Exploring parenting variables associated with sweetness preferences and sweets intake of children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Excessive sugar intake is one of the causes associated with obesity and several chronic diseases prevalent in the modern society. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of parenting variables based on the theory of planned behavior, on the sweetness preferences and sweets intake of children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Parents and their children (n = 103, aged 5–7 years) were enrolled to participate in a survey for this study, after providing the required informed consent. Parents were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire at their residence. The sweetness preference test for children was conducted at a kindergarten (or daycare center) by applying the one-on-one interview method. RESULTS: The children were divided into two clusters categorized by the K-mean cluster analysis: Cluster 1 had higher sweetness preference (0.42 M sugar, 35%; 0.61 M sugar, 65%); Cluster 2 exhibited lower sweetness preference (0.14 M sugar, 9.5%; 0.20 M sugar, 9.5%; 0.29 M sugar, 81%). Cluster 1 had a higher frequency of sweets intake (P < 0.01), and lower sweets restriction (P < 0.05) and nutrition quotient score (P < 0.05). Sweets intake was negatively correlated with the nutritional quotient (r = −0.204, P < 0.05). The behavioral intention of parents was higher in cluster 2 (P < 0.05), while affective attitude, feeding practice, and reward were higher in cluster 1 (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, and P < 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, behavioral intention of parents showed a negative correlation with affective attitude (r = −0.282, P < 0.01) and feeding practice (r = −0.380, P < 0.01), and a positive correlation with subjective norm (r = 0.203, P < 0.05) and parenting attitude (r = 0.433, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the sweetness preferences and sweets intake of children is related to the parent's affective attitude, feeding practice and reward. We suggest that to reduce the sugar consumption of children, guidelines for access to sweets and pertinent parenting practices are required.

Relationship between the Intake of Children's Favorite Foods and Policy based on Special Act on Safety Control of Children's Dietary Life / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the status of children's favorite foods intake and the relationship with the policy environment based on the Special Act on Safety Control of Children's Dietary Life for suggesting a supportive policy strategy. METHODS: The subjects were 4th grade students (n=1,638) in elementary school from 45 schools collected from seven areas (Seoul, Daegu, Daejeon, Gyeonggi, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam). The children participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey in class under the supervision of the teacher. The questionnaire consisted of items, such as social demographic characteristics, frequency of intake of the children's favorite foods, and policy cognition. A t-test and ANOVA were applied to explore the relationship between the frequency of children's favorite foods intake and policy cognition. The survey was implemented from August 2016 to September 2016. RESULTS: For the boys, the frequency of ‘high-calorie low nutrient foods intake’ (HCLN) was significantly higher than that of the girls (p<0.01). For the children who received information on their favorite foods from the internet, the frequency of HCLN was higher than the other sources (p<0.01). The time of TV viewing and computer usage, and smartphone usage was associated with a higher frequency of HCLN, and a lower healthy favorite food intake (all p<0.001). The intake frequency of healthy favorite foods indicated a positive correlation with the policy cognition, including policy perception, usefulness, necessity and buying intention, and educational experience. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a correlation with the frequency of children's favorite foods intake and policy. In particular, the frequency of children's healthy favorite foods intake indicated a meaningful relationship with the policy than the frequency of HCLN. This study also found that the consumption of children's healthy favorite foods was positively correlated with the educational experience. To develop a supportive policy for a good dietary environment for children, there is a need to focus on how to collaborate with multiple levels of influences, such as the national level, school level, and family.

