Quality of Nutrient Adequacy and Health-related Quality of life of the Rural Elderly / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: In Korea, the percentage of elderly is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and is expected to account for 40% of the population by 2060. This massive demographic change stresses the importance of research on aging as it is necessary to improve the quality of life (QoL) of this population. This study aimed to examine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the rural elderly and to clarify its association with the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in S-gun, Chonbuk, a critical agricultural area. The elderly people without abnormal physical functioning composed our study population and the data were collected by personal visits to 336 elderly people aged over 65 years (110 males and 226 females). Subjects were interviewed with questionnaires pertaining to general characteristics and EuroQol (EQ-5D). Nutrient intakes were assessed two days by 24-hours recall method. Subjects were defined as high QOL group if EQ-5D index with Nam's model was above the median. RESULTS: Generally, EQ-5D index was lower in women than in man, and lower in older subjects than in younger subjects. The percentages of people below the median were 42% (low QoL group) and 58% (high QoL group) were found to be the above the median. The high QoL group had higher NAR, especially for vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and folate. All dimensions in the EQ-5D were affected by NAR of some nutrients and especially anxiety/depression dimension was significantly correlated with NAR of 5 nutrients (protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B1) and EQ-5D scores. CONCLUSIONS: HRQol was significantly reduced in elderly with increasing age and this was more pronounced in women than in man. The NAR of some nutrients were associated with the EQ-5D index, especially anxiety/depression dimension, among rural elderly.

The Prevalence of Hypertension and Related Nutritional Risk Factors of Elderly Living in a Rural Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of hypertension in Korean rural elderly was significantly higher than that of the general population. Determining the potential risk factors of hypertension would be useful for managing and improving the treatment and prevention of hypertension in rural areas. METHODS: We studied 336 elderly individuals 110 males, 226 females) aged between 65 years and 95 years residing in the rural area, S-gun Jeonbuk. Health-related habits, frequency of intake of food groups, nutrient intakes, anthropometric and biochemical measurements were assessed. Subjects were defined as hypertensive if SBP was > or = 140 mmHg or if DBP was > or = 90 mmHg or take an antihypertensive drug. RESULTS: The rate of prevalence of hypertension in the study group was 51.8% (male 40.0%, female 57.5%). The risk of occurrence of hypertension was higher among females (OR, 1.98), 75 years old or older (OR, 1.62), BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 (OR, 2.84), acceptable range (upper end) of body fat (OR, 2.29) and unhealthy (too high) range of body fat (OR, 3.28), hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 2.17) and hypercholesterolemia (OR, 5.42), low protein intakes (OR, 1.78). However, health related habits, frequencies of intake of food groups and most nutrient intakes except for protein did not show any significant relationship with the occurrence of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce the risk of occurrence of hypertension among elderly individuals in rural areas, it is needed to avoid increase of body fat, 25 or higher BMI (kg/m2) and hyperlipidemia and low intake of proteins.

The Relationship between Dietary Behaviors/health Risk Factors and Preference for Salty Taste among Korean Elderly People Living in Rural Areas / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: Increasing salt preferences with age are said to increase preferences of salty foods, thereby leading to greater sodium consumption, which has further implication for hypertension. This study examined the link between preference of salty taste and dietary factors and health-related risk factors in Korean elderly people. METHODS: We studied 312 elderly individuals aged > 65 years (male, 100 and female, 212). With each subject, pleasant concentration of NaCl was estimated using the sipand-spit method. Dietary habits, food preferences, consumption frequencies, anthropometric and biochemical assessment were assessed. RESULTS: The pleasant salt concentration was significantly increased in individuals older than 75 years (p < 0.05). Subjects who liked high concentration of salt showed significantly higher preferences for salty foods (p < 0.001). Results showed significant effects (p < 0.01) of fruit & fruit juice consumption frequencies, MNA (mini-nutritional assessment), cognition score, BMI, body fat %, waist circumference, arm circumference, calf circumference, vitamin D level that subjects who likes low salty taste were higher than subjects who likes high salty taste. CONCLUSIONS: The preference for salty taste in the elderly was not correlated with hypertension. But, increased preference for salty taste with age and increased salty food preferences may result in higher sodium consumption. Therefore, nutritional education regarding lowering salt preference and favorable behaviors of low-salt diet is needed to improve the quality of life in the rural elderly.

