Gender differences in dessert satisfaction and purchase behaviors among university students in Gwangju: a preliminary study / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Objectives@# This study aimed to examine the effect of eating habits and dietary attitudes on dessert consumption among university students in Gwangju Province, South Korea. @*Methods@# A survey was conducted from May to June 2022. Out of 300 distributed questionnaires, 261 valid responses were included in the analysis. The survey assessed dessert selection, satisfaction, consumer attitudes and behaviors, as well as factors influencing satisfaction. @*Results@# Both genders reported purchasing desserts 2 to 3 times per week, primarily after lunch, due to the convenience of dessert accessibility. Males favored ice cream, bakery items, and fruits, while females preferred bakery items, ice cream, and fruits in that sequence. ‘Having fun’ was identified as the most common motivation for dessert consumption post-meal. Notable gender disparities emerged regarding perceptions of dessert consumption, including its role in stress relief, potential for nutritional imbalance, positive effects, and preferences for seasonal menus. Significant gender-based differences also manifested in intentions to purchase dessert, responsiveness to price changes, and inclination to recommend desserts to others. @*Conclusions@# This study offers foundational data on university students’ dessert purchasing behaviors, perceptions, and satisfaction levels, intending to inform strategies promoting healthier dietary habits.

A Study on the Hygiene Practices of Foodservice Employees by Hygiene Education and Work Environment in the Gyeongnam Area

This study examined the hygiene practices of contract foodservice employees and investigated the influence of education and work environment on these hygienes practices. A questionnaire was distributed to 250 contract foodservice employees and a total of 232 responses were received and analyzed. The overall score for hygiene practices of contract foodservice employees was 3.89 based on a 5-point scale. Cross-contamination was prominent (highest score at 4.46) and the heating temperature was less prominent (lowest score at 3.49). The factors most affecting contract foodservice employees were their work period, the size of the contract foodservice management company, the number of meals served daily, the frequency of meal service per day and the frequency of hygiene education. Compared to small and medium-sized contract foodservice management companies, the major contract foodservice management companies showed higher scores for refrigerator/freezer control (P<0.001), vegetable/fruit disinfection (P<0.001), thawing (P<0.001), heating temperature (P<0.001), cleaning/disinfection (P<0.01), and personal hygiene (P<0.05). The frequency of hygiene education had a significant effect on the performance levels for refrigerator/freezer control (P<0.001), vegetable/fruit disinfection (P<0.001), thawing (P<0.001), heating temperature (P<0.001), cleaning/disinfection control (P<0.001), food supply control (P<0.05), and personal hygiene (P<0.05). From these results, to increase the sanitation quality of contract foodservice operations, hygiene practice levels need to increase and hygiene education systematically should be enforced for foodservice employees.

Identification of Quality Attributes of University Foodservice and Factors Required for the Improvement of Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study Using IPA Model

Our research consisted of a qualitative study investigating the quality attributes of university foodservices through focus group interviews and a quantitative study evaluating service quality of university foodservices through a survey. Sixteen quality attributes were derived and customer satisfaction questionnaires included these 16 quality attributes with a five-point Likert scale. An Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) model was applied in order to identify operational strategies necessary to improve service quality. The survey questionnaires were distributed to 600 university students enrolled in a university located in Kwangju and statistical analysis was performed on 555 surveys using an SPSS package. Overall customer satisfaction with the quality of university foodservices was relatively low (under 3.0) while the expectation was inclined to be high (over 4.0). The main reasons for using the university foodservice were given as inexpensive price (67.6%) and time saving (22.9%). A factor analysis of 16 quality attributes revealed two separate factors: food quality (Cronbach's alpha=0.911) and service quality (Cronbach's alpha=0.934). Variety of menu, convenient location, and sanitation of utensils and facilities were identified by an IPA model as factors needing improvement in operational strategies.