Relationship between the Intake of Children's Favorite Foods and Policy based on Special Act on Safety Control of Children's Dietary Life / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the status of children's favorite foods intake and the relationship with the policy environment based on the Special Act on Safety Control of Children's Dietary Life for suggesting a supportive policy strategy. METHODS: The subjects were 4th grade students (n=1,638) in elementary school from 45 schools collected from seven areas (Seoul, Daegu, Daejeon, Gyeonggi, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam). The children participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey in class under the supervision of the teacher. The questionnaire consisted of items, such as social demographic characteristics, frequency of intake of the children's favorite foods, and policy cognition. A t-test and ANOVA were applied to explore the relationship between the frequency of children's favorite foods intake and policy cognition. The survey was implemented from August 2016 to September 2016. RESULTS: For the boys, the frequency of ‘high-calorie low nutrient foods intake’ (HCLN) was significantly higher than that of the girls (p<0.01). For the children who received information on their favorite foods from the internet, the frequency of HCLN was higher than the other sources (p<0.01). The time of TV viewing and computer usage, and smartphone usage was associated with a higher frequency of HCLN, and a lower healthy favorite food intake (all p<0.001). The intake frequency of healthy favorite foods indicated a positive correlation with the policy cognition, including policy perception, usefulness, necessity and buying intention, and educational experience. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a correlation with the frequency of children's favorite foods intake and policy. In particular, the frequency of children's healthy favorite foods intake indicated a meaningful relationship with the policy than the frequency of HCLN. This study also found that the consumption of children's healthy favorite foods was positively correlated with the educational experience. To develop a supportive policy for a good dietary environment for children, there is a need to focus on how to collaborate with multiple levels of influences, such as the national level, school level, and family.

Field Application and Evaluation of Health Status Assessment Tool based on Dietary Patterns for Middle-Aged Women / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to verify the validity and judgment criteria setting of a health status assessment tool based on dietary patterns for middle-aged women. METHODS: A total of 474 middle-aged women who visited the Comprehensive Medical Examination Center at Hanmaeum Hospital in Changwon were enrolled (IRB 2013-0005). The validity was verified using clinical indicators for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS), and it was used to set the criteria for the tool. A logistic regression analysis was performed for validation. The area under-receiver operation (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and Youden Index were calculated through ROC curve analysis. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 21, and p value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean score of the group with no MS (73.3 points) was significantly higher compared to the group with MS (65.7 points) (p < 0.001). An analysis of the association between the tool scores and risk of MS showed a 0.15-fold reduction in the risk of MS every time the tool's score increased by one point. As the result of the ROC curve analysis, the assessment reference point was set to 71 points, indicating 77.0% sensitivity and 61.0% specificity. Risk of MS was significantly higher in the group with a score of less than 71.0 than a group with more than 71 points (OR=5.28, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first attempt to develop a health status assessment tool based on the dietary patterns for middle-aged women, and this tool has proven its usefulness as an MS assessment tool through the application of middle-aged women in the field of health screening.

Field Application and Evaluation of Health Status Assessment Tool based on Dietary Patterns for Middle-Aged Women / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to verify the validity and judgment criteria setting of a health status assessment tool based on dietary patterns for middle-aged women. METHODS: A total of 474 middle-aged women who visited the Comprehensive Medical Examination Center at Hanmaeum Hospital in Changwon were enrolled (IRB 2013-0005). The validity was verified using clinical indicators for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS), and it was used to set the criteria for the tool. A logistic regression analysis was performed for validation. The area under-receiver operation (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and Youden Index were calculated through ROC curve analysis. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 21, and p value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean score of the group with no MS (73.3 points) was significantly higher compared to the group with MS (65.7 points) (p < 0.001). An analysis of the association between the tool scores and risk of MS showed a 0.15-fold reduction in the risk of MS every time the tool's score increased by one point. As the result of the ROC curve analysis, the assessment reference point was set to 71 points, indicating 77.0% sensitivity and 61.0% specificity. Risk of MS was significantly higher in the group with a score of less than 71.0 than a group with more than 71 points (OR=5.28, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first attempt to develop a health status assessment tool based on the dietary patterns for middle-aged women, and this tool has proven its usefulness as an MS assessment tool through the application of middle-aged women in the field of health screening.

