Comparison of Growth and Nutritional Status between Children in North Korean Refugee Families and South Korean Children

Purpose@#This study aims to compare the growth and nutritional status of the children in North Korean Refugee (NKR) families and South Korean (SK) children. @*Methods@#This study examined 101 children of NKR families and 294 SK children. Researchers interviewed subjects using a standardized questionnaire and measured their height and weight. The nutritional status of children was estimated using the 2017 Korean National Growth Charts for children and adolescents using their weight. @*Results@#The children of NKR families were significantly shorter than the SK children (140.8±10.1 vs. 146.9±9.3, p<0.001) and weighed less (38.1±9.4 vs. 42.0±9.5, p<0.001). The prevalence of stunting and being underweight among children of NKR families was significantly higher than that of the SK children (stunting: 6.9% vs. 1.4%, p<0.001; underweight: 10.9% vs. 1.0%, p<0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of wasting and obesity. @*Conclusion@#Although children of NKR families have been living in SK for 4.4 years, their nutritional problems are more severe than those of SK children.

A Study on Perceived Health Status, Dietary Habits and Health-Related Lifestyle Factors of Middle-Aged Men and Women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Area

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.

A Study on Perceived Health Status, Dietary Habits and Health-Related Lifestyle Factors of Middle-Aged Men and Women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Area

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.

Adherence to Dietary Guidelines for Elementary School Children According to Homeroom Teachers’ Nutrition Education

Homeroom teachers are not usually nutrition professionals, but they spend a lot of time with students in elementary school classrooms. This study was conducted to determine the association of homeroom teachers’ nutrition education with the dietary habits of their classroom children. The subjects were 131 homeroom teachers and their 1,102 children from 17 elementary schools in Gyeonggi, Korea. Self-administered questionnaires to collect information on dietary habits were conducted in December 2016. The dietary habits were determined with the adherences to the Dietary Guidelines for Adults and Children, respectively, by coding the better diet life with a higher score. The significances between groups according to teachers’ implementation of nutrition education (106 implemented, 25 not implemented) were analyzed by using SPSS at P＜0.05. Implementing nutrition education was not associated with the dietary habits of teachers themselves, but their students. Therefore, the students of teachers who implemented nutrition education had significantly higher adherence to 8 items out of 19 items (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). More of the students considered themselves as non-picky eaters (P＜0.05), tried to eat all the foods served at school lunch even when it contained unwanted ingredients (P＜0.01), and agreed on the need of nutrition education (P＜0.01), as compared to their counterparts. Conclusively, this study suggests that nutrition education delivered by homeroom teachers may be associated with more desirable dietary habits of students, even though homeroom teachers are not nutrition professionals. Therefore, efforts should be undertaken to develop and provide proper contents for homeroom teachers to use in nutrition education for elementary students.

Relationship between Dietary Habits, Life Stress and Nutrition Knowledge of High School Students in Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Objectives@#This study was performed to examine dietary habits, life stress, and nutrition knowledge among high school students in Gyeonggi area. @*Methods@#A total of 431 high school students (210 males, 221 females) in Gyeonggi area participated in this study from November to December of 2011. The study was a questionnaire-based survey that included dietary habits, dietary attitudes, life stress, and nutrition knowledge. @*Results@#Body weight, height, and body mass index were all higher in male students than in female students (P < 0.001, respectively). For dietary habits, the average score (P < 0.01) and scores for considering combination of food groups (P < 0.05), eating green and orange vegetables (P < 0.05), eating meat, fish, eggs, or beans everyday (P < 0.05), drinking milk (P < 0.001), and eating seaweed (P < 0.01) were higher in male students than in female students. For dietary attitudes, the average score (P < 0.05) and scores for the five items were significantly different between male and female students. Male students showed a significantly lower nutrition knowledge score than female students (P < 0.05). Life stress score of students largely was attributable to academic factors, and female students showed higher stress score for academic, personal, and surrounding environmental (P < 0.05, respectively) factors than male students. Dietary habit score (P < 0.01) and nutrition knowledge score (P < 0.05) in female students as well as dietary attitude score (P < 0.05) in male students were negatively correlated with life stress score. Dietary habit scores in male and female students were positively correlated with dietary attitude score (P < 0.01, respectively). Need for nutrition education was significantly higher in female students than in male students (P < 0.05). @*Conclusions@#This study provides basic information on dietary habits, dietary attitudes, life stress, and nutrition knowledge according to sex and suggests gender-specific practical nutrition education programs to address undesirable dietary habits and attitudes in students with higher stress levels.