Determining Clinical Risk Factors for Radiographical Severity in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Daegu and Kyungpook Territories / 대한류마티스학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to identify prognostic determinants of radiographical severity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) living in Daegu and Kyungpook territories. METHODS: One hundred-nineteen patients with AS were consecutively enrolled from four regional general hospitals. Clinical data including smoking habits, alcohol intake, disease duration, HLA-B27 positivity, involvement of peripheral joints, occupational activity, and regular exercise were investigated. Radiographical severity was assessed by the Modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS). Statistical analyses were performed using the independent Student's t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Radiographical severity, as evaluated with the mSASSS, was associated with age of disease onset (p=0.011) and disease duration (p<0.001). Additionally, mSASSS was significantly higher in males than females (p=0.039) and in patients without involvement of ankle arthritis than those with involvement of ankle arthritis (p=0.026). Patients with hip arthritis had significantly higher mSASSS scores than those without hip arthritis. A multivariate regression analysis showed that older age of disease onset, male gender, and disease duration were independent predictors of AS radiographical severity (p<0.001, p=0.013, and p<0.001, respectively). Hip arthritis was an independent predictor of C-spine radiographical severity in AS (p=0.031). CONCLUSION: Radiographical severity of the prognosis was determined by age of disease onset, gender, and disease duration in patients with AS living in Daegu and Kyungpook territories.

A Case of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting as Malignant Hypertension with Hypertensive Retinopathy

The variability of cardiovascular abnormalities is one of the characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Among the cardiovascular manifestations, hypertension is reported in 14% to 58.1% of patients in diverse ethnic populations, and remains a clinically important issue due to its close relationship with early mortality in patients with SLE. The development of hypertension in patients with SLE has been associated with advanced lupus-related renal disease and the medications used for the treatment of lupus. Malignant hypertension is a serious complication of hypertension; it rarely occurs in patients with SLE. However, it can occur in patients with other complicated medical conditions such as the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) or cardiac tamponade. Here, we report the case of a patient with SLE and malignant hypertension with hypertensive retinopathy that initially presented without clinical evidence of APS or hypertensive nephropathy.

The prognostic significance of FDG-PET in advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Korea. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprises 80~85% of lung cancer. Positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) shows various levels of FDG uptake for patients with NSCLC. This study determined whether the standardized uptake value (SUV) of FDG uptake by PET is a prognostic factor for advanced NSCLC. METHODS: FDG-PET was performed in 59 patients with stage IIIb and IV NSCLC. The SUV was calculated for each patient. Overall survival (OS) and time to progression were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and evaluated with the log-rank test. The prognostic significance was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A cutoff of 7 for the SUV gave the best criminative value. In the univariate analysis, performance status (p=0.02) and SUV (p=0.03) were significant predictors of OS. The patients with low SUVs (7, p=0.04). A multivariate Cox analysis identified performance status and the SUV as important for the prognosis. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that SUV is a significant prognostic factor in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

A case of Sweet syndrome involving the central nervous system / 대한내과학회지

Sweet syndrome is an unusual disease characterized by the sudden onset of fever, leukocytosis, and painful erythematous plaques, and the dermal infiltration of neutrophils at the site of skin lesions. Although Sweet syndrome can also present with extra-cutaneous manifestations, involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is rarely reported. We describe a case of Sweet syndrome involving the CNS in a 46-year-old male with a disturbance of consciousness following fever and erythematous skin plaques in the extremities. Cerebrospinal fluid examination disclosed neutrophilic pleocytosis without decreased glucose and protein levels. HLA typing showed B54, which is frequently seen in Sweet syndrome. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal signal intensity lesions in the left temporal lobe. Skin biopsy revealed a dense dermal infiltration of neutrophils, which is compatible with Sweet syndrome. The confused mentality, fever, and erythematous skin plaques resolved after the administration of systemic corticosteroids.