Investigation on Influencing Environmental Factors on Health Status of Korean Septuagenarians Dwelling in Longevity Region in Jeonla Province / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the critical environmental factors on healthy-aging of Korean people, we investigated the significant factors influencing health status of septuagenarians living in rural area of Jeonla province, known to be one of the representative longevity regions in Korea. METHODS: We divided subjects into healthy group (36M/25F) or poor-health group (26M/73F) based on self-reported health status, body mass index, a number of prescription, and blood test data. General characteristics, physical measurements, lifestyle, dietary behavior and nutrient intake, physical health and mental health data were statistically compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Average age was not different between healthy group and poor-health group in men and women, respectively. In men, significantly favorable factors to health were observed to be higher education, regular exercise, higher grip strength and walking function, body mass index (> or = 18.5 kg/m2), moderate frequency of drinking and eating-out, non-smoking, normal red blood cell (RBC) count, higher serum dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) level, good digestive function and appetite, normal hearing function, regular meals, adequate vegetable and fruit intake, diverse food intake, adequate energy and nutrients (protein, vitamin B1, B6, C and E, folate, niacin, P, Zn and K) intake, higher mini-nutrient status assessment (MNA) score and low level of depression. On the other hand, in women, those were literacy, living arrangement, moderate frequency of drinking, healthy teeth, higher grip strength and walking function, bone mineral density, normal RBC and white blood cell (WBC) count, higher DHEAS concentration, higher MNA score, normal cognition and memory function, having snack and adequate fruit intake. CONCLUSIONS: These results could be useful to plan effective strategies to increase health-life expectancy of Korean old people living in rural areas.

Association between Preferences of Salty Food and Acuity and Preferences of Taste of the Elderly People Living in Rural Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of salt (NaCl) recognition threshold and pleasant salt concentrations of Korean rural elderly subjects on preference of salty food as well as food group consumption patterns. The subjects were 213 elderly people (male 71 and female 142) over 65 and under 90 yr of age from Sunchang area. The higher values were found with male subjects in the areas of basic taste recognition threshold and pleasant concentration level of salt. The taste sensitivity scores of male subjects did not decrease with the increasing age, but female subjects exhibited a significant decrease with the age. The major determinant factor of salt preference of the elderly subjects in this study appeared to be personal pleasant concentration of salt rather than salt recognition threshold level and this trend was more evident in males than in females. The subject group of lower salt pleasant concentration i.e. consuming less salt showed the higher number of fruit and fruit juice intakes per week, and higher MNA (define this) scores were implying that they display more desirable nutritional status. Therefore, nutritional education focused on not only a variety of food consumption but also lowering pleasant salt concentration levels is advised to improve the quality of nutrition in the elderly.

Health-Related Factors Influencing the Quality of Life of Rural Elderly Subjects: Activities of Daily Living, Cognitive Functions, Prevalence of Chronic Diseases and Nutritional Assessment / 대한지역사회영양학회지

In order to supply the reference data to define the quality of life of the rural agricultural elderly population in the simplified steps, the data were collected by personal visits to 232 elder people over 65 (89 males and 143 females) in Sunchang area. The survey was conducted with written questionnaires concerning the quality of life, health-related habits, basic physical functions and cognitive behavior. The prevalence of the degenerative diseases were assessed by anthropometric and biochemical determinations. The averaged overall quality of life represented by EQ-5D index with Nam's model was calculated to be 0.865 +/- 0.1509, and the percentages of people below the average were 38% (low QOL group) and 62% (high QOL group) were found to be the above the average. Generally, the subjects with male gender, higher educational background, higher self-rated health status, higher social activities were belonged to the high QOL group. The high QOL group had higher scores of daily living activities KADL and IADL, and lower risks in cognitive functions K-MMSE and depression scale GDS. There was no statistically significant correlation between biochemical indexes of blood and cognitive function and EQ-5D scores when the results were adjusted for age and gender. There were significant differences in nutritional assessment determined by the MNA between the high and low QOL groups. The low QOL group showed inferior nutritional status. The rapidly measurable factors of the quality of life of rural elderly were turned out to be physical activity scores and the simplified nutritional status measurement.

