Dieticians' intentions to recommend functional foods: The mediating role of consumption frequency of functional foods

This study explored the conceptual framework of dieticians' intentions to recommend functional food and the mediating role of consumption frequency. A web-based survey was designed using a self-administered questionnaire. A sample of Korean dieticians (N=233) responded to the questionnaire that included response efficacy, risk perception, consumption frequency, and recommendation intention for functional foods. A structural equation model was constructed to analyze the data. We found that response efficacy was positively related to frequency of consumption of functional foods and to recommendation intention. Consumption frequency also positively influenced recommendation intention. Risk perception had no direct influence on recommendation intention; however, the relationship was mediated completely by consumption frequency. Dieticians' consumption frequency and response efficacy were the crucial factors in recommending functional foods. Dieticians may perceive risks arising from the use of functional foods in general, but the perceived risks do not affect ratings describing dieticians' intentions to recommend them. The results also indicated that when dieticians more frequently consume functional foods, the expression of an intention to recommend functional foods may be controlled by the salience of past behaviors rather than by attitudes.

Development of Contents and Textbooks for the Education to Reduce Elementary Students' Fat Intake / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was conducted to reduce children's fat intake and to establish healthy dietary lifestyles. To achieve these goals, we searched, collected, and analyzed the materials related to the fat education, based on which the research personnel-professors and graduate students in nutrition and child education and elementary school teachers- discussed to figure out major topics, objectives, and detailed contents and activities appropriate for fat intake reduction. We also organized an advisory committee composed of 15 professionals in related fields to discuss the adequacy and validity of the specific contents. Finally, we systematically organized the contents and developed children's textbooks and teacher's guidebooks. Considering the different cognitive development stages of junior and senior elementary students we developed two different textbooks for each of them which are easy to read and understand, fun to play with lots of activities, and designed to practice into daily life. The contents cover three major topics-the concept of lipid, lipid in food, lipid in life and are composed of 6 units in total. To help teachers understand and and to instruct, teacher's guidebooks contain an overview of the education, specific information and practical guidelines for each class. We developed these education materials with the aim of lowering children's fat consumption and eventually promoting their health welfare; hopefully we expect these materials would be useful for children's nutritional education in the field.

Consumers' Purchasing Intentions of Organic Foods in relation to the Perceived Health Concerns, Healthy Eating Practices and Attitudes, and Food Choice Motives / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study investigated the correlations of five constructs - health concerns, healthy eating practices and attitudes, food choice motives, attitudes toward organic foods - in the formation of behavioral to the purchasing intentions of organic foods. An instrument encompassing health perception, attitudes, habits and personal traits was developed through the comprehensive reviews of the literature and the assured validity and internal reliability of the contents. The questionnaire was administered to the students of three universities at Daegu, Kyungpook province. A total of 288 questionnaires were collected for a response rate of 96.0%. The correlations of five constructs and purchasing intention were tested simultaneously using structural equation modeling. Healthy eating practices and attitudes toward organic foods were found to be the determinants which directly influence the intention to purchase organic foods. Health concerns didn't show direct relation to the purchasing intention of organic foods. The hypothesized path from the health concerns to the purchasing intentions was not supported. The results indicated that food choice motives and healthy eating attitudes should be managed to achieve higher behavioral intention to purchase organic foods.

Fitness of Diet-Related Factors Explaining the Self-Rated Health (SRH) in Rural Older Adults with Discriminant Analysis / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of diet related factors, such as diet behaviors, food intake, and nutrient intakes, on self-rated health (SRH). Also, in order to determine fitness of classification for SRH reflecting diet related factors, this study surveyed older adults in Gyeongnam province. A total of 101 responses were collected using the interview survey method. The self- rated health of rural older adults was poor as reported by 49.5%. The level of self-rated health was found to be related to the frequencies of coffee and snack, use of sugar and vegetable in diet, the amount of total food intake, and cholesterol intake. The result of discriminant analysis, which was conducted to assess the adequacy of SRH classification and to determine the class of observation, showed frequency of coffee and use of vegetable in diet among 47 variables as predictive variables for explaining SRH. The fitness of self-rated health function was high to 47.7%. Therefore, diet-related factors were ascertained to be important variables to predict SRH.

Comparison Analysis of School Foodservice Dietitians' Job Satisfaction, Work Value, and Turnover Intention Based on the Expectation to be a Nutrition Teacher / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to identify the difference of school food service dietitians' work value, job satisfaction, and turnover intention based on their expectation to be a nutrition teacher. Also, this study explored the differences in expectation to be a nutrition teacher, work value, job satisfaction, turnover intention depending on demographics and school foodservice operational characteristics. This study surveyed dietitians who worked at school foodservice in Kyunggii and Daegu, Gyeoungbuk Province. A total of 509 responses were collected using on-site survey and online survey (59.3%). Dietitians expressed favorable work value (3.88+/-0.34) and mid level of a job satisfaction (2.99+/-0.64). The percentage of dietitians who had an intention to leave after the promulgation of a nutrition teacher system (13.2%) was lower than that of dietitians who had an intention to leave prior to it (23.2%). Most dietitians expected a salary rise (84.7%), more chance to teach nutrition education (76.0%), and the improvement of power not only as a teacher but as a dietitian (72.7%). Dietitians who had higher expectation levels to be a nutrition teacher (>3 on the 5 point Likert scale) showed a higher tendency of significant turnover intention (F=4.40, p<0.01) and more confident work value (F=15.292, p<0.001) when comparing those who had lower expectations. There were significant differences in work value, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and expectation to be a nutrition teacher depending on career length and employment status of dietitians. This study revealed that school food service dietitians have favorable expectations to be nutrition teachers with high work value.