• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.140-158
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• 2013

This study analyzed the effect of family meals on the psychological problems of children. We performed focus group interviews (FGI) on the basic characteristics of family meals, and chose several scales (such as Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), self-esteem, and a daily hassles questionnaire), to measure the psychological variables. We collected data from 442 dyads (mother-child) and used 440 from dyads. In our results, the frequency of family meals affected the psychological problems of children, especially aggression and emotional instability. The atmosphere during meals also affected depression/anxiety, concentration difficulties, emotional instability, self-esteem, peer relationships, and sociality. There were significant correlations between meal atmosphere, family bonding, maternal personality, and psychological problems of children. We performed covariation analysis to examine and control the influence of family bonding and maternal personality; despite controlling for these variables, family meals still influenced children's psychological problems. We conclude that the family meal is a significant variable that impacts the emotional and behavioral problems of children and stress the importance of frequent family meals.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.380-393
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lift-style and eating behavior of stomach cancer patients in the Daegu and Kyungpook area, and to collect basic data for nutrition education designed to prevent stomach cancer in this community. The subjects of the study were 102 patients who were recently diagnosed as having stomach cancer at the Kyungpook National University Hospital. The control subjects were 105 persons who did not have any gastrointestinal disease, and included patients from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and healthy volunteers. The survey, which covered the personal characteristics and eating behavior of the subjects, was conducted by individual interviews using questionnaires. It was found that the stomach cancer patients (case group) had experienced a significantly higher level of stress in their daily lives than the control group. A significantly higher proportion of the case group subjects recognized their personality as pessimistic, and had family histories of cancer, compared with the control group subjects. The cancer patients had higher preferences for salty and hot tasting foods, and tended to ingest meals faster without enough chewing, compared with the control subjects. The level of nutritional knowledge of the case group was lower than the control group, and there was a positive correlation between subjects' nutritional knowledge scores and nutritional attitude scores. Subjects' estimates of their food intake frequencies during the decade before the cancer was diagnosed revealed that the case group consumed significantly higher amounts of pickled fish, soybean paste soup and stew, cooked vegetables, beef and pork, charcoal broiled meat and alcohol, while consuming significantly lower amounts of green tea than the control group. In summary, the results of the study suggest that the stress of daily life, a family history of cancer, and a pessimistic personality might be the risk factors for the development of stomach cancer. Dietary factors which were suspected as risk factors for stomach cancer in the present study included strong preferences to salty and hot lasting foods, poor eating habits, and frequent consumption of pickled fish, soybean paste soup, cooked vegetables, beef and pork, charcoal broiled meat and alcohol. A high consumption of green tea seemed to be a protective factor against stomach cancer. The results of the study appear to provide useful data for nutritional education focussed on the prevention on stomach rancor in local residents.