• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.300-314
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• 2023

Purpose: This study sought to predict the reasons for skipping breakfast by adolescents aged 13-18 years using the 7^th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: The participants included 1,024 adolescents. The data were analyzed using a complex-sample t-test, the Rao Scott χ²-test, and the classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm for decision tree analysis with SPSS v. 27.0. The participants were divided into two groups, one regularly eating breakfast and the other skipping it. Results: A total of 579 and 445 study participants were found to be breakfast consumers and breakfast skippers respectively. Breakfast consumers were significantly younger than those who skipped breakfast. In addition, breakfast consumers had a significantly higher frequency of eating dinner, had been taught about nutrition, and had a lower frequency of eating out. The breakfast skippers did so to lose weight. Children who skipped breakfast consumed less energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber, cholesterol, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, phosphorus, sodium, iron, potassium, and niacin than those who consumed breakfast. The best predictor of skipping breakfast was identifying adolescents who sought to control their weight by not eating meals. Other participants who had low and middle-low household incomes, ate dinner 3-4 times a week, were more than 14.5 years old, and ate out once a day showed a higher frequency of skipping breakfast. Conclusion: Based on these results, nutrition education targeted at losing weight correctly and emphasizing the importance of breakfast, especially for adolescents, is required. Moreover, nutrition educators should consider designing and implementing specific action plans to encourage adolescents to improve their breakfast-eating practices by also eating dinner regularly and reducing eating out.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.292-306
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigated fruit and vegetable intake and associated socio-demographic and dietary factors, and compared the nutritional intake according to the fruit and vegetable intake level among Korean adolescents. Methods: This study was conducted on 1,676 adolescents who participated in the 2016-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were classified into four groups based on the fruit and vegetable intake recommendations in 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans: Application (KDRIs Application): sufficient fruit intake (SF) group, sufficient vegetables intake (SV) group, sufficient fruit and vegetables intake (SFV) group, and not sufficient fruit and vegetable intake (NS) group The nutrient intake per day in each group was compared.. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors influencing fruit and vegetables intake. Results: In the sample of adolescents surveyed, only 1.40% met the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, while 79.54% fell below the established threshold for adequate consumption. Female adolescents, those with fathers holding university degrees or above, and those who ate breakfast at least three times a week were likelier to have adequate fruit intake. Male adolescents and those from higher-income households were likelier to consume vegetables. Females, those who ate out daily, those from lower-income households, and those who understood food labels were likelier to have adequate fruit and vegetable intake. The daily nutrient intake and intake-to-requirement ratio significantly differed according to the fruit and vegetable intake groups. The NS and SF group had lower ratios for calcium and iron, while the NS group had the lowest vitamin A and C intake. By contrast, the SFV group met almost all daily nutrient requirements, except for calcium and vitamin A. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for nutrition education programs to encourage adolescents to consume adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2017

Purpose: We conducted comparative analysis of dietary behavior and food and nutrient intakes of Korean elderly in urban and rural areas using the 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: This study was conducted on 1,239 participants (urban elderly: 867, rural elderly: 372) aged 65 years and over who participated in the health examination and nutrition survey in the 6th 2014 KNHANES. Dietary behaviors, including skipping meals, eating out frequencies, and food and nutrient intakes were analyzed using 24-hour recall data. Analysis of complex sample design data through SPSS 19.0 was used for the analysis. Results: The rate of skipping dinner was higher in urban (6.5%) than in rural elderly (3.6%) (p < 0.05), and the frequency of eating out per week of urban elderly (1.73) was higher than that of rural elderly (1.35) (p < 0.001). The rural elderly consumed a greater amount of grain compared to urban elderly, whereas consumption of water, seaweed food, and dairy products was lower in rural than in urban areas (p < 0.05). The rural elderly consumed significantly less highly unsaturated fatty acids, n-6 fatty acids, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, carotene, niacin, and vitamin C in comparison with elderly in urban areas. Comparison of the percentages of Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) between the two groups showed that intakes of vitamin A and vitamin C were significantly lower in the rural elderly than in urban elderly. Conclusion: The elderly in rural areas showed unbalanced food and nutrient intakes compared to the elderly in urban areas. Therefore, customized nutrition education according to residential areas should be developed and provided to rural elderly to improve their health and nutritional status.