Association between Risk Factors for Health and Taste Perceptions of Middle-aged and Elderly People Living in Rural Areas / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between taste perceptions and risk factors for health of Korean elderly living in rural areas. Recognition thresholds for four basic tastes, drug consumption, BMI, fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were assessed in 176 males and 312 females aged between 50 and 88 years. For the recognition threshold of the four basic tastes, alcohol drinking did not influence their sensitivities, but the alcohol drinking group preferred a higher pleasant concentration of NaCl than did the non-alcohol drinking group. However, smoking significantly decreased sensitivities of the four basic tastes. For the pleasant concentration of NaCl, the smoking group tended to prefer a higher concentration than the non-smoking group. Drug consumption, fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, and serum triglycerides did not have a significant correlation to the sensitivity of the four basic tastes and preference of salty solution. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure may have been positively correlated with the pleasant concentration of NaCl but did not correlate with the recognition thresholds of NaCl and sucrose. Further, systolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with the recognition thresholds of caffeine, whereas diastolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with the recognition thresholds of caffeine and citric acid. The finding that the risk factors for health correlated with taste perception has diagnostic and practical implications for health promotion for the elderly.

Taste Perceptions of Middle-aged and Elderly People Living in Rural Areas: Relationships among Threshold, Taste Preference and Physical Activity / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Recognition thresholds for NaCl, sucrose, citric acid, and caffeine, as well as the pleasant concentration of NaCl were assessed in 176 males and 312 females aged 50-88 years. Furthermore, relationships among taste sensitivities, taste preferences, and lifestyles were examined. The taste solutions were presented one after the other in ascending order using the sip-and-spit method. For the recognition thresholds of the 4 basic tastes, women perceived significantly lower concentrations than the men. However, the pleasant concentration of NaCl did not show a gender difference. Sensitivities for the 4 basic tastes did not decrease with age in the men, but they did significantly decrease with age for the women, especially for those above 70 years. For men, regular exercise was positively correlated with sensitivities for sour taste and bitter taste, and physical activity was negatively correlated with the pleasant concentrations of NaCl. For women, who had more physical activity, sensitivities for sweet taste and sour taste were lower compared to the others. This study indicates that the sensitivities for 4 basic tastes in water diminished with age, but pleasant salt concentration did not change with age. Further research on pleasant NaCl concentration is required to determine factors affecting salt preference, in order to decrease salt intake in the elderly.

Assessment of Food Consumption, Dietary Diversity and Dietary Pattern during the Summer in Middle Aged Adults and Older Adults Living in Gugoksoondam Logevity Area, Korea / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate food intake, dietary diversity and dietary pattern during the summer in middle aged and older adults living in Gugoksundam (Gurye, Goksung, Sunchang and Damyang counties), Jeonla Province located in southern part of Korea and known as one of the representative Korean longevity areas. Food intake and dietary diversity were assessed by using the data from 2 day-24 hour recall of 1,051 subjects (394 males and 711 females) aged 45 years and older (45-93 years in male, 45-105 years in female). The average ages of males and females were 70.7 years and 71.1 years, respectively. Average total daily food intake was significantly decreased with aging in both genders, and the average animal food intake ratio to total food intake was ranged 10~14% in 3 different age groups, 45~64 years, 65~74 years and 75 years and older. The contribution of each food group, in weight, to total food intake showed the descending order of grains, fruits, vegetables and alcohols in males, and grains, fruits, potatoes and meats in females. On daily intake amount of each food item, rice, watermelon, soju, kimchi, and potato were ranked on top 5 in descending order in males, and rice, watermelon, potato, kimchi and ylmukimchi in females. On intake frequency, rice, kimchi, onion, green pepper and potato were ranked on top 5 in descending order in both genders. Dietary variety score (DVS) and dietary diversity score (DDS) for the assessment of dietary diversity and balance were significantly decreased with aging in both genders. In food group intake pattern (DMGFV), 01101 type without consumption of dairy and fruits was the most prevalent, and only 3.6% of male and 3.9% of female subjects showed 11111 type, consumed all the 5 food groups a day. Dietary pattern of subjects was analyzed by cluster analysis with 18 food groups intake. Overall dietary pattern was classified into two clusters, one was more desirable and the other was less desirable. The percentage of subjects with more desirable dietary pattern was about 15% in male and 32% in female. In conclusion, most of our subjects living in Gugoksundam area were taking very simple diet with low amount of dairy products and fruits. These results indicate that nutrition intervention and education for older people living in rural areas should be focused on various food intake including dairy products and fruits.