Eating patterns of children's favorite foods and its related factors among elementary, middle, and high school students in Korea

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There are limited studies investigating the eating patterns of children's favorite foods. The present study aimed to evaluate a wide range of children's favorite foods, derive its eating patterns, and identify factors related to the patterns. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study included 5,458 students in elementary, middle, and high schools. The survey was conducted at each school to evaluate children's favorite food intake, including the intake frequency of 31 food items or food groups, and its related factors, such as demographic, economic, and environmental characteristics and awareness of policies on children's favorite foods. Factor analysis using varimax rotation method and logistic regression analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Two factors were derived as major eating patterns from data of children's favorite foods: the ‘unhealthy eating pattern’ which mainly involves confectionery, chocolate, ramen, fried food, etc.; and the ‘healthy eating pattern’ which mainly involves soybean milk, vegetables, fruit juice, and nuts. A stepwise selection procedure through the regression analysis revealed that allowance, use of screen media, less awareness of policies on children's favorite foods, and less interest in health were positively related to the tendency of unhealthy or less-healthy eating patterns (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study examined that the eating patterns of children's favorite foods were associated with certain environmental characteristics and awareness about the related policies. These findings suggest that a nutrition education program regarding children's favorite foods needs to be conducted according to the characteristics of students to develop their healthy eating habits and proper choice of favorite foods.

Factors affecting vegetable preference in adolescents: stages of change and social cognitive theory

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.

Nutrients Intake and Health Status by Fruits and Vegetables Intake in Adolescents Based on the 2013∼2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

This study was conducted to compare the nutrient intake, physical characteristics, and health status according to daily fruits and vegetables intake of adolescents using the Korean national health and nutrition examination survey for the sixth period (2013∼2015). Subjects were 1,096 adolescents aged 13∼18 years. The average daily intake of fruits and vegetables was 518.49±4.94 g. The two groups (insufficient, sufficient) were divided by fruits and vegetables intake (<500 g/day, ≥500 g/day) and the ratio of the insufficient group was 75.9% while that of the adequate group was 24.1%. The mean of intake of energy, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, thiamin, niacin, vitamin C and dietary fiber differed significantly between the insufficient and sufficient groups (P<0.01, P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in physical characteristics between groups. The self-perceived health status was better in the sufficient group (P<0.05), while the insufficient group was aware of more stress in their daily life (P<0.05). The serum triglyceride was significantly higher in the sufficient group (P<0.05), while the total cholesterol was lower (P<0.05). As the characteristics of fruits and vegetables are different, it will be necessary to determine standards for consumption of each type. It is also necessary to consider whether a fruits and vegetables intake of 500 g would be a reasonable standard for adolescents. Nevertheless, the results of this study indicate efforts to increase fruits and vegetables intake by young people are necessary.

Onion peel extract reduces the percentage of body fat in overweight and obese subjects: a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The anti-obesity effect of quercetin-rich onion peel extract (OPE) was suggested in rats, but information from human studies is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of OPE on the body composition of overweight and obese subjects. MATERIALS/METHODS: In this 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, parallel clinical trials were performed in overweight and obese Korean subjects. Randomly assigned subjects were instructed to take daily either the placebo (male, 6 and female, 30) or OPE capsules containing 100 mg of quercetin (male, 5 and female, 31). Body composition was measured by using bioimpedance and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) were evaluated by using indirect calorie measurement methods. Fasting blood levels of glucose, insulin, lipids, and leptin were determined. RESULTS: Quercetin-rich OPE supplementation significantly reduced the weight and percentage of body fat as measured by DXA (P = 0.02). These effects were not shown in the control group. Levels of blood glucose (P = 0.04) and leptin (P = 0.001 for placebo, P = 0.002 for OPE) decreased in both groups. Significant increases in REE and RQ were observed in both groups (P = 0.003 for placebo, P = 0.006 for OPE) and in the OPE group alone (P = 0.02), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin-rich OPE supplementation changed the body composition of the overweight and obese subjects. This result suggests a beneficial role of the anti-obesity effect of OPE human subjects.

Erratum: Onion peel extract reduces the percentage of body fat in overweight and obese subjects: a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

We made a mistake in presenting author name.

