• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.348-354
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a serious concern worldwide, for which the restaurant industry holds partial responsibility. This study was conducted to estimate restaurant consumers' intention to select healthy menu items and to examine the relationships among behavioral beliefs, past behaviors, attitudes and behavioral intentions, which are known to be major determinants of consumer behaviors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online, self-administered survey was distributed for data collection. The study sample consisted of customers who reported having visited casual dining restaurants in the last three months at the time of the survey. Structural equation modeling was used to verify the fit of the proposed research model. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling revealed that the proposed model supports the sequential, mediated (indirect) relationships among behavioral beliefs, past behaviors, attitudes and behavioral intentions toward healthy menu selection. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the available literature regarding obesity by adding past behaviors, one of the most influential variables involved in prediction of future behaviors of consumers, to the TPB model, enabling a better understanding of restaurant consumers' rational decision process regarding healthy menu choices. The results of this study provide practical implications for restaurant practitioners and government agencies regarding ways to promote healthy menus.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutrition education on dietary knowledge, dietary attitudes, and dietary behavior of elderly by analyzing changes before and after nutrition education. This study was conducted in Seoul from March 2022 to December 2022 for 50 elderly (6 male, 44 female) who participated in nutrition education for 8 weeks at three senior welfare centers (Seodaemun, Seongbuk, Jongno). A total of 35 responses were used in the final analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon's signed rank test by age, hypertension, and dislipidemia to find effect of nutrition education on their nutritional knowledge, dietary attitudes, and dietary behavior. Results showed that nutrition education had a significant effect on the elderly. In particular, for those with chronic diseases such as hypertension and dislipidemia, the difference after education was significant, indicating significant changes in dietary habits. This study is expected to provide basic data for the development of a systematic nutrition education program for the elderly in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of trust, knowledge, optimism, risk and benefits on consumer attitudes toward genetically modified foods. A total of 326 questionnaires were completed. Moderated regression analysis was used to measure the relationships among the variables. The analysis results for the data indicated a good model fit in Model 2 rather than Model 1, in which the direct effects of trust, optimism and benefits had statistically significant direct effects on the respondents' attitudes toward genetically modified foods, while the direct effects of knowledge and risk were not statistically significant. As expected, the interaction term of risk and benefit had a significant effect on consumer attitude. Moreover, the effect of risk on consumer's attitude toward genetically modified foods was statistically significant at all levels of benefit, except at the lower benefit level. Finally, the results of this study indicated that genetically modified food developers and marketers should attach importance to the interaction effect of benefits to understand the elements of market demand and customer loyalty.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.340-346
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Despite the importance of consuming sufficient amounts of vegetables, daily vegetable intake among adolescents in Korea is lower than the current dietary recommendation. The objective of this study was to examine determinants affecting vegetable preference in order to suggest a stage-tailored education strategy that can promote vegetable consumption in adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Adolescents (n = 400, aged 16-17 years) from two high schools participated in a cross-sectional study. Survey variables were vegetable preference, the social cognitive theory (SCT) and stages of change (SOC) constructs. Based on vegetable preference, subjects were classified into two groups: a low-preference group (LPG) and a high-preference group (HPG). SOC was subdivided into pre-action and action/maintenance stages. To compare SCT components and SOC related to vegetable preference, chi-squared and t-tests, along with stepwise multiple-regression analysis, were applied. RESULTS: In the LPG, a similar number of subjects were classified into each stage. Significant differences in self-efficacy, affective attitudes, and vegetable accessibility at home and school were detected among the stages. Subjects in the HPG were mainly at the maintenance stage (81%), and there were significant differences among the stages regarding self-efficacy, affective attitudes, and parenting practice. In the predictions of vegetable preference, self-efficacy and parenting practice had a significant effect in the "pre-action" stage. In the action/maintenance stage, outcome expectation, affective attitudes, and vegetable accessibility at school had significant predictive value. In predicting the vegetable preference for all subjects, 42.8% of the predictive variance was accounted for by affective attitudes, self-efficacy, and vegetable accessibility at school. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that different determinants affect adolescent vegetable preference in each stage. Self-efficacy and affective attitudes are important determinants affecting vegetable preference. Additionally, school-based nutrition intervention that focuses on enhancing affective attitudes, self-efficacy, and vegetable exposure may constitute an effective education strategy for promoting vegetable consumption among adolescents.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.73-90