Anthropometric Index and Nutrient Intake in Korean Aged 50 Plus Years Living in Kugoksoondam Longevity-belt Region in Korea / 대한지역사회영양학회지

As the older adult period (> or = 65 y) is increasing, it is needed to investigate the trend of aging-dependent anthropomeric index and nutrient intake, and establish the more specific dietary guide for the different stages of aging period. To find the difference in nutrient intake among the Koreans aged 50-64, 65-74 and 75 years and older, and also any characteristics of dwellers in longevity area, we recruited 1,083 subjects (385 male and 698 female) aged 50-95 years (mean age, 71.3 yrs) living in Kugoksoondam area (Kurye, Goksung, Soonchang and Damyang counties), known as a longevity-belt region in Jeonlaprovince, Korea. We measured some anthropometric index and collected 2 day-dietary record. Nutrient intakes were analyzed by using DW24 program. The mean height and weight of subjects aged 75 years and older were lower than Korean national reference. BMI and obesity (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) prevalence were significantly decreasing with aging. Underweight (BMI or = 80 cm) was very high in females (about 89%). In both genders, the average proportional contribution of carbohydrate, protein and fat to energy intake was not different between 65-74 years and 75 years and older. On overall, nutrient intake and quality of diet of females were inferior to those of males so that many of females aged 75 years and older assumed to be at risk of malnourished status. Fiber, folate and vitamin E intakes were substantially higher compared to those in 2007 KNHNES and other some studies in rural area. While almost nutrient %EAR was significantly decreased with aging in females, there was no significant difference in %EAR for protein, vitamin A, B1, B6, B12, niacin, Ca and Zn between 65-74 years and 75 years and older in males. Vitamin B2 for male aged 50-64 years, vitamin B2 and Ca for male aged 65 years and over and female aged 50-74 years, and vitamin B2, vitamin C, Ca and folate intake for female aged 75 years and older were assessed to be at risk to undernutrition based on the prevalence of intake below EAR. MAR of 13 nutrients and the number of nutrients consuming below EAR were significantly decreasing with aging in both genders, however, the number of nutrients of INQ < 1 and the average mini-nutritional assessment score were not significantly different between 65-74 years and 75 years and older. Taken together, decreasing tendency of nutrients intake and the quality of diet with aging was more evident in females than in males, and it is unique that our subjects consumed substantially higher fiber, folate and vitamin E compared to not only urban but also some other rural areas.

Dietary source of vitamin B12 intake and vitamin B12 status in female elderly Koreans aged 85 and older living in rural area