Relationship between Dietary Behaviors and Life Stress of Middle School Students in Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to examine the dietary behaviors and life stress of middle school students in the Gyeonggi area. METHODS: A total of 580 middle school students (295males, 285 females) in the Gyeonggi area participated in the study between July and August in 2011. The study was a questionnaire-based survey that included dietary habits, dietary behaviors, and life stress. RESULTS: For dietary habits, the score for drinking milk was higher in male students than in female students, whereas the score for eating fruits was higher in female students compared to male students. There were significant differences in foods eaten and preferred under stress between male and female students. Male students showed significantly less changes in the number of meals, amount of meal intake, number of snacks, snack intake, frequency of overeating, and appetite during stress than female students. Life stress score of students largely came from academic factors, and female students showed higher stress levels in personal and surrounding environment factors than male students. Life stress score was significantly lower in students with high and moderate levels of dietary habits than in students with a low level of dietary habits. Total score for dietary habits and scores for eating adequate amounts of foods for each meal, considering a combination of food groups at each meal and eating green and orange vegetables, were significantly negatively correlated with life stress score. Life stress score was significantly negatively correlated with meal regularity and positively with the level of overeating. CONCLUSIONS: This study may provide basic information on dietary habits and life stress according to gender and the relationship between dietary behaviors and life stress of middle school students, and it suggests gender-based nutrition education programs to solve undesirable dietary habits and dietary behaviors in students with higher stress.

Factors Related to the Self-Rated Health Status among Korean Elderly: Analysis of the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

This study examined the sociodemographic factors, health-related habits, chronic diseases, dietary habits, and nutrient intake according to the self-rated health status in a group aged over 65 years by analyzing the nationally representative Korean survey data. A total of 1,510 subjects were analyzed among the participants of the 2016 Korean National Health and Examination Survey (KNHANES). Statistical analyses for complex samples were performed using the SPSS software package (version 19.0) The study subjects were divided into two groups (healthy group vs. unhealthy group) based on their self-rated health status. The percentage of the healthy group was 66.5%. Gender, age, education level, household income, job (P < 0.001, respectively), marital status, and basic living allowance (P < 0.05, respectively) were significant sociodemographic variables of the self-rated health status. Alcohol consumption (P < 0.01), aerobic physical activity, stress, quality of life, not feeling very well, depression and activity restriction (P < 0.001, respectively) were also significant health-related variables of the self-rated health status. Blood glucose, anemia (P < 0.05, respectively), and chewing problems (P < 0.001) were significant chronic disease-related variables of the self-rated health status. Adequate intakes of protein, dietary fiber, phosphorus, thiamin, niacin, vitamin C (P < 0.001, respectively), calcium, sodium, potassium (P < 0.01, respectively), iron, vitamin A, and riboflavin (P < 0.05, respectively) were also significant variables of the self-rated health status. In complex samples multiple logistic regression analysis, the self-rated health status was influenced significantly by the aerobic physical activity (P < 0.01), stress level (P < 0.05), depression (P < 0.001), quality of life (P < 0.001), not feeling very well (P < 0.001), activity restriction (P < 0.001), chewing problem (P < 0.05), and adequate intake of iron (P < 0.05). These results suggest that activity restriction, mental health, adequate iron intake, and physical activity may be associated with the self-rated health status in the elderly.

Dietary and Lifestyle Habits and Dietary Behaviors According to Level of Smartphone Addiction in University Students in Kyungnam Province

