Measuring Differences in Food Iintakes and Dietary Habits of Preschool Children by the Weight-Length Index

This study was conducted to obtain data and offer advice regarding dietary intake at kindergarten and to recommend dietary habits to prevent childhood obesity. The study was conducted in 85 children aged 4 to 5 years. Body weight and height, dietary intakes of lunch served at Kindergarten and questionnaires for dietary behaviors in Kyeongnam area were studied. All subjects were classified by their weight-length index (WLI). According to the standard WLI values, 41.2% of the children were within the normal value (90 or =120). The mean energy intake at lunch for kindergarteners was 287.1+/-13.4 kcal in the normal group, 307.6+/-10.2 kcal in the overweight group and 323.7+/-8.6 kcal in the obese group. The percent energy of estimated energy requirement (EER) was 21.8%. The intake of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, and pyridoxine were significantly different by WLI (P<0.05). A comparison of nutrients in the lunch menu provided with those of 1/3 recommended intake (RI) showed that preschoolers took in fewer calories, calcium, and vitamin B2, and that their deficiency rates were high (81.2%, 76.5% and 70.6% of recommended levels, respectively). There was a significant difference in the preference of fruits and milk and dairy products by WLI. Therefore, a nutritional education program and new guidance in the proper nutrition management for kindergarteners should be developed to enhance nutritional status during childhood.

The Difference of Perception about Nutritional Problems and Food intakes, Nutrition Knowledge Score and Realities of Nutrition Education between Parents and Preschool Teachers / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was conducted to investigate the difference of perception about nutritional problems and food intakes and nutrition knowledge score and realities of nutrition education between parents and preschool teachers. This research can be summarized as follows: there was the statistical difference of perception (chi2 = 52.451, p = 0.000) about nutritional problem of preschoolers between parents and preschool teachers. Parents (56.4%) and teachers (58.5%) identified eating only what they want as the most common nutritional problem of children, but they had different perception about the other problems. To parents, "No nutritional problem" (16.3%) is the second and "Overindulgence of processed food" (11.1%) is the third problem of preschoolers. To teachers, "Overindulgence of processed food" (23.8%) is the second and "Obesity" (14.3%) is the third problem. The perception on food intakes of preschoolers was statistically different in meats (chi2 = 8.892, p = 0.030), fish (chi2 = 32.241, p = 0.000), beans (chi2 = 14.770, p = 0.005), vegetables (chi2 = 12.706, p = 0.013), fruits (chi2 = 14.438, p = 0.006) and milk & dairy products (chi2 = 28.591, p = 0.000) between parents and preschool teachers. However, nutritional knowledge was not different between parents and preschool teachers. While 96.6% of preschool teachers felt that it was necessary to educate preschoolers, only 41.5% of them said that they fulfilled nutrition education, showing that nutrition education was not adequately carried out on the spot. Therefore providing basic materials through which nutritional management guidance and proper nutrition education for preschoolers can be carried out by investigating and analyzing knowledge on their nutrition and meal guidance activities for preschooler teachers and parents.

Effect of Mothers' Weaning Attitudes on Their Children's Food Habits and Development / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of mothers' attitudes on preparing baby foods for their children's food habits and development. The subjects were allocated to 419 preschool children, aged 3 - 5 years. This study surveyed by questionnaire, which was answered by the children's mothers. Subjects were classified by two groups, active and passive, based on their mothers' weaning attitudes. In the active group, mothers tried to make a variety of foods for preparing the baby foods, whereas mothers in the passive group didn't try to make it too much. Family income was higher in the active group and the subjects' mothers had more jobs than those in the passive group, whereas their parent's education levels showed no differences. According to Rohrer index, 2.6% of subjects were obese in the active group, whereas 7.7% in the passive group. These data were shown significantly different between the groups. There were no differences in mother's food habits and breast-feeding versus formula feeding between the two groups. However, children's food habits were shown statistically different between the two groups. Higher regularity of meals, higher frequencies of snacks at home, higher frequencies of fruit, corn, sweet potato as a snacks and less instant foods were revealed in the active group more than in the passive group. The major problem of children's food habits was an unbalanced diet (52.7%) and the major reasons for unbalanced diet were the taste (58.7%) and the texture (23.2%). The active group used more fruits and vegetables than the passive group. Also there were significant differences to solve problems of children's unbalanced diets. In the positive group, 14.4% of mothers tried to develop new cooking methods for solving the problem of an unbalanced diet, but 8.2% did in the passive group. Furthermore, 2.3% of mothers in the positive group removed unpleasant items of the food, whereas 6.9% did in the passive. The average nutritional knowledge scores on a 10 scale were 7.2 and 6.9 in active and passive groups, respectively, and they were statistically different. Mothers among the active group explained the knowledge for food and nutrition to their children more than those in the passive group. These results suggest that mothers' attitudes for baby food are an important factor for forming their children's food habits. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a nutritional education program, materials and new recipes for a variety of baby foods to mothers.