Recently, we found and analyzed vitamin B12 in some Korean traditional plant foods which had not reported, yet. This study was to investigate vitamin B12 intake and its dietary sources and the vitamin B12 status in the very old elderly Koreans. We measured serum vitamin B12 level and estimated the amounts of vitamin B12 intake from different dietary sources in female elderly Koreans aged 85 and over who had consumed a relatively low animal traditional diet for the whole life. The average age of the subjects (n = 127) was 98.0 years (85-108 years). The assessment on energy and nutrient intake involved a one-day 24-hour recall, and serum vitamin B12 concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Overall diet pattern was not different between the 85-99 yr-old group and centenarians, except centenarians were taking more dairy product. The average ratio of plant food to animal food consumption was 87.5:12.5 in weight. The average vitamin B12 intake of our subjects was 3.2 microg/day, and 52.7% of subjects consumed under estimated average requirement, 2.0 microg/day. On dietary source, 67.3% of dietary vitamin B12 was from meat, eggs and fishes and 30.6% was from plant foods, such as soybean-fermented foods, seaweeds, and kimchi. The average serum vitamin B12 concentration was 450.5 pg/mL, and low serum vitamin B12 (< 200 pg/mL) was found in 9.6% of subjects. Dietary vitamin B12 intake was significantly lower in subjects with low serum vitamin B12 (0.79 microg/day) than those with normal serum vitamin B12 (3.47 microg/day). There were no significant difference in vitamin B12 intake and its dietary sources and serum vitamin B12 level between the 85-99 yr-old group and centenarians. In conclusion, several plant-origin foods including seaweed, soybean-fermented foods, and kimchi, may contribute significantly to good vitamin B12 status in very old elderly Koreans.

Dietary Behavior Factors for Desirable Nutrient Intakes of the Oldest-old Population in Sunchang County / 대한지역사회영양학회지

In order to identify valuable factors for improving dietary quality of Korean rural elderly, the consumption frequency of food groups, dietary habits and health behaviors related to nutrient intakes of the elderly over 85 of Sunchang County were studied. The 171 subjects (61 males and 110 females) were chosen from Sunchang Province by stratified sampling. Among food groups, the consumption frequency of meat and fish groups influenced significantly on their nutrient intakes than the other groups. The subjects consuming more than 4 times per week of meat or fish had significantly higher nutrient intakes level than the other groups. The group consuming milk and milk products everday was higher in vitamin B2 intake level than the other groups. Among dietary habits, the groups with good appetite and regular mealtime compared with the groups with low appetite and irregular mealtime had significantly higher nutrient intake levels. The family type was the determining factor of nutrient intakes. The subjects living with family members consumed higher nutrient intakes than the subjects living alone. The smoking and the alcohol consumption themselves did not affect nutrient intakes, but the subjects having alcohol consumption frequently more than once a day had lower nutrient intakes than the others. The group with dentures did not differ significantly from the without denture group in nutrient intakes; however, those who had chewing problems showed the lower nutrient intakes compared to those who did not have chewing problems. The subjects with more than two kinds of clinical symptoms had lower nutrient intakes than the subjects with less than two kinds of clinical symptoms. These results indicate that the identifying factors for desirable nutrient intakes of rural elderly were characterized as appropriate consumption frequencies of meat and fish, good appetite, living with family, regular mealtime, chewing without difficulty, and low incidence of chronic disease.

Nutritional Status of the Oldest-elderly Population in Sunchang County / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was investigated nutrient intakes and dietary evaluation index of the healthy subjects over 85 of Sunchang County to explore the improved dietary pattern for healthy aging of the elderly. The survey was conducted by personal interview to 161 elderly subjects (59 males and 102 females over 85) in 2006, and their daily dietary intake was assessed by 24-hr recalls and weighing one meal. The daily energy intakes of males were 1,335 +/-67 kcal, and those of females were 1,095 +/-38 kcal comprised of 66.8% and 68.4% of the EER for the age group of 75. The proportions of energy from carbohydrate : protein : lipid were 70.7 : 14.6 : 14.6 for males and 68.6 : 14.0 : 17.4 for females. The average protein intakes were 95.4% for males and 85.0% for females of RI, and the average calcium intakes were 54.3% for males and 43.6% for females of RI. The daily vitamin intakes were below 70% except vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. The proportion of the relative risk groups of protein, phosphate, iron and vitamin A ranged 40-49% of RI over 75 year groups. The other nutrient intakes showed that there were over 50% risk groups. Especially for nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, folate and niacin over 70% of the subjects were under risk. The median value of all nutrient intakes did not reach AI. The INQ of nutrients were over 0.8 except for folate and vitamin C. Calcium intakes were relatively low and needed attention. However, the ratio of calcium and phosphate showed 1 : 1.6, which appeared to be superior to the other districts. The DVS were higher as the dietary balance scores, KDDS were higher, and the groups with high KDDS had high intakes of nutrients compared to the groups with low KDDS. The high risk groups as judged by simple nutrition screening test had lower nutrient intakes than the groups of middle risk or low risk groups. The subjects in Sunchang area had relatively low intakes of several nutrients. However, judging from the desirable patterns of the energy proportion from three major nutrients, ratio of calcium and phosphate and INQ of nutrients there is a possibility that extended healthy aging might be related to the quality of nutrients and relative ratio between nutrients. To improve nutrient status of the elderly of the surveyed area further application involving KDDS and DVS appeared to be required.