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Meat eaters face conflicts over meat consumption due to recent increasing demands for reduced-meat diets to promote human and environmental health. Attitudes toward consuming meat have been shown to be culture-specific. Thus, this study was performed to examine cultural differences in attitudes, beliefs, and patterns of meat consumption among meat eaters in a group homogeneous in terms of age and sex but with diverse ethnicities. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this cross-sectional study conducted in New York City in 2014, 520 female meat eaters (Whites = 25%; Blacks = 20%; East Asians = 35%; Hispanics = 20%) aged 20-29 completed a questionnaire consisting of a series of questions on meat consumption behaviors, which addressed amounts of consumption, cooking methods, past and future changes in meat consumption, and attitudes and beliefs regarding relationships between health and meat consumption. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the effects of variables on meat consumption. RESULTS: Blacks had the highest annual total meat consumption (64.2 kg), followed by East Asians (53.6 kg), Whites (46.9 kg), and Hispanics (35.8 kg). Blacks ate significantly more chicken than the other ethnic groups (P < 0.001), and East Asians ate significantly more pork and processed meat (P < 0.001). Regardless of ethnicity, grilling/roasting/broiling were the preferred cooking methods, and vegetables were most consumed as a side dish. More than half of the participants expressed an intention to decrease future meat consumption. East Asians more strongly perceived meat as a festive food (P < 0.001) and were less guilty about the slaughtering animals (P = 0.11) than other groups. No differences were found between the ethnic groups regarding negative attitudes to meat consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that ethnicities differ in terms of attitudes, beliefs, and patterns of meat consumption. Irrespective of ethnicity, the meat-eating participants almost unanimously demonstrated a willingness to reduce future meat consumption. It is hoped these findings aid the formulation of culturally-tailored interventions that effectively reduce meat consumption.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2014

This study investigates drinking attitudes and behaviors of university students. The sample included 355 students living in Busan, Korea. The questionnaire addressed general background information (gender, age, grade and monthly pocket money), drinking attitudes (understanding the effects of alcohol on the body, stereotype of drink, age at the first drink, the drinking companion at the first drink, reasons for starting to drink, main drinking companions, major reasons for drinking, the history of drinking alone, and reasons for drinking alone), drinking behaviors (the cost of each drinking occasion, drinking amounts, the frequency of drinking, the frequency of heavy drinking, the type of alcoholic beverage, and the places of drinking). A few respondents (both male and female students) started drinking while in high school (p<0.05), and most respondents drank with friends (males: 91.0%, female: 92.2%). The main reasons for drinking were the mood for male student (46.3%) and relationships for female student (49.1%) (p<0.05). Male respondents consumed more than seven glasses of soju (39.9%), whereas female respondents, five to seven glasses (49.7%) (p<0.05). On average, the respondents drank one to two times a week (males: 47.9%, females: 51.5%) and experienced heavy drinking one to three times every three months (males: 19.1%, females: 21.0%) (p<.05). The results suggest that students with frequent alcohol consumption and heavy alcohol dependence are likely to face problems and thus require aggressive intervention strategies that target them specifically.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.513-526
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to identify the guideline's contents for dietitians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) for the sustainability management at school foodservice. The contents for the guideline were determined by the Delphi technique of two rounds. The Delphi panels of experts were consisted of sixteen school dietitians and fourteen professors of food and nutrition with more than 10 years of experiences by convenience sampling method. Based on the literature, knowledge, attitudes, and practices required for dieticians were classified into menu management, procurement, food production, facility and energy management, waste management, personnel management, and nutrition education. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 24 and EXCEL to calculate descriptive statistics, content validity ratio, degree of agreement, and degree of convergence. As a result of the second round, the validity scores of 'knows eco-friendly certification standards and labeling systems (4.53 point)' in the knowledge category, and 'tries to purchase local agricultural products (4.87 point)' in the attitude category were the highest. From that round in the practice category, the validity scores of 'plan menus for students' health', 'purchases eco-friendly food', and 'conserves energy in pre-processing and cooking process' were the highest with 4.73 point. Applying the criteria for securing the validity of the contents, the contents of 25 knowledge items, 20 attitude items and 30 practice items were confirmed. The findings of the study can be used to develop the guideline for dietitians required for the sustainability management.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.389-395