Erratum: Onion peel extract reduces the percentage of body fat in overweight and obese subjects: a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

We made a mistake in presenting author name.

Health Status Assessment Tool Development based on Dietary Patterns in Middle-Aged Women / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to develop an assessment tool for middle aged women's health status based on dietary patterns, which will have practical applications in the working field of health and hygiene, aiming at improving the middle aged women's quality of life through their health improvement. METHODS: As a first step, a literature review was conducted and the original data of '2008~2009 Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey' were reanalyzed. This analysis identified 65 preliminary questions that may be relevant to the study. After verifying the content validity by experts, the 65 questions were reduced into 51 questions. In order to secure higher validity of the candidate items, verification of their clinical validity was conducted among women aged between 45 and 60 years. Finally, an assessment tool was developed by applying weight and scoring. RESULTS: Selected 51 questions were used to verify clinical validity and the results showed that 20 questions were relevant, nine questions ('regular meal time', 'regular amount of meal', 'intake frequency of dairy products', 'intake frequency of fruits', 'intake frequency of meat products', 'intake frequency of high cholesterol foods', 'intake frequency of salty foods', 'appetite', 'eat breakfast everyday') were related to dietary life. Eleven other questions ('self-rated health status', 'deep sleep', 'smoking', 'frequency of drinking', 'stress levels', 'health-related fitness levels', 'pounding of the heart', 'strange feelings on the skin', 'interfere with daily life', 'menopause will bring you a chance to see the life in a different perspective', and 'body mass index') were selected as valid questions. For the response scale for each question, 5 point Likert scale was used to make total 100 point score. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first attempt to develop a health status assessment tool for middle aged women based on their dietary patterns. We conclude that this tool is expected to be a useful and practical tool in the field.

Application and the Effect of Nutrition Education Program Based on the Social Cognitive Theory Among Middle School Girls / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutrition education using materials based on social cognitive theory. Education topics focused on improving health-related and dietary self-awareness and behavior capability in adolescents. METHODS: Participants were recruited from a middle school for girls; 67 students (educated group, n=34 and control group, n=33) participated. The education group received 12 lessons in club activity class. Self-administered surveys were conducted for each group before and after the nutrition education program. The questionnaires consisted of variables such as self-efficacy, outcome expectation, outcome expectancy, knowledge, and dietary practices based on the social cognitive theory. Education satisfaction was evaluated using a five-point Likert scale for two sections: a) teaching and learning and b) education results. The data were analyzed using a t-test and Chi Square-test (significance level: p < 0.05). RESULTS: In the education group, post-education, there were significant differences in self-efficacy (p < 0.05), knowledge (p < 0.01), and dietary practices (p < 0.05), whereas outcome expectation and expectancy did not show any significant differences. None of the variables showed any significant differences in the control group. Educational satisfaction scores were 4.38 ± 0.12 (teaching and learning) and 4.14 ± 0.15 (education results). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that improving adolescent's awareness and behavior capability has a positive effect on their dietary practices. Moreover, this study suggested that a theory-based determinant should be considered to improve dietary behavior among adolescents.

Gender Differences in Adolescents' Dietary Perceptions and Practices / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to compare adolescents' dietary behaviors and perceptions by gender in order to recommend useful strategies for nutrition interventions. METHODS: Subjects were 2,363 middle school (MS) and high school (HS) students. They completed a self-administered questionnaire on their interest in diet and health, dietary perceptions, nutrition knowledge, dietary practices, and dietary environment at home. Data were analyzed using t-test, χ2-test, and simple regression analysis by gender and by school groups. RESULTS: Overall, girls obtained higher scores than boys did for "interest" (MS: p<0.001; HS: p<0.01), "dietary perceptions" (MS: p<0.001; HS: p<0.01), and "knowledge" (MS: p<0.01; HS: p<0.001). Regarding "dietary practices," no gender differences were observed among MS students, however, among HS students, boys obtained higher scores-reflecting good practices-than girls did (p<0.01). In all subjects, dietary environment at home was strongly associated with dietary practice than other variables (MS boys: β=0.435, p<0.001; MS girls: β=0.492, p<0.001, HS boys: β=0.271, p<0.001; HS girls: β=0.429, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We observed gender differences in some of the variables such as knowledge and perception among adolescent students. Educational programs and core strategies that consider these gender differences need to be developed. Specifically, for girls, educational programs should focus on facilitating dietary recommendation adherence, whereas for boys, the program could focus on improving dietary knowledge and perceptions.

