• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.705-712
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary guidelines for Korean children were released in 2009. The goal of the present study was to examine diet quality in terms of adherence to these dietary guidelines as well as explore the association between guideline adherence and risk of obesity in Korean children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Children aged 5-11 years (mean age = 8.9 years old, n = 191, 80.6% girls) were recruited from a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. Adherence to dietary guidelines for Korean children was calculated using the Likert scale (1-5), and children were then categorized into low, moderate, and high groups based on adherence scores. Obesity or being overweight was determined based on an age- and gender-specific percentile for body mass index (BMI) of the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Diet quality was evaluated from 3 days of dietary intake data. RESULTS: Children in the high adherence group were characterized by significantly lower BMI percentiles and paternal BMIs as well as higher percentages of fathers with a high level of education and higher household incomes compared to those in the low or moderate group. Children in the high adherence group consumed significantly higher amounts of milk and dairy products, were less likely to consume lower than the EAR of phosphorus and iron, and had higher NARs for calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and MAR than those in low groups. The ORs for obesity ($BMI{\geq}95^{th}$ percentile) or being overweight including obesity ($BMI{\geq}85^{th}$ percentile) were significantly lower in the high adherence group compared to the low adherence group (OR: 0.33, 95% CI = 0.13-0.82, P for trend = 0.019; OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.61 P for trend = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Korean children who adhered to dietary guidelines displayed better diet quality and a reduced risk of obesity.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.241-249
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify the effects of education from using cellular phones and a short messaging service. Methods: Collected data included baseline demographics, blood pressure, abdominal circumference, total cholesterol, body mass index and health behavior index (Dietary Practice Guidelines Score, Physical Activity, Drinking frequency, Stress score, Subjective health status, and Action change stage score). Data were collected at public health centers in Chungcheongnam-do from January to December, 2011. Data obtained from Individual health counseling Programs in Chungcheongnam-do. Analysis was divided into health risk group and Disease management group, using a paired t test. Results: Following the education of using short messaging service of cellular phones Health risk group was a reduction in the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference. Disease management group was a reduction in the systolic blood pressure and body mass index. In both groups, there were improvement in the Health behavior index; dietary practice guidelines score, physical activity, stress score, subjective health status and action change stage scores. Conclusion: These results indicated that education using short messaging service of cellular phone for Community was effective in improving health behaviors and status. By applying the results, development of customized teaching messages for stable settlement is required.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.13-21
• /
• 2012

Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify the effects of a community-level individual health counseling program for community. Methods: Data included baseline demographics, blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference, total cholesterol and health behavior index(body mass index, dietary practice guidelines score, physical activity, high-risk drinking) collected at public health centers in Chungnam province from January to September, 2011. Data obtained from the individual health counseling program in Chungnam province were analyzed using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and McNemar Test. Results: After the individual health counseling intervention, the results of health measurement index; systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, waist circumference decreased in the health risk group, while total cholesterol and waist circumference decreased in the disease management group. Health behavior change in both groups. Body mass index, moderate physical activity, dietary practice guidelines scores were improved. Conclusions: These results indicate that the individual health counseling program for community was effective in improving health behaviors and status. The results demonstrate that step-by-step counseling program development and intervention studies are needed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.260-271