Efficacy of administration of weekly docetaxel combined with platinum as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUDN: Docetaxel is a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent with proven efficacy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, myelosuppression can be a substantial concern when docetaxel is administered every 3 weeks. Weekly administration of low-dose docetaxel has demonstrated a comparable efficacy together with a distinct toxicity profile with reduced myelosuppression. We conducted a phase II study of weekly administration of docetaxel and cisplatin or carboplatin in patients with advanced NSCLC to evaluate efficacy and safety. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC who had not received prior treatment were enrolled in the study. The patients received intravenous infusions of docetaxel (35 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2 on day 1) or carboplatin (AUC 6), followed by a week of rest. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were assessable for efficacy and all patients were assessable for toxicity determination. The overall response rate of the regimen was 44.8%. The median survival was 11.3 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 37%. Of the hematologic toxicities, grade 3/4 neutropenia were observed in 12.6% of the patients, but there were no episodes of neutropenic fever. Non-hematologic toxicities were mild. CONCLUSIONS: With this weekly dosing regimen, although efficacy is comparable, myelosuppression is substantially less, and the overall tolerability profile is better than with dosing every 3 weeks.

Primary Retroperitoneal Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma is a rare tumor. Only about 30 such cases have been reported in the worldwide literature, and a few Korean cases have been reported. The pathogenesis is not clear, and coelomic metaplasia of the retroperitoneal mesothelium has gained wide support. There is no consensus on the appropriate treatment, but surgical exploration is needed for the diagnosis and treatment, and adjuvant chemotherapy may be recommended following complete surgical excision. The long-term prognosis has not been established. We report here on a 32-year-old woman who was diagnosed as having a retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma with mural nodules of sarcomatoid change. Tumor excision and adjuvant chemotherapy were done and the patient is doing well without any evidence of recurrence at 42 months postoperatively.

Analyzing the Operational Differences of Foodservice Center for Homebound elderly by the Presence of the Dietitian

The purposes of this study was to analyze the operational difference of foodservice center for homebound elderly by the presence of the dietitian. The questionnaire was developed to measure all variables for menu management and distributed to 103 meal service centers in charge of congregate meal service program and 57 centers for home-delivered meal service program. The data of 160 centers in charge of congregate meal service and home-delivered service centers were usable for analysis. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SAS 8.1 package program for descriptive analysis and chi-square test. Only 21.9% meal service centers had dietitians, what is more, they were not professionals who did menu management but foodservice managers, volunteers, cook or social workers. The current foodservice programs for the homebound elderly were operated without professional. In the part of menu managemet, dietitians were more actively involved in menu planning in the elderly foodservice center in the presence of the dietitians. The performance level of healthcare service was not significantly different, but the nutrition education in the elderly foodservice center with the dietitians was more frequently performed than that without the dietitians(p<0.05). In the food purchasing and food production management, the significant differences were shown that in the elderly foodservice centers in the presence of the dietitians, the proportion of the contract purchasing was significantly higher than that of direct purchasing(p<0.01). In food sanitary management, the significant differences were not shown in the part of management of keeping meal for identifying the cause of food-borne illness and left-over, but the sanitation education for the foodservice employees was performed more frequently by the presence of the dietitians(p<0.01). In conclusion, the foodservice management was more systematically conducted in the elderly foodservice centers in the presence of the dietitians than that without dietitians. The elderly foodservice program has offered the health-related support for homebound elderly. Although there were several problems in elderly foodservice management, the program delivered well-targeted, effective, and efficient nutrition services and wide range of supportive service to the at-risk older population. It needs to be managed by professional for the improvement in the elderly foodservice.

