Issues pertaining to Mg, Zn and Cu in the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans

In the current years, it has now become necessary to establish standards for micronutrient intake based on scientific evidence. This review discusses issues related to the development of the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRI) for magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), and future research directions. Following issues were encountered when establishing the KDRI for these minerals. First, characteristics of Korean subjects need to be applied to estimate nutrient requirements. When calculating the estimated average requirement (EAR), the KDRI used the results of balance studies for Mg absorption and factorial analysis for Zn, which is defined as the minimum amount to offset endogenous losses for Zn and Mg. For Cu, a combination of indicators, such as depletion/repletion studies, were applied, wherein all reference values were based on data obtained from other countries. Second, there was a limitation in that it was difficult to determine whether reference values of Mg, Zn, and Cu intakes in the 2020 KDRI were achievable. This might be due to the lack of representative previous studies on intakes of these nutrients, and an insufficient database for Mg, Zn, and Cu contents in foods. This lack of database for mineral content in food poses a problem when evaluating the appropriateness of intake. Third, data was insufficient to assess the adequacy of Mg, Zn, and Cu intakes from supplements when calculating reference values, considering the rise in both demand and intake of mineral supplements. Mg is more likely to be consumed as a multi-nutrient supplement in combination with other minerals than as a single supplement. Moreover, Zn-Cu interactions in the body need to be considered when determining the reference intake values of Zn and Cu. It is recommended to discuss these issues present in the 2020 KDRI development for Mg, Zn, and Cu intakes in a systematic way, and to find relevant solutions.

Pattern of Using Nutrition Supplements and Nutrition Quotient of Adults Who Practice Strength Exercise Regularly

This study compared the pattern of purchasing nutritional supplements and obtaining nutrition information and the Nutrition Quotient of adults who exercise regularly according to the frequency of muscle training (LM, muscle training less than two days/week; MM, 2∼3 days/week; HM, more than three days/week). Compared to the other groups, significantly more men in the HM group answered that they had purchased supplements and would repurchase them. They presented “increasing muscle mass” as the purpose of buying them and “types and contents” as the major factor to consider before buying. The supplements that significantly more subjects in the HM group purchased than in the other groups were protein supplements, BCAA (Branched-chain amino acid), arginine, and caffeine supplements for men and protein supplements, BCAA and carnitine for women. Compared to the other groups, significantly more men and women in the HM group reported “trainer” as the major source of nutrition information, and significantly more men in the HM group reported “increasing muscle mass” as the 1st topic of nutrition education that they wanted to receive and were satisfied with the information that they obtained. Most of all, males and females in the HM group had significantly a higher Nutrition Quotient than in the other groups. The differences between males and females in variables regarding exercise, the patterns of using supplements and acquiring nutrition information, and Nutrition Quotient were also found. These results can provide basic data for developing educational materials emphasizing the wise consumption of nutrition information, including supplement intake.

Dietary life and mukbang- and cookbang-watching status of university students majoring in food and nutrition before and after COVID-19 outbreak / 한국영양학회지

Purpose@#With increased time spent at home due to prolonged online classes, this study sought to determine how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the mukbang- and cookbang-watching patterns and dietary life of college students. @*Methods@#All students majoring in food and nutrition (FN) at a college in Gyeonggi, Korea, participated in the survey in April 2019 (M/F = 36/106) and June 2020 (M/F -37/130) and data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. @*Results@#Compared to students responding in 2019, those in 2020 reported more frequently eating alone (p < 0.01) and cooking (p < 0.01), and evaluated their diets better regarding pleasant mealtimes atmosphere (p < 0.05), moderation in drinking (p < 0.05), and not consuming excessively delivery foods (p < 0.001), processed foods (p < 0.01), foods with animal fat (p < 0.01), salty foods (p < 0.01), and sweets (p < 0.01). Although the proportion of respondents who answered that they watched mukbang and cookbang at least occasionally did not change, greater proportions of respondents reported watching both genres frequently (p < 0.001, respectively) and spending less time/day in watching mukbang (p < 0.05) in 2020 vs. 2019. While they evaluated the effect of mukbang- and cookbang-watching on overall diet similarly, the proportion of respondents that reported feeling as though mukbang-watching prompted them to eat more of less-desirable foods decreased from 54.3% to 41.5% (p < 0.05).Diet improvement of participants due to COVID-19 resulted in that the association between frequent mukbang-watching and unhealthier dietary habits in 2019 was not shown in 2020. @*Conclusion@#Our results suggest that the prolonged at-home stays due to COVID-19 might have improved many aspects of diet and decreased undesirable effect of frequent mukbangwatching in case of college students majoring in FN.