Relationship between Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power and Metabolic Risk Factors in Korean Women Living in Seoul / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The present study was conducted to examine metabolic risk factors and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of Korean females living in Seoul and to investigate the relationship between the metabolic risk factors and serum TAC. A total of 353 females aged between 20 and 64 participated in the study. Obesity indicators, blood pressure, serum lipid profile and fasting blood glucose were measured as metabolic risk factors. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was employed to determine serum TAC of subjects. Obesity indicators such as body mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio were significantly higher in the participants aged > or = 50 y (older group) than in the participants aged 20-49 y (younger group) (p < 0.001). Blood pressure, serum total cholesterol (TC), riglyceride (TG) and fasting blood glucose were also significantly higher in the older group than in the younger group (p < 0.001), demonstrating significant positive correlations between age and MS risk factors. The association between FRAP and MS risk factors were also investigated. FRAP values showed significant positive correlations with age (p = 0.001), serum TG (p = 0.002) and TC (p = 0.03). A tendency of positive association between FRAP and waist circumference was observed without any significant difference (p = 0.06). Increased serum FRAP with central obesity and serum lipids may be interpreted as results of activation of antioxidant defense system against oxidative stress induced by metabolic syndrome (MS) constituent factors. However, to verify the function of FRAP as a potential biomarker of susceptibility to MS various contributors to the plasma antioxidant capacity and their biological relevance related to MS should be elucidated further.

Dietary Habits of the Oldest-old Population in Sunchang County / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The dietary patterns and characteristics of oldest-old subjects over 85 of Sunchang County (total of 171, 61 males and 110 females) were studied. The average age was 90.6 +/- 3.7 years old (male; 89.1 +/- 2.8, female; 91.5 +/- 3.8), and 90.9% of them were reported to have had no schooling experience. Family types having a spouse were much greater in men (50%) than women (1.8%). The percentages of living alone showed the gender differences, which were comprised of 33% of females and 18.3% of males. In this study, 73.7% of subjects answered "very good" or "good" for their health status. These elderly subjects might maintain their health through a relatively lower rate of smoking (22.2%) and drinking (27.5%), having nonsedentary activities (84.2% of the subjects are physically active) and enough sleep. Their characteristic dietary patterns include high preference of rice (96.5%) and blanch & Seasoned vegetable dishes (Namal, 90.6%) frequent consumption of plant-based food groups containing plenty of anti-oxidants such as vegetables and legumes, and they showed high rates of meal regularity (77.2%) and no skipping of meals (94.2%). It seems to be developed and disseminated in the congregate meal program for improving nutritional status of the elderly, since the coming increment of single-elderly family and single dwellers of rural areas.