Nutritional Status of Mentally Retarded Children by Residence and by Degree of Handicap / 대한지역사회영양학회지

We studied the nutritional status of on mentally handicapped children living at home or in institutions since early teenage years are nutritionally important. The subjects of 7 to 12 year old mentally retarded children attending a special education school in Seoul were surveyed with questionnaires as well as 2-day dietary recall records, with the help of persons of their care-giver when needed. Among the 64 children, 54.7% are living in institutions and the rest of them are living at home. They were ranged from the trainable (64.1%), the educable (26.6%), and the non-trainable (9.4%). Their average daily intake of energy intakes (%RDA) was 2,070.1 kcal (94.1%), Ca 603.9 mg (75.5%), Fe 11.1 mg (92.5%), Vt.A 507.5 RE (84.6%), Vt. B2 1.1 g (88.2%), niacin 14.1 g (93.6%) and Vt. C 58.2 g (83.1%). Their average intakes of these nutrients were significantly higher in subjects of institutions than at home. The nutrients consumed at a much higher level than the RDA of the normal children were Vt. B1 (1.6 g, 146.8%) and protein (75.3g, 136.9%). The higher percentage of children at home were under consumed of several nutrients (< 75% RDA) than ones in institutions. When comparing the degree of handicap, energy and nutrient intakes except Vt. C were highest in educable children than trainable ones or Dawn's children. MAR of the diets of the subjects was 0.84. Children at home showed lower MAR as well as NAR of each nutrients, whereas children belonged to INQ < 1 were less at home. Handicapped children at home were snacking higher amount relative to their calorie intake and too frequently, that may lead to their poor nutrition. There was positive correlations between factors of nutrition and physical and dietary behaviors, but there were no correlations between factors of nutrition and health-related habits. Nutritional caring mentally handicapped children in institutions seemed to be more effectively managed.

Comparing Health-related Behaviors, Food Behaviors, and the Nutrient Adequacy Ratio of Rural Elderly by Single-elderly Families vs. Extended Families / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The aim to this study was to investigated the effects of family type on the health-related behaviors, food behaviors, and nutrient adequacy ratio of the elderly. Studies were performed on 109 home-bound elderly in a rural area of Asan city, in 1996. Subjects were divided into two groups by their family type, one was single-elderly family(n=58) and the other was extended family(n=51). The results obtained by questionaires and personal interviews as follows. 1) The average age 68.6. They served in primary industry, and 89.1% of responders received less than a primary school education. There was no significant difference by family type. 2) Single-elderly family members themselves felt more negative about their health than extended family members. 3)Each nutrient adequacy ratio of single-elderly family/extended family members was 0.72/0.76 of energy, 0.73/0.76 of protein, 0.59/0.66 of Ca, 0.98/0.99 of Fe, 0.62/0.74 of vitamin A, 0.86/0.87 of thiamin, 0.72/0.73 of riboflavin, 0.71/0.77 of niacin, 0.90/0.91 of ascorbic acid, and 0.76/0.80 of Mar. The NAR of vitamin A of the single-elderly family members was significantly lower than for extended family members(p<0.05). Energy, protein, Ca, vitamin A, riboflavin showed insufficient intake for both groups. The percentage of INQ<1 of the single-elderly family/extended family members was 45.6/51.0 of protein, 66.7/66.7 of Ca, 64.9/56.9 of vitamin A. By NAR and INQ, the most insufficient nutrient to the elderly in this rural area was Ca. We there for suggest that it is needed for elderly in rural areas to receive of food that is higher ING of Ca.