• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.71-82
• /
• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed in order to investigate hand hygiene practices among food-service businesses employees based on the awareness of hand-washing and load of indicator bacteria on their hands. It focused on the comparison of full-time and part-time workers in food-service workplaces. Methods: A direct-interview questionnaire survey and microbiological analysis were carried out with sixty workers each. Samples for microbiological analysis were collected through a modified glove-juice method from the hands of the food-service workers and were analyzed for aerobic plate count, total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Microbiological analysis was done according to the Food Code of Korea. Results: Significant differences (p<0.01) were found in the survey between the full-time and part-time workers in hand-washing frequency, use of hand-washing agents, and hand-drying methods. More full-time workers responded to washing their hands after preparing food, after visiting outside, after handling raw materials, and before putting on gloves/when changing gloves than did part-time workers (p<0.05). No remarkable difference was found in bacterial load on the hands except in the aerobic plate count between the two groups. The detection of E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella spp. on the hands of some food-service workers in both groups revealed poor hand hygiene practices. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that there is a need for training programs in order to improve hand hygiene practices and strict hand hygiene compliance by food-service workers.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.305-320
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study analyzed the dietary patterns of Central Asian immigrant workers (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan) living in South Korea to determine the food acculturation and how their dietary practices have changed after immigration. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 186 Central Asian immigrant workers living in South Korea. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain information on the consumption frequency of 22 food items before and after their immigration to Korea. Results: Central Asians switched to Korean meat consumption patterns, which consume mainly pork, chicken, and beef, showing a decrease in the intake of beef and lamb and an increase in that of pork. Their consumption of Namul (cooked vegetable), Kimchi, rice, and marine products increased while that of potatoes decreased during acculturation to Korean food culture. Positive changes were observed in Mongolians' eating habits. Their meat-based diet turned into a healthy one in which nutritional balance was achieved by consuming the various food groups. Negative dietary changes were also observed; intake of instant foods and coffee increased while black and green tea consumption decreased. Intake of Namul (p < 0.01), Kimchi (p < 0.01), rice (p < 0.001), ramen (p < 0.001), pork, chicken (p < 0.01), fish (p < 0.01), seafood (p < 0.001), and coffee (p < 0.001) increased significantly in the group that responded and their health improved after moving to Korea. This result suggests that health improved among those who were well settled in Korea and ate the various food groups. Conclusion: These findings can help understand the acculturation process to Korean food culture and provide a basis for developing policies to help them adjust to Korean food culture.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.141-159
• /
• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether a mobile health (mhealth) intervention is effective in reducing weight and changing dietary behavior among employees with overweight and obesity. The study also investigated whether engagement with the intervention affected its effectiveness. Methods: The intervention involved the use of a dietary coaching app, a wearable device for monitoring physical activity and body composition, and a messenger app for communicating with participants and an intervention manager. A total of 235 employees were recruited for a 12-week intervention from eight workplaces in Korea. Questionnaire surveys, anthropometric measurements, and 24-h dietary recalls were conducted at baseline and after the intervention. Results: After the intervention, significant decreases in the mean body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist circumference were observed. Furthermore, the consumption frequencies of multigrain rice and legumes significantly increased, whereas those of pork belly, instant noodles, processed meat, carbonated beverages, and fast food significantly decreased compared with those at baseline. The mean dietary intake of energy and most nutrients also decreased after the intervention. When the participants were categorized into three groups according to their engagement level, significant differences in anthropometric data, dietary behaviors, and energy intake were observed following the intervention, although there were no differences at baseline, indicating that higher engagement level led to greater improvements in weight loss and dietary behavior. Conclusions: The intervention had positive effects on weight loss and dietary behavior changes, particularly among employees with higher engagement levels. These results indicate the importance of increasing the level of engagement in the intervention to enhance its effectiveness. The mhealth intervention is a promising model for health promotion for busy workers with limited time.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.708-718
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to examine the effects of a healthy dietary life and purchase of environmental-friendly food materials according to a mother's lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS) attitudes. The subjects consisted of 295 mothers. The findings are summarized as follows. The mother's LOHAS attitude index averaged 3.39 points out of 5 points. High LOHAS attitude items were "I participate actively in separating the trash collection" (4.16 points), and "I recycle dresses that I do not wear by taking them to the recycling center" (4.08 points). In contrast, LOHAS attitude items for "I do community service activity on the weekend" (2.57 points), and "I try to serve in the local community" (2.63 points) scored very low. A high LOHAS behavior index occurred for mothers who were "resource saving", whereas "social welfare" scored low. Mother's intention to purchase environmental-friendly food materials averaged 3.61 points. Mother's health dietary life attitude score averaged 3.52 points. When age, monthly income, and the environmental-friendly food materials purchase ratio of the mother was high, the health dietary life performance was high. The LOHAS attitude index of mothers had an impact on the purchase intention of environmental-friendly food materials in resource saving and environmental-friendly oriented propensity groups. The LOHAS attitude index of mothers impacted healthy dietary life in environmental-friendly, family and health oriented propensity groups.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.162-178
• /
• 2021

