Milk Consumption and Perception of School Milk Program among Elementary, Middle, and High School Students in Korea

This study was designed to examine the level of milk consumption and perception of the school milk programs among elementary, middle and high school students, which provides the information to improve the school milk program. Using a self-administered questionnaire survey, the data collected from 1,725 students nationwide were analyzed. The results showed that whole milk was the type of milk most frequently drunk by the students, although flavored milk and yogurt products were also highly preferred. When asked whether they wanted the school milk program or not, approximately 30% of the students in the schools presently participating in the school milk program and 50% of the students in the schools not participating the school milk program answered "yes". However, all of the respondents preferred to have a choice for the school milk program. The elementary school students showed a higher level of satisfaction with the school milk program than the middle and high school students. Especially, the level of satisfaction with the taste and flavor of the milk was the lowest among the various satisfaction items. However, the students were reported to believe that milk is highly nutritious and good for their health in the present study. Our results suggest that providing a choice of dairy products would improve the students' satisfaction with the school milk program, and that continuous education about the benefits of drinking milk would also encourage them to participate in the school milk program.

Assessment of Functional Food Consumption Among the Working Women in Korea

The aim of this study was to identify the status of health functional food consumption of working women. The 558 subjects of the study were aged between 10-60 years, and had previous experiences of consuming health functional foods. The majority of the subjects lived in Seoul, and some lived in the Gyeonggi Province . The most prevalent goals that the subjects hoped to achieve by consuming health functional foods were improvement of physical health status and reduction of exhaustion. Other goals included supplement of nutrition, and prevention or treatment of diseases. Those who were older or who possessed a high BMI spent more expenses on health functional foods, and showed a higher intake frequency as well as longer periods of consumption. Subjects placed in the older group showed a lower level of knowledge related to functional foods, which turned out to be statistically significant. Most of the respondents answered that their knowledge related to functional foods was picked up from listening to others. In conclusion, we were able to observe that groups with elder working women and high BMI show higher consumption and expense rates of health functional foods, as well as longer periods of consumption. However, they show a minimum level of knowledge related to functional foods. According to our results, these subjects should seek practical help in order to select functional foods that will aid their health, and learn the proper method of consumption. In order to reduce inaccurate consumption of health functional foods, it is imperative that more in-depth study is carried out in this field.