The purpose of this study was performed to investigate dietary and lifestyle habits, dietary behaviors, and food frequency according to the level of smartphone addiction among 408 university students in Kyungnam province. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software package. Based on using the Smartphone Addiction Poneness Scale, 28.4% were potential-risk smartphone users and while 13.2% were high-risk smartphone users. The levels of depression (P<0.05) and stress (P<0.05) and frequency of snacks (P<0.01) were higher in high-risk and potential-risk groups than in the normal group, and meal frequency was highest in the high-risk group (P<0.01). Percentages of using a smartphone at meal time (P<0.01) and snacking while using a smartphone (P<0.01) were higher in potential-risk and high-risk groups than in the normal group. Percentages of skipping meals (P<0.001) and slow eating speed (P<0.01) due to using a smartphone were higher in high-risk and potential-risk groups than in the normal group, and percentages of taste change (P<0.05) were higher in the high-risk group than in the potential-risk and normal groups. Percentages of exercise reduction (P<0.01), body weight increase (P<0.05), sleep disturbance (P<0.001), and increase in stress (P<0.01) due to using a smartphone were higher in the high-risk group than in the normal group. Scores of dietary behaviors avoiding salty food (P<0.01) and excessive drinking (P<0.001) were higher in the high-risk group than in the normal group. Scores for frequency of oil or nuts (P<0.05) and fatty meats (P<0.01) were highest in the high-risk group. Our results suggest that effective nutrition education programs are needed to solve unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits from high-risk smartphone users in university students.

Dietary Habits, Dietary Behaviors, Depression and Stress according to Self-Rated Health of University Students in Kyungnam Province

The purpose of this study was to investigate health-related habits, dietary habits, depression, stress, satisfaction of body weight, mini-dietary assessment (MDA) and dietary behaviors according to self-rated health among 255 university students in Kyungnam province. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software package (version 19.0). The average ages of the subjects were 21.1 years. Participants were asked their self-rated health and 109, 105 and 41 students answered themselves as "healthy", "normal" and "unhealthy", respectively. The pocket money (P<0.05) was related with self-rated health, and meal frequency (P<0.01) of healthy group was higher than that of the unhealthy group. The self-reported depression level (P<0.01) and the score of depression (P<0.05) of the healthy group were lower than those of the unhealthy group. The self-reported stress level of the healthy group (P<0.05) was higher than that of the unhealthy group. The scores of nutritional behavior (P<0.05) and MDA (P<0.01) of the healthy group were higher than those of the unhealthy group. The scores for intakes of meat, fish, egg or beans, cereals and vegetables except kimchi, fruits, balanced diet and various foods were higher in the healthy group than in the unhealthy group. Our results suggest that pocket money, high meal frequency, low depression, satisfaction of present body weight, and good dietary behavior might influence good perception of self-rated health.

Lifestyle and Genetic Predictors of Stiffness Index in Community-dwelling Elderly Korean Men and Women

PURPOSE: Differing lifestyle, nutritional, and genetic factors may lead to a differing stiffness index (SI) determined by quantitative ultrasound in elderly men and women. The purpose of this study was to determine SI and the gender-specific factors associated with low SI in a Korean elderly cohort. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study identifying the gender-specific factors related to SI in 252 men and women aged 65 years and greater from local senior centers in Seoul, Korea between January and February 2009. RESULTS: The mean SI of elderly men was significantly higher than that of the women's. A multiple regression analysis reveals that age, nutritional status, and physical activity were predictive factors of lower SI in men, whereas age, alcohol consumption, educational level, and genetic polymorphism were predictive factors for elderly women. CONCLUSIONS: Low SI was common in both elderly men and women. We found gender differences in factors linked to low SI. In multiple regression analysis, nutritional status and physical activity were more important factors in men, whereas alcohol consumption, educational level, and genetic polymorphism were significant factors predicting low SI in women. Gender-specific modifiable risk factors associated with low SI should be considered when developing osteoporosis prevention programs for the elderly.

Cardiac Toxicity Following a Diphenhydramine Overdose

PURPOSE: This study was designed to analyze the contributing factors, as well as the incidence and nature of the cardiac toxicity, in patients presenting with diphenhydramine overdose. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the intoxicated patients who presented to the ED of Korea University Anam Hospital from January 2008 to December 2010. Those patients who visited due to a diphenhydramine overdose were selected and the following features were recorded for analysis: the general characteristics, vital signs, the amount of ingested diphenhydramine, the time interval from ingestion to presentation, the coingested drugs (if any), the toxicities and the ECG findings. Cardiac toxicity, while defined mainly in terms of the temporary ECG changes such as QTc prolongation, right axis deviation, QRS widening, high degree AV block and ischemic changes, also encompassed cardiogenic shock, which is a clinical finding. RESULTS: A total of eighteen patients were enrolled. Of the eighteen patients, eight had ingested diphenhydramine only, while ten had ingested other drugs in addition to diphenhydramine. The most commonly observed toxicity following diphenhydramine overdose included cardiac toxicity (78%). Cardiac toxicity was observed in all the patients who presented to the emergency department 2 hours after ingestion. The patients with QTc prolongation turned out to have ingested significantly larger amounts of diphenhydramine. CONCLUSION: QTc prolongation and right axis deviation were common findings for the patients with a diphenhydramine overdose. QTc prolongation was more likely to occur with ingesting larger amounts of diphenhydramine. Close monitoring is mandatory for patients who have ingested large amounts of diphenhydramine to prevent such potentially lethal cardiac toxicity.