Analyzing the Operational Differences of Foodservice Center for Homebound elderly by the Presence of the Dietitian

The purposes of this study was to analyze the operational difference of foodservice center for homebound elderly by the presence of the dietitian. The questionnaire was developed to measure all variables for menu management and distributed to 103 meal service centers in charge of congregate meal service program and 57 centers for home-delivered meal service program. The data of 160 centers in charge of congregate meal service and home-delivered service centers were usable for analysis. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SAS 8.1 package program for descriptive analysis and chi-square test. Only 21.9% meal service centers had dietitians, what is more, they were not professionals who did menu management but foodservice managers, volunteers, cook or social workers. The current foodservice programs for the homebound elderly were operated without professional. In the part of menu managemet, dietitians were more actively involved in menu planning in the elderly foodservice center in the presence of the dietitians. The performance level of healthcare service was not significantly different, but the nutrition education in the elderly foodservice center with the dietitians was more frequently performed than that without the dietitians(p<0.05). In the food purchasing and food production management, the significant differences were shown that in the elderly foodservice centers in the presence of the dietitians, the proportion of the contract purchasing was significantly higher than that of direct purchasing(p<0.01). In food sanitary management, the significant differences were not shown in the part of management of keeping meal for identifying the cause of food-borne illness and left-over, but the sanitation education for the foodservice employees was performed more frequently by the presence of the dietitians(p<0.01). In conclusion, the foodservice management was more systematically conducted in the elderly foodservice centers in the presence of the dietitians than that without dietitians. The elderly foodservice program has offered the health-related support for homebound elderly. Although there were several problems in elderly foodservice management, the program delivered well-targeted, effective, and efficient nutrition services and wide range of supportive service to the at-risk older population. It needs to be managed by professional for the improvement in the elderly foodservice.

Analyzing the Current Practice of the Home-Delivered Meal(HDM) Service Program for Homebound Elderly / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to research the current home delivered meal (HDM) service programs for seniors living in the community. Fifty seven centers which operated a HDM service program were surveyed with respect to their administrative structure, menu management, food purchasing and production management, hygiene and equipment and facility. -Statistical data analyses were completed using the SAS 8.1 program for descriptive analysis and t-test. The results showed that 55 percent of the study group were from 70 to 79 years old. All of the participants received free HDM. As a result of the meal cost analysis, the meal cost at 56.1% of the HDM service centers was from won2,000 to won2,499 per meal. A total of 68.4% of the HDM service centers were operated without the services of a dietitian. According to the menu analysis, all nutrients except Vitamin B2 were at levels of more than 33% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Koreans. Although 96.6% of the HDM service centers required a therapeutic diet menu for the health of the elderly recipients, 68% of the directors responded that they could not afford to serve therapeutic meal. Food purchasing, menu planning and other foodservice management processes were handled by non-professionals, such as volunteers, cooks or social workers. Forty two percent of the HDM service centers never used standard recipes. For determining portion sizes, 75.4% of the HDM service centers depended on personal experience. Finally, the current HDM service programs for the homebound elderly were not operated systematically. It is suggested that professionally trained personnel should be included among the staff members to provide a more effective HDM service. The HDM service programs should be supported financially and systematically by the government.

Analyzing the Current Congregate Meal Service Program for Homebound Elderly / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study is to examine the current congregate meal service program for homebound elderly. One hundred three meal service centers in charge of the congregate meal service programs as part of the elderly foodservice program were surveyed for administrative structure, menu management, food purchasing and production management, hygiene, equipment, and facilities. Statistical data analyses were completed using the SAS 8.1 program for descriptive analysis and ANOVA. The meal cost of 54.4% of the congregate meal service centers ranged from won1,500 to won1,999 per meal. According to the menu analysis, all nutrients except calcium and Vitamin B2 were at levels of more than 33% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Koreans. A total of 81.5% of the centers were operated without the services of a dietitian, and food purchasing, menu planning and other food-service management processes were handled by non-professionals, such as volunteers, cooks or social workers. Although 88.3% of the centers required a therapeutic diet menu for the health of the elderly, most directors (77.6%) replied that in their current status they could not afford to serve therapeutic diets. These results suggest that financial and systematic supports by government is very necessary. Fifty-five percent of the centers never used standard recipes. For determining portion sizes, 93.2% of the congregate meal service centers depended on the personal experience of the personnel. Finally, the current congregate meal services for the homebound elderly were not operated systematically. To improve the elderly food service program, it is strongly recommended that it be managed by professionals.