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of obesity has been increasing in Korean children. As an unhealthy diet is known as one of the major determinants of childhood obesity, assessing and monitoring dietary fat intake of children is needed. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This analysis included 9,998 children aged 3-11 yrs from the 2007-2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Dietary data were obtained from a single 24-h dietary recall. Intakes of total fat and fatty acids, including saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), n-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA), and n-6 fatty acid (n-6 FA) were evaluated as the absolute amount (g) and proportion of energy from each fatty acid (% of energy). The total fat and SFA intake were also assessed according to compliance with dietary guidelines. Linear trends in the dietary fats intake across the survey period were tested using multiple regression models. RESULTS: Total fat intake significantly increased from 38.5g (20.3% of energy) to 43.4g (23.3% of energy) from 2007 to 2017. This increase was mainly accounted for the increases in intakes of SFA (7.2% to 8.4% of energy) and MUFA (6.2% to 7.5% of energy). PUFA intake increased from 4.4 to 4.7% of energy during the 11-yrs period: from 0.57 to 0.63% of energy for n-3 FA and from 3.8 to 4.1% of energy for n-6 FA. The proportions of children who consumed amounts exceeding the dietary guidelines for total fat and SFA significantly increased from 2007 to 2017, with increases from 9.8% to 17.4% for total fat and from 36.9% to 50.9% for SFA. CONCLUSIONS: Prominent increasing trends in the consumption of total fat and SFA but tiny change in n-3 FA intake were observed in Korean children. The healthy intake of dietary fats should be emphasized in this population.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.11-24
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to analyze the nutrition education and diet contents presented in toddler picture books. The study was conducted from August to October 2015 and examined five of Korea's major online bookstores. Finally, we analyzed 296 books, and 67 books contained dietary life contents. The contents of nutrition education were mainly about eating an even diet and keeping good table manners. However, contents of specific, practical dietary guidelines were not included. Therefore, it is recommended to eat a variety of vegetable side dishes at every meal, eat on time and not eat salty, sweet and fatty foods. Most parenting styles on feeding practice for nutrition education were dictatorial. To make parenting styles more effective, the parents' style should be more desirable. In order to provide internal motivation for toddlers and have a positive education effect, teaching methods on eating using picture books should be presented in a positive way. Food often appearing in picture books were vegetables, but green leafy vegetables were hardly observed. Foods that frequently showed up in picture books were pastries, which reflect Westernized food culture.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.1201-1210
• /
• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The dietary intake of foods with fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) is known to adversely affect patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the effects of FODMAP have been studied predominantly among Western populations. This study aimed to identify foods high in FODMAP content which form a part of the Korean adult diet and obtain basic data for the preparation of IBS guidelines. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online survey of 1,000 adults from the general population in the age group of 20 to 40 years was performed. Data from 787 participants (men, 386; women, 401) were analyzed. The general characteristics of the participants, health status, IBS diagnosis using the Rome III diagnostic criteria, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire findings, and food items causing symptoms were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 169 participants (21.5%) had IBS. The contribution of the FODMAP nutrients in both IBS and healthy groups was as follows: fructan > lactose > excess fructose > sorbitol > mannitol > galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). The fructan intake was 4.6 ± 2.2 g/day and 4.3 ± 2.5 g/day in the IBS and healthy groups (P = 0.014), respectively. In the IBS group, the ratio of the intake of fructan to the total FODMAP intake was 39.5%, 29.8%, and 5.8% through onions, garlic, and bananas, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fructan was the FODMAP nutrient most consumed by Korean adults. Therefore, given the difference in the dietary habits of each country's population, the dietary guidelines for IBS should be country specific.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.177-191
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Recent epidemiological data reported that young adults in their 20 ~ 30s are a vulnerable population with unhealthy dietary practices and a few signs of deteriorated health indicators. However, there are no dietary guidelines that are specifically developed for the young adult population. This study introduces some data collection tools that are mostly used in the service design field, and demonstrates how these tools can be used in nutrition research for developing dietary guidelines for specific target groups. Methods: To understand the context of food choices among young people, 39 people were enrolled to complete a probes booklet. Thematic analysis and word cloud were performed to capture the main themes from the probes and a persona was developed based on the findings. Results: Data from the probes enabled us to grasp the various contextual meanings of eating practices among young people. Most participants understand what a healthy diet is and often have a willingness to practice it. However, there were very few participants who were following the practices. We created four types of persona for developing dietary guidelines: healthy eating, emotional eating, convenient eating, and trendy eating. Conclusions: Probes and persona were used in order to understand the lives of young adults and develop targeted messages. We hope that this introduction will be helpful to researchers who are looking for new ways of understanding their target population in the field of community nutrition.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.58-70