Different Performances on a Confrontational Naming Test in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the performance on a naming test and the correlations between the scores on the naming test and neuropsychological test scores in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: The subjects included 69 patients with MCI and 33 patients with mild AD. We performed general cognitive functions, the Korean version of the Boston Naming Test (K-BNT), the digit span test, the Rey figure copy test (RCFT), the Seoul Verbal Learning Test (SVLT), and frontal function tests. The detailed items of the K-BNT were analyzed for the two subject groups, and the correlations between the K-BNT scores and those of the neuropsychological tests were examined. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed on the item for the number of correct answers after two syllables on the K-BNT task in patients with AD and MCI (p<0.05). A qualitative analysis of the incorrect K-BNT responses showed that both the AD and MCI groups made semantic errors more than visuoperceptual and phonemic errors. Significant correlations were found among the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Global Deterioration Scale, clinical dementia rating, digit span, SVLT delayed recall, RCFT and RCFT delayed recall, and the Stroop test color reading items (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our result suggests that semantic errors gradually increase with the progress of cognitive disability in the state preceding AD among patients with MCI.

The Effects of Oral Health Care Education for Nursing Staff on Halitosis and Nutrient Intake of the Elderly in a Long-term Care Facility

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an oral health care education program for care providers on the nutritional status of the elderly in a long-term care facility. This study was conducted at a long-term care facility located in K metropolitan city using a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. Fifty-four nursing home residents aged 65 years or older were assigned either to the intervention group (n=27) or the control group (n=24). The intervention group received oral health care from the care providers' intervention group, who provided oral health care for 6 weeks after 6 weeks of oral health care education. Data were collected from the control group and intervention group at the baseline 6 and 12 weeks after oral care education and were analyzed using SPSS windows 16.0. The halitosis was lower in the intervention group than the control group at 12 weeks (P<0.01). Body mass index of the intervention group at 12 weeks was higher than that at 6 weeks. Iron intake of the intervention group at 12 weeks was lower than that at baseline. At baseline, the intakes of riboflavin, folate, and potassium were lower than 75% of dietary reference intakes. In conclusion, an oral care education program for care providers was effective in improving the oral hygiene of nursing home residents, and dietary plans are needed to improve the nutritional status of them.

Factors that Affect Medication Adherence in Elderly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus / 당뇨병

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the factors affecting medication adherence in geriatric diabetic patients treated at private clinics and tertiary hospitals. We compared the factors affecting medication adherence between these two patient groups. METHODS: We included 108 diabetic patients older than 65 years treated at one tertiary hospital and 157 patients older than 65 years treated at two private clinics. We conducted an interview survey based on the Health Belief Model, and used a questionnaire that included the self-efficacy variable. For the medication adherence, Morisky's self-report was used. RESULTS: The medication adherence based on Morisky's self-report was significantly higher in tertiary hospital patients (61.1%) compared to private clinic patients (43.2%) (P < 0.01). The results showed that drug storage and self-efficacy were factors affecting adherence to medication in tertiary hospital patients (P < 0.05). The adherence was high in cases of proper drug storage (odds ratio [OR], 5.401) and in cases with high self-efficacy (OR, 13.114). In private clinic patients, financial level (P < 0.05), recognition of the seriousness of diabetes complications (P < 0.05) and self-efficacy (P < 0.01) were associated with medication adherence. The medication adherence was significantly lower in patients whose financial state were moderate than those with lower (OR, 0.410), and medication adherence was significantly higher in patients who had higher perceived severity (OR, 2.936) and in patients with higher self-efficacy (OR, 4.040). CONCLUSION: Different strategies should be used to increase medication adherence in geriatric diabetic patients, depending on institutions whether they are treated.