The study examined the perceived health status, dietary habits, and health-related lifestyle habits of middle-aged men and women in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do areas. The survey was conducted on 670 individuals (320 men and, 350 women), aged 40~64 years, in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do areas. The online and written data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 25.0 program. Although there was a significant difference in the perceived health status (P < 0.01), there were no significant differences in the subjective stress and the current disease status according to sex. For dietary habits, the scores for fruit intake (P < 0.05), meat and fish intake (P < 0.05), milk and dairy products intake (P < 0.01), and seaweed intake (P < 0.05) were higher in women than men. The scores for three-meal eating (P < 0.05) and water intake (P < 0.01) were higher in men than women. For the health-related habits, alcohol-drinking frequency, daily alcohol consumption, smoking experience, and daily smoking were higher in men than women (P < 0.001). In contrast, caffeinated beverage intake, exercise frequency, and daily smart-phone, computer, and TV using time were similar in both sexes. The meal-eating time was faster in men than women (P < 0.01). For dietary behavior changes, only appetite showed a significant gender difference (P < 0.05). This study provides essential information on the perceived health status, dietary habits, and health-related lifestyle habits in middle-aged men and women. Nevertheless, further research and a practical nutrition program will be needed to solve undesirable dietary habits and improve the health and lifestyle of middle-aged adults according to sex.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.49-64
• /
• 2023

Osteoporosis is a major health problem confronting middle-aged women today. Enhancing calcium intake in early adulthood can increase the rate of calcium gain in bone. In this study, we investigated the association of bone health-related nutritional knowledge levels with calcium-related dietary behavior and nutrition education among women. Data were collected using questionnaires from 347 women aged 20~30 residing in Gyeonggi-do. Subjects were categorized into two groups according to their bone health-related nutritional knowledge (high or low-knowledge group). Knowledge related to bone health and calcium, and dietary habits was assessed, and the preference for and intake frequency of calcium-rich food were collected and analyzed using food frequency questionnaires. The high-knowledge group showed a significantly higher rate of nutritional education experience (33.9%) when compared with the low-knowledge group (18.9%). Not only were the perceptions regarding milk and dairy products more positive in the high-knowledge group (P<0.05), but the intake frequency of calcium-rich foods, such as tofu, soybean, and anchovies, was also higher in this group compared to the low-knowledge group (P<0.05). Overall, the preference for all calcium-rich foods was positively correlated to their intake frequency (P<0.05). Nutrition education experience and the recognition of the need for such education were positively correlated with the bone health-related nutrition knowledge score (P<0.05). In conclusion, bone health-related nutritional knowledge can affect calcium-related dietary behavior and increase the intake of calcium-rich food of 20~30-year-old women and this can contribute to the prevention of osteoporosis. To improve bone health-related nutritional knowledge among young women, it may be important to provide nutrition education.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.587-594
• /
• 2013

Egg consumption has been limited to avoid cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia, because the yolk contains high levels of cholesterol. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the water-soluble component of egg-yolk on the growth efficiency, immune modulation, and changes in serum lipid levels in BALB/c mice. A total 5 wk old 120 BALB/c male mice were divided into 4 groups and were fed 0, 2, 10, and 20 mg/d water-soluble egg yolk extract (WSEYE) for 5 wk. Water-soluble egg yolk extract (WSEYE) uptake resulted in a significant reduction in daily weight gain and feed efficiency rate (FER). The mouse groups treated with 2 and 20 mg/d WSEYE showed a significant increase in populations of monocytes at the third wk and B-lymphocyte activity at the fifth wk. In addition, WSEYE uptake did not influence serum immunoglobulin E levels. In serum lipid-profile studies, treatment of WSEYE did not alter total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels; however, blood triglyceride levels were significantly diminished in mice treated with 2 mg/d at the third wk (p<0.05), and the level of high-density lipoprotein was significantly increased in the mice group treated with 2 and 10 mg/d WSEYE after 5 wk (p<0.05). Taken together, the data demonstrate the beneficial effects of WSEYE in the diet on immune modulation and serum lipid profiles in mouse models; therefore, this study suggests that ingestion of water-soluble fraction of egg yolk might not be related to the increased risk of heart disease, but can be an excellent candidate for maintaining health.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.30
• /
• pp.4.1-4.11
• /
• 2015

