 2009

This study was performed to investigate added sugar intakes from processed food-snacks and participation behaviors of special event days sharing sweet foods among adolescents in Korea. Questionnaire survey (n = 959), dietary survey (n = 71) by food record method for 3 days, and snack survey (n = 230) for 3 days were carried out, and subjects were overlapped among three surveys. As a result, middle school students (MS) preferred milks and fermented milks while high school students (HS) preferred breads and fast foods as a snack (p < 0.01). MS and HS took snacks three to six times a week, and HS took snacks more frequently than MS (p < 0.05). Most subjects participated in special event days sharing sweet foods such as friend's birthday (68.4%), Peppro's day (61.5%) and Valentine's day (42.6%). As for merits of these events, MS said ‘they could get along with their friends' and ‘relieve stress', while HS said ‘they could enjoy their own events' and ‘confess their affection to whom they like' (p < 0.01). A group of cookies, biscuits, breads and, cakes was major source of added sugars followed by beverages, sweet jellies of red bean, chocolates and candies for subjects. For MS and HS, daily total added sugar intakes from whole processed food-snacks were $30.5{\pm}23.5g/d$ (3.0-137.9 g/d) and $31.7{\pm}23.2g/d$ (1.2-126.1 g/d), and ratios of daily total energy taken from added sugars of whole processed food-snacks in proportion to daily total energy taken from diet (energy percent of added sugars from snacks) were $6.3{\pm}4.7%$ (0.6-26.1%) and $6.3{\pm}4.4%$ (0.3-23.9%), respectively. These results showed that subjects frequently participated in special event days sharing sweet foods. In addition, energy percent of added sugars from snacks was more than the UL suggested by WHO/FAO for some subjects. Therefore, it is highly critical to monitor adolescents' sugar intakes on a long-term basis and to take nutritional management on their high sugar intakes.