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to investigate children's Nutrition Quotient (NQ) and the degree of keeping the Dietary Guidelines of children and their mothers and to further examine the relationships between children and mothers. Methods: The subjects were 281 children from 4th to 6th grade in an elementary school located in Gwangju and their mothers. Results: NQ of the children was $66.8{\pm}14.2$, which was in the third (medium) grade. Among the five factors, the scores for Moderation and Diversity were in the second (high) grade, but those for Regularity, Practice, and Balance were in the third grade. Children of non-working mothers had significantly higher scores for NQ and Balance than those of working mothers. Children of mothers with age over 40 had a significantly higher score on Diversity than those with mothers under age 40. Children of mothers with higher education showed higher score for Regularity than those with lower education. Children from high-income families had higher score for Moderation. The score for children keeping the Dietary Guidelines was $78.8{\pm}10.5$ and children of non-working mothers showed higher score than those of working mothers. The score for mothers practicing the Dietary Guidelines was $80.6{\pm}9.4$ and non-working mothers and mothers with age over 40 had higher score. Children's NQ showed significant correlation with the score for keeping the Dietary Guidelines for children (r = 0.789, p < 0.001) and also with that of mothers (r = 0.235, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results show that NQ of elementary school children in Gwangju is in the medium grade, the degree of practicing the Dietary Guidelines for children is pretty fair, and these factors are influenced by their mother's socioeconomic characteristics such as employment, age, education, and family income.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.550-558
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to provide guideline data for future instructional materials and practice guidelines on reforming the dietary life of military personnel in terms of lowering sodium intake. A total of 264 persons were surveyed to obtain basic data on sodium intake and understanding of sodium. The study also examined the practice that is carried forward in this endeavor. The subjects liked 'kimchi' and 'rice with topping', and these could be the reason for higher salt intake. Career soldiers scored higher in terms of nutrition knowledge than enlisted soldiers (p<0.01). Nutrition education concerning sodium intake was statistically insignificant between the two, whereas career soldiers showed a higher experience rate at these nutrition educational events. Career soldiers also had with higher sodium intake than enlisted soldiers, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). In terms of practice, officers were more likely to experience difficulty in putting the theory of less sodium into practice than their enlisted soldiers counterparts (p<0.05), and the main reason behind this difficulty was that they did not feel the need to lower their sodium intake. Soldiers should be well educated about sodium and healthy diet during their service. Education should focus on lowering sodium intake and changing their attitudes and awareness of this issue in order to elicit behavioral changes.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.658-666
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The current study examined trends in adherence to dietary recommendations and compared the levels of adherence between diagnosed and undiagnosed subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Korea over the past 14 years. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data were collected from the 1998-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES). Diagnosed diabetes was defined as giving a positive response to questions about awareness of the disease, a physician's diagnosis of diabetes, or medical treatment for diabetes, whereas undiagnosed diabetes was defined as having a fasting glucose level ${\geq}126mg/dl$. Assessment of adherence level was based on 6 components of dietary guidelines, considering meal patterns and intake levels of calories, carbohydrates, vegetable/seaweed, sodium, and alcohol. The participants received 1 point if they met the criteria for each of the 6 components, and the total possible score ranged from 0 to 6 points. Multivariate generalized linear regression was performed, taking into account the complex survey design. RESULTS: Among all diabetic patients aged 30 years or older, the proportion of diagnosed diabetes increased dramatically, from 40.9% in 1998 to 75.9% in 2012 (P for trend < 0.001). The overall adherence levels to dietary recommendations were low and did not significantly differ between diagnosed and undiagnosed subjects with T2DM for all survey years. Several improvements were observed, including increased adherence to maintaining sufficient vegetable/seaweed consumption (increased from 0.12 to 0.16 points) and limiting sodium intake (increased from 0.12-0.13 points to 0.19-0.24 points; P for trend < 0.001), while adherence to maintaining moderate alcohol consumption decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of data collected by the KNHANES indicates that Korean T2DM patients have poor adherence to dietary recommendations and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, regardless of disease awareness. This finding suggests that development of practical, evidence-based guidelines is necessary and that provision and expansion of educational programs for T2DM patients is critical after diagnosis.