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• 2012

This descriptive study looks into the levels of BMI, dietary habits, body image, and eating attitudes which have a major impact on the obesity management of female college students. A total of 173 female college students from the same school participated in this study by filling out a self-administered questionnaire investigating actual conditions. The average age of the participants was 19.5 years old and the average BMI was $21.8kg/m^2$. There were statistically significant differences in dietary habit at home (t=2.957, p=.004), eating attitudes BMI (F=5.324, p=.006), actual body image within perceived body esteem and BMI (F=36.979, p=.000), level of state body esteem BMI (F=11.539, p=.000), level of eating attitudes BMI(F=5.324, p=.006). Among the relationships between variables, the higher the BMI, the higher the score for perceived body esteem and problems concerning eating attitudes became prevalent. The higher the actual body image score, the lower the state body esteem and problems concerning eating attitudes became prevalent. Therefore, there is a need for education that enhances positive body image and eating attitudes in order for female college students to manage obesity due to dietary habits.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 2006

This study was designed to examine weight control, nutritional knowledge, dietary attitudes and eating behaviors of 370 high school girls and to investigate if there were differences in these variables by weight control status. The weight control attempters (65.1%) had significantly higher body weight and BMI (p<0.001). The difference between desired and current body weight was -9.1 kg in the attempters, showing a significantly higher difference than the counterparts (p<0.001). The attempters also showed more interest toward weight control (p<0.001), but were less satisfied with their body size (p<0.001). Most of subjects (88.1%), especially in the attempters (96.7%) responded that they would try to control their weights in the future. The regular exerciser was 22.9% in the attempters while the percentage of the counterparts was 11.9% (p<0.05). The use of internet or television watching was not significantly different by weight control status. Subjects scored 15.8 out of 20 on a nutritional knowledge scale, which showed a moderate level of knowledge. The nutritional knowledge score was 15.7 for the attempters and 15.8 for the counterparts. None of the nutritional knowledge items reached statistical significance, although the percentages of correct answers regarding weight control or balanced meals were slightly lower in the attempters. The attempters showed more favorable eating attitudes than the counterparts (p<0.001), especially in the attitudes of applying nutritional knowledge to daily life (p<0.01), attitudes for modifying diets (p<0.01) and importance of having adequate meals (p<0.01). The eating behavior was moderate, with mean scores of 31.1 (possible score: 15 - 45). Subjects showed problems in eating a variety of foods, eating meals regularly, eating slowly, eating breakfast and consumption of some food groups (e.g., dairy foods, fruits). The attempters consumed seaweeds more frequently than the counterparts (p<0.05). Although there were not many significant differences by weight control status, this study suggested that nutrition education for adolescent girls should be planned to provide nutrition information regarding desirable weight control as well as modifying diets and eating behaviors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.426-436
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• 2018

This study assessed effective strategies to reduce the sodium intake among consumers using pork cutlet sauce as a model food system. Original pork cutlet sauce and sodium-reduced sauce (29% reduced by a salt substitute) were analyzed to characterize the sensory properties using descriptive analysis. The effects of sodium-reduction of the sauce, consumer type (nutrition teachers vs. general consumers), information related to the sodium content, serving method, and consumer's health, taste and sodium-related attitudes on the consumer's preference, perception, and intake of the sauce were analyzed using a consumer test. In descriptive analysis, the original and sodium-reduced sauce showed similar sensory characteristics but did not differ in saltiness. In the consumer test, there were no significant differences in the overall preference levels between the two sauces. On the other hand, there were significant differences in preference and perception between nutrition teachers and general consumer groups, which were due largely to their age as well as the health and sodium-related attitudes and nutritional knowledge differences. Sodium-reduced information decreased the perceived saltiness intensity. In addition, reducing sodium intake by serving pork cutlet sauce in a bottle can be an effective strategy because this serving method increased the acceptance and induced the smaller intake of sauce.