Evaluation of Nutrition Education for Preschool Children Using Picture-Questionnaire / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the nutrition education on preschool children's nutrition knowledge and behaviors. The study subjects were preschool children attending J kindergarten located in Wonju. Each of the control group and the education group consisted of 49 children and the education group was exposed to nutrition education while the control group did not. The nutrition education intervention lasted 9 weeks weekly basis. The t-test for the homogeneity of each group showed no meaningful difference at the beginning point of nutrition education. After nutrition education a test of nutrition knowledge using picture-questionnaire was carried out by the researcher for the subjects of education group and control group and the caretakers of the education group were offered self-administered questionnaire on the changes in children's dietary behaviors. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Nutrition education intervention showed a meaningful difference in children's understanding nutrition; the kinds and function of food, the relationship between food and body, the function of nutrients and enhanced their idea on hygiene compared to the control group (p < p.005). 2. However, nutrition education intervention made no statistically meaningful difference in children's dietary behaviors such as having breakfast, keeping balanced diet, washing hands before meals, saying "thanks" before and after meals, cleaning the table after meals, brushing teeth after meals and so on. Therefore, we found that it is hard to expect children to correct their dietary behaviors in such a short period of 9 weeks and nutrition education for preschool children should be offered to caretakers at the same time.

Workers intake too much salt from dishes of eating out and food service cafeterias; direct chemical analysis of sodium content

The average sodium intake of Koreans was reported to be 5,279.9 mg/day, which is one of the highest intake levels worldwide. The average Koreans intake 19.6% of sodium from kimchi, showing kimchi as the main contributor of sodium in this country (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2005). The sodium content of dishes that are frequently chosen by workers, and which were served by foodservice cafeterias were chemically analyzed. The average sodium content of one meal provided by 10 foodservice cafeterias was 2,777.7 mg. Twenty-one, one-dish-meals, frequently chosen by workers for a lunch menu, were collected at 4 different restaurants for each menu by one male, aged in the twenties and analyzed chemically also. Workers who eat lunch at a workplace cafeteria everyday could intake about 8 g of salt at a one-time meal and those who eat out for a one-dish-meal would intake 3-8 g of salt without counting sodium content from the side dishes. From these study results, one could estimate that over 10 g of salt could be possible for a single meal for workers who eat out everyday. A nationwide nutrition campaign and education for low salt diets for restaurant owners and foodservice providers should be seriously considered.