A comparison of Dietary Habits and Influencing Factors for Vegetable Preferences of Adolescents in Gyeongnam Province / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: A higher consumption of vegetables is emphasized as the core component of most dietary guidelines. Thus, this research investigated the dietary habits and influencing factors of vegetable preferences of adolescents. METHODS: This study was conducted by using a self-administered questionnaire. 400 students from two high schools in Gyeongnam (193 boys, 207 girls) participated in the survey. The questionnaire consisted of the following variables: dietary habit, dietary action guide and factors based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). RESULTS: The dietary habits of subjects showed significant differences depending on whether they prefer vegetables or not. The subjects in the group who liked vegetables had better dietary habits than the other group. Also, the study determined that the most important reason for liking or disliking vegetables is due to the taste. In the practice of dietary guidelines, the group of subjects who liked vegetables followed dietary guidelines more closely than the other group (p < 0.001). When the factors based on SCT were analyzed, personal factors showed significant differences between the groups: outcome expectation (p < 0.001), self-efficacy (p < 0.001) and affective attitude (p < 0.001). Personal factors and rated vegetable preferences showed a significant correlation in multiple regression analysis (F=42.015, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that vegetable preference is associated with a key point of desirable dietary habits among subjects. In order to increase vegetable preference or consumption, it is important to focus on strengthening not only self-efficacy of students, but also affective attitude of vegetable.

The relationship between Physical Growth and Major Sources of Serum Vitamin D among Hospitalized Children of Changwon City / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the sources of vitamin D (duration of exposure to sunlight, intake of major food sources for vitamin D or vitamin D supplements) on the serum 25-(OH) D3 levels, and the physical growth of a child. METHODS: Subjects were 296 children aged 1 to 5 years who visited S hospital located in Changwon City. Survey data collection was carried out by direct interview method, and the biochemical data were collected using hospital records. RESULTS: The study subjects were divided into three groups according to their levels of serum 25-(OH) D3 (deficient, relatively insufficient, sufficient) and their percentage were 48.3%, 44.3% and 7.4% respectively. The average concentration of serum 25-(OH) D3 was 20.41 +/- 6.55 ng/mL, which was relatively insufficient. The average duration of exposure to sunlight was 58.86 +/- 49.18 minutes/day. A total score of vitamin D major food sources was 46.71 points (full marks 153), and the most frequently consumed food items were milk, eggs, and cheese. Thirty-four percent of the subjects took vitamin D supplements and their dose were 11.96 microg/day. Three vitamin D sources in sufficient group were higher than deficient or relatively insufficient group significantly. Intake of vitamin D supplements showed positive relation (+) and high explanation power (R2= 0.288) on serum 25-(OH) D3 concentration, but intake of vitamin D major food sources (+) and the duration of exposure to sunlight (+) had a low explanation power (R2= 0.068). The relations between serum 25-(OH) D3 concentration and physical growth (height and weight) were shown as negative (??, and their explanation powers were low as 7.3% and 5.9% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study results can be useful when discussing the intake standard of vitamin D and the effective intake method for children. In addition, it will be helpful to build the children's nutrition policy and to plan the nutrition education program to improve the vitamin D status in children.

