The Interrelations among Nutrition Education, Satisfaction with School Lunch, School Lunch Leftovers and Self-rated Mental or Physical Health: The Elementary School Children in Daejeon Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelations among current status of nutrition education, satisfaction with school lunch, school lunch leftovers and self-rated mental or physical health in order to find out the effective method of nutrition education. For this, a questionnaire survey of 623 primary school 5th and 6th-graders in Daejeon area was carried out. The eating places were classrooms (41.1%) and restaurants (58.9%). A 59.2% of students have received nutrition education and the opportunity of receiving nutrition education was more in 5th-graders than in 6th-graders (p < 0.001). The score of nutrition knowledge was 9.4 +/- 2.8 out of 15. When the score of nutrition knowledge was higher, the practical use of nutrition knowledge was higher (r = 0.134, p < 0.01); the score of school lunch leftovers were less (r = -0.116, p < 0.01); and the score of self-rated mental health was more positive (r = 0.198, p < 0.01). The practical use of nutrition knowledge was 2.9 +/- 1.1 out of 5. When the practical use of nutrition knowledge was higher, satisfaction with school lunch was higher (r = 0.105, p < 0.01); school lunch leftovers were less (r = -0.103, p < 0.01); the score of self-rated positive mental health was higher (r = 0.293, p < 0.01); and the scores of self-rated negative mental health (r = -0.119, p < 0.05) and physical health (r = -0.126, p < 0.01) were lower, thus rating their health more positively. The score of satisfaction with school lunch was 3.4 +/- 1.0 out of 5. When the satisfaction with school lunch was higher, the score of school lunch leftovers was less (r = -0.216, p < 0.01); the score of self-rated positive mental health was higher (r = 0.147, p < 0.01); and the score of self-rated negative health was lower (r = -0.121, p < 0.01). The score of school lunch leftovers was 2.9 +/- 1.4 out of 5. When the school lunch leftovers were less, self-rated positive mental health was significantly higher (r = -0.146, p < 0.01); and the scores of self-rated negative mental health (r = 0.135, p < 0.01) and physical health (r = 0.223, p < 0.01) were significantly lower, thus presenting positive health. Therefore, in order to maintain positive health condition, it is necessary to carry out nutrition education, which is able to raise the nutrition knowledge and practical use of nutrition knowledge, school lunch satisfaction and to reduce the school lunch leftovers.

Effect of Eating with Family or Alone on the Self-rated Mental or Physical Health: The Elementary School Children in Daejeon Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of eating with family or alone on the self-rated mental or physical health and then work out strategies of making people recognize the importance of eating with family and its practice. Study subjects were 610 primary school 5th- and 6th-grade students in Daejeon Area. A questionnaire survey was carried out. 57.9% of students had working mothers. The frequency of meal in a day was 2.90 +/- 0.42 and this frequency was lower in students who had working mothers (p < 0.05). The frequency of skipping breakfast (times/week) was 1.02 +/- 1.77. The frequencies of eating alone (times/week) were 1.04 +/- 1.65 for breakfast and 0.97 +/- 1.52 for dinner. Also, the frequency of eating alone for dinner was higher in students who had working mothers (p < 0.001). When the frequency of eating alone for breakfast or dinner was higher, the frequencies of skipping breakfast and dinner were also higher (for all, p < 0.01). When the frequency of eating alone for breakfast or dinner was higher, the self-rated positive mental health were lower (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively) and the self-rated negative mental health (for dinner, p < 0.05) and the self-rated negative physical health was higher (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively), thus presenting negative health. The frequencies of eating with family (times/week) were 3.37 +/- 2.50 for breakfast and 4.14 +/- 2.19 for dinner. Also, the frequency of eating with family for dinner was lower in students who had working mothers (p < 0.01). When the frequency of eating with family for breakfast was higher, the frequency of skipping breakfast was lower (p < 0.01). When the frequency of eating with family for dinner was higher, the frequency of skipping dinner was lower (p < 0.01). In addition, when the frequency of eating with family for breakfast or dinner was higher, the self-rated positive mental health were higher (for both, p < 0.01) and the self-rated negative mental health was lower (for breakfast, p < 0.01) and self-rated negative physical health were lower (for both, p < 0.01), thus presenting positive health. Therefore, in order to maintain positive health, it is necessary to recognize the importance of eating with family at home and educate people to carry out a systematic and continuous dietary life, thus increasing eating with family and reducing eating alone and skipping a meal.