Cytotoxicity on Human Cancer Cells and Antitumorigenesis of Chungkookjang, a Fermented Soybean Product, in DMBA-Treated Rats

It is reported that a fermented soybean food, Doenjang, has strong antimutagenic and cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. This study investigated the effect of Chungkookjang, another traditional popular Korean soybean fermented food, on growth of cancer cells: HL-60, SNU-638 and MCF-7, and also its in vivo antitumorigenic effect in DMBA-induced mammary tumor rat model. For the in vitro study, Chungkookjang and steamed soybeans were extracted with ethanol and sequentially fractioned with 5 kinds of solvents differing in grades of polarity such as hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, butanol and water. Almost all Chungkookjang extracts significantly inhibited the growth of HL-60 (human leukemic cancer cell), SNU-638 (human gastric cancer cell) and MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell) when compared to steamed soybean extracts. Butanol fraction of Chungkookjang extract especially showed a remarkable inhibitory effect in all the three kinds of cancer cells. To induce a mammary gland tumor, DMBA (50 mg/BW) was administered to 50 day-old female rats and followed by Chungkookjang or steamed soybean supplemented diets. Freezedried Chungkookjang powder (20% of diet in wet weight) was added to AIN-93G based diet for the Chungkookjang group of rats. Likewise, steamed soybean powder containing equal protein content to that of Chungkookjang powder was supplemented to soybean group of rats. At 13 weeks later, the mammary tumor incidence, average tumor number and tumor weight a rat were lower in Chungkookjang group compared to the control or soybean group. In conclusion, Chungkookjang showed a strong inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth in vitro, as well as a more preventive effect against chemically induced mammary tumorigenesis in vivo, while steamed soybeans did not. Therefore, these results suggest that Chungkookjang acquire its anticancer activity through the fermentation process.

Assessment of Foodservice Management Performance at Child Care Centers / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was carried out to investigate foodservice management practices of 100 child care centers nationwide, and to provide background information for developing foodservice management policies at child care centers. Approximately 20% of the child care centers had a separate dining room; most of the centers were vulnerable to sanitation or safety problems. The percentage of the centers that planned menus was about 60% and 10% established standardized recipes. Fourteen percent of the centers kept records for distribution and menu evaluation and 33% kept sanitation management records. Since only 7% of the centers employed a dietitian, foodservice in most centers were not managed by professionals. The results of menu assessment revealed that 56.5% of the national/public child care centers received 19 points or higher out of 21 points, whereas 5.6% of the private child care centers received the same scores. Proper usage and storage of raw food, sanitary management of equipment and facilities, waste management/leftover food treatment, and basic facility of cooking zones were performed well by many centers. The overall scores of foodservice performance were only 31.2 out of 60 points, representing relatively poor safety management, food procurement management, and facilities and equipment management. These results indicate that the foodservice management of the child care centers are in a relatively poor state. Since nutrition management of the most centers was performed by non-professionals, it may not be possible to provide proper nutrition for health and normal growth of preschool children and to perform efficient nutrition education programs. The following suggestions are strongly recommended in order to improve foodservice performance at child care centers. First, foodservice administration should be performed by a dietitian, and second, efforts should be focused on strengthening nutrition and sanitation management.

The Comparison in Daily Intake of Nutrients, Quality of Diets and Dietary Habits between Male and Female College Students in Daejeon / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was conducted to investigate the differences in daily nutrient intakes, dietary habits and nutrition knowledge between male and female college students. Male undergraduate students (104 subjects) and female undergraduate students (229 subjects), enrolled at H University in Daejeon, were recruited for this study. The mean age of the subjects was 22.9 year in male and 20.4 year in female students. Daily intakes of energy and nutrients were calculated from the records of one day of dietary food intakes by 24-hour recall method, and general information, dietary habits and attitudes, food intake frequency and food preferences and knowledge for food and nutrition were surveyed through a questionnaire. About 70.1% of male and 66.1% of female students were in the normal range of BMI (18.5 - 23), and 25.2% of male students were over-weighted in contrast to 27.7% of female students were underweight. Males and females were taking 77.2% and 77.9% of RDA for energy, respectively, and 54.8% of male and 48.0% of female students were taking energy under 75% of RDA. Many of them showed deficient intakes of calcium, iron, vitamin A and riboflavin. Average of MAR was 0.75 in male and 0.72 in female students. NAR for calcium, iron, vitamin A and riboflavin in male students were 0.55, 0.69, 0.75 and 0.61, respectively, compared to 0.53, 0.51, 0.70 and 0.67 in female students. The nutrients, which have INQ less than 1, were calcium and riboflavin in male, compared to calcium, iron, and riboflavin in female students. There were no gender differences in meal regularity and meal skipping rates, but female students showed higher rates of skipping dinner than males (p < 0.001). About 50.8% of female students were ingesting snacks 1 - 2 time/day, compared to 27.1% of male students. For the food intake frequency, fruit group was significantly eating more for female than male students (p < 0.001). Though female students got higher scores for nutritional knowledge test (p < 0.01) than male students, they did not show better dietary habits or dietary attitudes than male students actually. Therefore, a more active and actual education program accustomed to the different genders and ages with focus on real changing of dietary behaviors needs to be developed and run in schools and local departments.