Development and Application of Dietary Education to Improve the Vegetable Intake of Preschoolers

The purpose of this study was to develop and apply the dietary education program for prescehoolers to improve their vegetable intakes. In this study, 134 mothers of preschoolers were surveyed about the problem of unbalanced food habits in children. A nutrition education program was developed based on the survey results, and then applied in the field to evaluate the effects of nutrition education. Most preschoolers (79.9%) had a relatively low intake of vegetables. The main reason for their unbalanced eating of vegetables was due to texture (34.6%) and taste (30.8%). The activity-based nutrition education program to increase vegetable intake consisted of four lessons. After the nutrition education program was administered for 43 preschoolers, their nutrition knowledge score significantly increased (P<0.001). Preschoolers found the lessons fun (90.9%) and interesting (81.4%), and said they would eat more vegetables in the future (88.4%). This study demonstrates that the unbalanced diet of preschoolers could be modified through the proper introduction of an education program.

Development of an accreditation system for dietary and nutrition related education resources / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish accreditation systems of reliable educational materials for nutrition and dietary life which could be used in schools, workplace, and health promotion. METHODS: The study was conducted from April 2011 to October 2011. Literature reviews, institutional visits, and telephone interviews were conducted. Expert meetings and advisory councils were held in order to receive feedback on development of the accreditation systems. A survey was conducted for the accreditation procedures on 143 professionals, including professors, researchers, health and medical experts, teachers, nutrition teachers, dietitians, and clinical nutritionists. RESULTS: The final procedure of the developed accreditation system was finalized as follows: 1) receiving application twice per year 2) complete desk review (written evaluation) by three reviewers within two months, 3) board review (all board members) and decision, and 4) no-tification of results. The accreditation system is set for printed materials, web-site, and materials for activities. The certificate and accreditation mark is issued to the final certified educational materials. Expiration date is established only for the web-site form. The accreditation length lasts for two years, and can be extended by renewal application. CONCLUSION: The dietary and nutrition related materials, which are certificated by this accreditation system, could impart reliable information and knowledge to both learners and educators, and help them in effective selection of educational materials. Therefore, this accreditation system might be expected to increase satisfaction for teaching and learning about nutrition and healthy dietary life.

The relationship between Intake of Health Foods and Dietary Behavior in Middle-Aged Women / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the health food consumption patterns and their relationship to dietary behavior in middle-aged women (45-60 years). METHODS: The exclusive face-to-face interviews by well-trained interviewers guaranteed a scientific data collection and the quality of survey data of 731 women. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the intake of the health foods, 'Intake' group (> or = 3.2, n = 488) and 'Non-intake' group (n = 243). Data were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 program. RESULTS: The average age of the subjects was 49.8 years and 66.8% of subjects were taking the health foods. Vitamins and minerals were consumed by the subjects. The major reason for intake of health foods was that they provide nutrient supplements may prevent diseases. More than 70% of the subjects reported checking nutrition information, ingredients, recommended daily intakes, instructions, when they bought the health foods. The average dietary life score of the intake group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the non-intake group. In analysis of exploratory factors of dietary life, the intake group showed significantly higher score (p < 0.001) in 'moderation of food intake' among the 4 exploratory factors. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that women who took health foods had better dietary behavior than others suggesting a positive relation between the dietary behavior and the health food consumption. Therefore, we suggest that developing guidelines and then educating women about those guidelines could improve the ability of choosing health foods appropriately for their own benefit.

Effect of onion peel extract supplementation on the lipid profile and antioxidative status of healthy young women: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial

The consumption of fruits and vegetables that have high polyphenol content has been previously associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effects of onion peel extract on plasma total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, and leukocyte DNA damage. This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Healthy female subjects received either onion peel extract or placebo (dextrin) for two weeks, underwent a 1-week washout period, and then received the other treatment for an additional two weeks. After two weeks of onion peel extract supplementation, the total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and atherogenic index significantly decreased (P < 0.05). No changes were observed in activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes or levels of lipid peroxidation markers following onion peel extract supplementation. Additionally, no significant difference was found in plasma antioxidant vitamin (retinol, tocopherols, carotenoids, and coenzyme Q10) levels or ex vivo H2O2-provoked oxidative DNA damage after onion peel extract supplementation. The present interventional study provides evidence of the health benefits of onion peel extract and demonstrates its effects in modulating lipid profiles in healthy young Korean women.