A Study of the Nutritional Status and its Related Factors in the Elderly Hemodialysis Patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status and to identify related factors in elderly hemodialysis patients. Sixty-four patients who were registered in Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, participated in the study. The data was collected between September and December, 2003. General characteristics were obtained with the use of an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric and biochemical data, 3-day dietary records and dietary habits were also obtained. The results of this study were analyzed with t-test or x2-test using SPSS package program. The percentage of elderly hemodialysis patients who were undergoing mild to severe malnutrition (MN group)and were normal nutrition (NN group) by subjective global assessment (SGA) criteria were 46.9% and 53.1%, respectively. Appetite (p<0.05) and dietary cholesterol intakes (p<0.05) were significantly lower in MN group than the NN group. Body mass index (BMI, p<0.001), lean body mass (LBM, p<0.05), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF, p<0.01), mid arm circumference (MAC, p<0.01)and mid arm muscle circumference (MAMC, p<0.05) were also lower in the MN group than the NN group. There were also significant differences in blood urea nitrogen (BUN, p<0.05), creatinine (p<0.05) , prealbumin (p<0.001) and C-reactive protein (CRP, p<0.05) . SGA was negatively correlated with serum BUN, creatinine and prealbumin, dry weight, BMI, LBM, total body water, TSF, MAC and MAMC, and positively correlated with age. In stepwise multiple regression analysis, SGA was related to BMI, CRP, age and BUN. In conclusion, almost half of the subjects were in malnourished status and had lower values in anthropometric and biochemical data. Our results suggest that SGA is a simple and adequate method for assessing the nutritional status in elderly hemodialysis patients and adequate dietary guidelines based on individual nutritional status are needed in the patients.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Life After Ischemic Stroke: Young Versus Old Patients

BACKGROUND: Factors affecting the quality of life (QOL) may be different between young and old stroke patients. However, these issues have not yet been properly investigated. METHODS: We identified 170 young-onset stroke patients (onset between 15 and 45 years of age) who were admitted to the Asan Medical Center. Three hundred and forty follow-up period matched, old-onset stroke patients (onset >45 years of age) were chosen as a control group. A follow-up interview was performed 1~5 years after the onset of stroke in 96 young patients and 160 old patients. With the use of standardized questionnaire, we assessed physical disabilities, activity of daily living (Barthel Index Score, modified Rankin scale), the presence of depression (using DSM IV criteria and Beck Depression Inventory) and socio-economic/job status. The QOL was assessed using the Stroke Specific QOL developed by Williams et al. RESULTS: The QOL scores were significantly higher in young patients than in old ones. Univariate analysis showed that factors related to low QOL included unemployment, motor impairment, aphasia, dysarthria, dysaphagia and severe modified Rankin score in young patients while poor economic status, unemployment, supratentorial (vs. infratentorial) stroke, anterior (vs. posterior) circulation stroke, the presence of diabetes mellitus, motor impairment, aphasia, dysarthria, dysphagia, visual field defect, severe modified Rankin score, the presence of post-stroke seizures and depression were related to the low QOL in old patients. Cigarette smoking (in old patients) and alcohol drinking (in both young and old patients) were related to high QOL. Multiple regression analysis showed that modified Rankin score was the most important factor explaining low QOL in both groups, while other important factors included depression, visual field defect and anterior circulation stroke in old patients, and the motor dysfunction and dysarthria in young patients. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that aside from modified Rankin scale, factors affecting the quality of life are different between these two groups. Recognition of these differences may allow us to develop different strategies to improve the quality of life in stroke patients.

Study on Altered Food Preference and Food Frequency in Stroke Patients

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary habits and altered food preferences of stroke patients. One hundred and forty-six outpatients, who had experienced their first-ever stroke and were admitted to Asan Medical Center between July and December 2000, were studied. Using interviews, we assessed the altered food preferences, food consumption frequency, and other factors influencing the food preferences and food consumption frequency of the subjects. These results were analyzed with 2 t-tests, and multiple regression analysis, using the SPSS package program. Preferences for pork, red fish, coffee, bread and stews were higher in male stroke patients than in females. The frequency of consumption of beef, pork, white fish, red fish, egg, garlic, onion, coffee, instant noodles, bread, and culinary vegetables increased in the male stroke patients more than in the females. Food preferences were influenced by income, risk factors, subjective tastes and location of brain ischemic lesions. Food consumption frequency was affected by food preference, income, drugs, alcohol, marital status, sex, and dysgeusia. As a result of multiple regression analysis, the frequency of consumption of white fish, red fish, eggs, soy milk, milk, garlic, onions, coffee, noodles, bread, bean-paste stew, kimchi, culinary vegetables, and greasy foods were the most affected by each food preference. Our results suggest that food consumption frequency may vary with food preference, income, drugs, alcohol, marital status, sex, and dysgeusia, and nutrition education should be formulated to prevent stroke recurrence based on the food preferences, subjective tastes, and risk factors of individual stroke patients.