Antioxidative Effect of Plant Food Mixtures in Rat Fed on High Fat-High Cholesterol Diet

The previous extensive in vitro studies on the antioxidative activities of a number of Korean grains, vegetables, seaweeds and mushrooms, and the various combinations of these food source exhibited a wide range of antioxidative activities, and four food mixtures composed of 5 kinds of foods (5A, 5B, 5C and 5D) were designed from 16 selective foods showing high antioxidant effect, in vitro, to find the good combinations for the meal planning. Mixture 5B or 5C contained very high levels of total flavonoid and polyphenol, and ethanol extract from 5A, 5B or 5C showed very strong inhibitory effects against in vitro Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation and ethanol extract from 5B or 5C showed remarkable DPPH radical scavenging effect and lipid peroxide-protein conjugation inhibition effect. And in vivo study was also carried out with two mixtures (5B, 5C). Powders (P5B, P5C) or ethanol extracts (E5B, E5C) of these mixtures were supplemented to Sprague-Dawley rats fed on high fat (15%)-high cholesterol (1%) semipurified diet for 5 weeks. The total antioxidant power in serum was significantly higher in P5B, P5C, E5B and E5C groups than in high fat control group, and ascorbate-Fe2+-induced TBARS was significantly lowered by E5B supplementation in rat liver. In liver tissue, Cu, Zn-SOD activity was significantly higher in P5B and E5B groups than in high fat control group, while catalase or GSH-peroxidase (GPx) activity was not changed by any supplementations. In kidney, Cu, Zn- SOD activity was significantly higher in P5B group than in high fat control group, while GPx activity was not changed by any supplementations. Taken together, mixture 5B and 5C showed very strong antioxidative effects both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the ingredient Korean foods of 5B and 5C could be recommended to take a lot together for prevention from age-related chronic diseases.

The Dietary Habits of the Nonagenarian Population in Longevity Belt in Korea / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The dietary habits and eating behaviors of nonagenarian subjects over 90 years old in Korean representative longevity belts of Damyang, Gokseong, Kurye, Sunchang were evaluated. The subjects of the study were 91 elderly people (26 males and 65 females) over 90 years old and their dietary habits, food preferences and meal patterns were collected by individual interview. The percentage of subjects, who answered "very good" or "good" for their health status, was 65.9%. In this study, 55% of subjects were without chronic diseases, and there was no significance difference in gender. Many subjects had performed regular exercise and outdoor activity. The rate of eating together with their family was 79.1%. Most of subjects (91.2%) had a regular mealtime consuming three meals a day, and they had good appetite and pleasure of eating. The higher preference of food group was fruits (95.6%), legumes (94.5%), mushrooms (93.4%) and vegetables (92.3%), but the amount of intakes is higher in vegetables than the others. Eating with family, regular exercise and self-rated good health are improved their nutrient intakes. Most frequently consumed meal pattern was rice plus soup and side dishes. The side dish consumed frequently was Namul (blanch and seasoned vegetables). From this study, the nonagenarian populations in longevity belt in Korea have good dietary habits such as regular mealtime, constant amount of meal and eat with pleasure. They are taking Korean traditional meal pattern, providing enriched antioxidant vegetable foods. Also, it can be concluded that the amount and quality of diet in the long-lived elderly are responsible for the Korean traditional family system.