Objectives: This survey was designed to conduct the first nationwide dietary exposure assessment on hazardous substances including the intakes of functional food and herbal medicine. In this paper, we introduced the survey design and the results of the dietary exposure status and internal exposure levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg). Methods: We selected 4867 subjects of all ages throughout Korea. We conducted a food survey, dietary survey, biomonitoring, and health survey. Results: Pb and Cd were the highest (median value) in the seaweed ($94.2{\mu}g/kg$ for Pb; $594{\mu}g/kg$ for Cd), and Hg was the highest in the fish ($46.4{\mu}g/kg$). The dietary exposure level (median value) of Pb was $0.14{\mu}g/kg$ body weight (bw)/d, $0.18{\mu}g/kg$ bw/d for Cd, and $0.07{\mu}g/kg$ bw/d for Hg. Those with a blood Pb level of less than $5.00{\mu}g/dL$ (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reference value for those 1 to 5 years of age) were 99.0% of all the subjects. Those with a blood Cd level with less than $0.30{\mu}g/L$ (German Federal Environmental Agency, reference value for non-smoking children) were 24.5%. For those with a blood Hg level with less than $5.00{\mu}g/L$ (human biomonitoring I, references value for children and adults, German Federal Environmental Agency) was 81.0 % of all the subjects. Conclusions: The main dietary exposure of heavy metals occurs through food consumed in a large quantity and high frequency. The blood Hg level and dietary exposure level of Hg were both higher than those in the European Union.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.9
• /
• pp.1453-1461
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with an herbal extract of Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) enhances the immune response in weaned piglets. Sixty piglets weaned at 21 days of age were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups representing the addition of 0 or 1 g/kg of the AS extract or 0.2 g/kg of colistin (an antibiotic) to maize- and soybean meal-based diets (n = 20 per group). On days 7, 14 and 28 after initiation of the addition, total and differential counts of leucocytes, proliferating activity of peripheral lymphocytes, serum levels of immunoglobulins (Ig) and cytokines and the spleen index were determined. The AS extract decreased (p<0.05) the number of neutrophils on days 7 and 28 in comparison with the control group and reduced (p<0.05) serum interleukin-$1{\beta}$ level on day 28 compared with the other 2 groups. Dietary supplementation with the AS extract increased (p<0.05) the lymphocyte/leukocyte ratio on day 28 compared with the control group and increased the proliferating activity of lymphocytes on days 14 and 28 compared with the other 2 groups. The AS extract increased (p<0.05) the serum content of IgG on day 7 and of IgG and IgM on day 28 compared with the other 2 groups, as well as increasing the serum content of tumor necrosis factor on day 7 and spleen index on days 7 and 28 compared with the control group. Collectively, these findings suggest that the AS extract as a dietary additive enhances the cellular and humoral immune responses of weaned piglets by modulating the production of immunocytes, cytokines and antibodies.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.118-121
• /
• 2010

A HPLC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous determination of six sweeteners (acesulfame-K, cyclamate, saccharin, sucralose, stevioside, aspartame) in children's favorite foods. The procedure involves an extraction of the six sweeteners with 50% methanol solution, sample clean-up using the Carrez clearing reagent and filtering with cartridge filter. The HPLC separation was performed on a Hypersil Gold (150 mm ${\times}$ 2.1 mm 5 um) column using the water/acetonitrile mobile phase (95:5). Mass spectrometric analysis was carried out using the TSQ Quantum Ultra operated in negative and positive ESI/SRM. With this method, good linear relationship, sensitivity and reproducibility were obtained. The spike recoveries of six sweeteners for 2 kinds of foods spiked into 0.4 mg/ kg ranged from 87.4 to 114.7%. The detection limits were above 0.02 mg/kg. The method has been applied to determination of six sweeteners in children's favorite foods.