Studies on Alterations in Taste Perception of Korean Elderly

BACKGROUNDS: Recent studies of population trends demonstrate massive increases in both absolute numbers and percentage of our aging population. A large proportion of the population older than 65 years has age-related sensory losses that impair food intakes, overall health, self-sufficiency, and quality of life. Thus, this study was performed investigate the subjective and objective changes of taste perception in Korean elderly. METHODS: The subjects were 22 male and 109 female normal elderly persons aged 55 to 81(mean: 70+4.5) years without diabetes mellitus. They were recruited from senior citizen centers in Northern area of Seoul. The agents used for taste measurements are; sodium chloride for salt taste ; sucrose, for sweet; Glacial acetic acid, for sour; and Quinine hemisulfate for buffer. Taste threshold was measured by determining detection and recognition thresholds for all 4 taste qualities by a forced-choice, three-stimulus drop technique. Taste threshold was obtained by dropping solutions on the right sides of the tip of the tongue for salt taste, anterior lateral side for sweet, posterior lateral side, for sour taste, and back of the tongue for buffer taste. RESULTS: Among subjects, 52(40%) had hypertension, 12(9%) heart disease, and 18(14%) hypercholesterolemia. Male subjects had lower detection threshold for salt taste compared to that of females. The subjects with hypercholestrolemia had higher detection threshold for buffer taste(p<0.05). Male subjects had higher recognition threshold for buffer taste compared to that of females(p<0.05). The subjects with hypertension, heart problems, history of smoking, drinking, or medication had no significant changes in detection and recognition taste threshold of 4 different taste. Twenty one(16%) subjects experienced symptoms of dysgeusia, thirty(23%) hypogeusia. None of them reported symptoms of phantogeusia, cacogeusia, or heterogeusia. The subjects with dysgeusia had higher detection threshold for sweet taste(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Male subjects had lower detection threshold for salt taste and higher recognition threshold for buffer taste compared to those of females in Korean elderly(p<0.05). The subjects with hypercholesterolemia had higher detection threshold for buffer taste(p<0.05), and the subjects with dysgeusia had higher detection threshold for sweet taste(p<0.05). Thus, sex-related salty and buffer taste perception were observed in the elderly and dysgeusia had an effect on sweet taste. These results suggest that these taste perception changes seem to have an influence on nutritional and health status of the elderly and we should consider these taste perception changes to prepare the dietary guidelines for healthy life of the elderly.

Food Intake Frequency, and Compliance in Stroke Patients / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary habits and food compliance in stroke patients. One-hundred sixty eight elderly stroke patients and 97 young patients with first -ever stroke admitted to Asan Medical Center between 1994 and 1998 were studied. Using a structured interview, we assessed food intake. food consumption frequency and compliance to low salt, low meat hight fish and high fruit and vegetable diets. These results were analyzed with chi2, t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the SAS package program. Salted food intake and cholesterol-containing food frequency were increased whereas frequency of fruits and vegetables intake was decreased in young stroke patients compared to the elderly. Meat intake and cholesterol-containing food frequency were increased in the males compared to the females in elderly stroke patients. and fish intake and cholesterol-containing food frequency were higher in the males than the females in the young. In patients with high economic status, frequency of fruits and vegetables was elevated. Also compliance the low meat and high fruit and vegetable diet in young patients was lower than that in the elderly. When the life-style risk factors influencing the food intake of frequency of fruits and vegetables was affected by education in young stroke patients. In elderly stroke patients, meat intake frequency of cholesterol-containing foods and fruits and vegetables were influenced by sex and /or income. Our results suggest that dietary intake of salt meat, cholesterol-containing foods. fruits and vegetables in stroke patients may vary with age, sex the presence of risk factors or economic status therefore guidelines and nutrition education should by formulated to prevent stroke recurrence based on dietary habits and risk factors of individual patients.

Factors that Influence Nursing Image Perceived by College Students / 간호학회지

No Abstract available.