Lunch Eating Pattern and Dietary Habits of High School Students Attending Online Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the curtailing of school meal services. This study aimed to compare the diets of students attending online classes who prepared their own lunch under these circumstances, with those of their counterparts who had their lunch prepared for them. In December 2020, a survey was conducted on 204 students (75 male and 129 female) at a high school in Gyeonggi-do. The results showed that more girls prepared their own lunch than boys (53.5% vs. 36.0%, respectively, P＜0.05). Further, more participants with working mothers prepared their own lunch compared to those with unemployed mothers (60.8% vs. 23.0%, respectively, P＜0.001). Lunch was prepared either by parents (47.5%), themselves (47.1%), or others (5.4%). A comparison of the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) was carried out between the subjects who prepared their own lunch and those who ate lunch prepared by their parents. The students who prepared their own lunch had significantly lower total (P＜0.05), balance (P＜0.01), and environment (P＜0.01) sectors of NQ-A than their counterparts. Especially, subjects whose parents prepared their lunch had beanㆍtofuㆍsoy milk more frequently (P＜0.01), tended to eat vegetables more frequently (P=0.059), and skipped breakfast less frequently (P＜0.01). In conclusion, this study suggested that high school students who have to prepare their own lunch at home during the COVID-19 pandemic are the newly emerging nutritionally vulnerable group. This study may provide the basic information necessary for preparing measures to maintain the diet quality of high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic and similar situations in the future when school meal services may not be available.

The snacking pattern, diet, lifestyle and menu preferences of elementary school students in Gyeonggi area, considering the most frequently eaten snacks / 한국영양학회지

Purpose@#This study compares the snacking pattern, diet, lifestyle, and food preference of children by evaluating the most frequently eaten snacks. @*Methods@#The survey enrolled 435 students from three elementary schools in Gyeonggi. Based on the most frequently eaten snacks, the subjects were divided into 3 groups: fruits and milk/dairy products for natural snacks (NS, n = 114); noodles, snack foods and fast foods for meal-like snacks (MS, n = 74); cookies, beverages and bread as sweet snacks (SS, n = 247). @*Results@#Compared to the MS group, preferences of the NS group were significantly higher for jabgokbap (cooked rice with multi-grains, p < 0.05) and saengchae (seasoned raw vegetables, p < 0.01), and significantly lower for gogitwigim (deep-fried meat, p < 0.05). Taste preference of the NS group was considered to be more desirable; the taste preference of more subjects was ‘sweet taste’ in the SS group, ‘spicy taste’ in the MS group, ‘salty taste’ in the MS and SS groups, and ‘sour taste’ and ‘bland taste’ in the NS group than the other groups. Compared tothe MS and SS groups, the NS group was determined to exercise more frequently; exercising for more than 30 minutes/day was determined to be 76.3% in the NS group and 58.1% and 57.9% in the other groups (p < 0.01). Moreover, a higher proportion of subjects in the MS group tended to answer ‘not hungry’ as the reason for leaving school meals, as compared to other groups (p = 0.055), thereby suggesting that inappropriate snacking habits interfere with regular meals. @*Conclusion@#This study provides evidence that healthy snacking habits, which include natural snacks such as milk/dairy products and fruits, are important for children during the elementary school years, since these habits are associated with healthier diet, lifestyle, and food and taste preferences. These results provide basic information for developing nutritional education materials for elementary school children.

Relationship between Dietary Habits, Life Stress and Nutrition Knowledge of High School Students in Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Objectives@#This study was performed to examine dietary habits, life stress, and nutrition knowledge among high school students in Gyeonggi area. @*Methods@#A total of 431 high school students (210 males, 221 females) in Gyeonggi area participated in this study from November to December of 2011. The study was a questionnaire-based survey that included dietary habits, dietary attitudes, life stress, and nutrition knowledge. @*Results@#Body weight, height, and body mass index were all higher in male students than in female students (P < 0.001, respectively). For dietary habits, the average score (P < 0.01) and scores for considering combination of food groups (P < 0.05), eating green and orange vegetables (P < 0.05), eating meat, fish, eggs, or beans everyday (P < 0.05), drinking milk (P < 0.001), and eating seaweed (P < 0.01) were higher in male students than in female students. For dietary attitudes, the average score (P < 0.05) and scores for the five items were significantly different between male and female students. Male students showed a significantly lower nutrition knowledge score than female students (P < 0.05). Life stress score of students largely was attributable to academic factors, and female students showed higher stress score for academic, personal, and surrounding environmental (P < 0.05, respectively) factors than male students. Dietary habit score (P < 0.01) and nutrition knowledge score (P < 0.05) in female students as well as dietary attitude score (P < 0.05) in male students were negatively correlated with life stress score. Dietary habit scores in male and female students were positively correlated with dietary attitude score (P < 0.01, respectively). Need for nutrition education was significantly higher in female students than in male students (P < 0.05). @*Conclusions@#This study provides basic information on dietary habits, dietary attitudes, life stress, and nutrition knowledge according to sex and suggests gender-specific practical nutrition education programs to address undesirable dietary habits and attitudes in students with higher stress levels.

Adherence to Dietary Guidelines for Elementary School Children According to Homeroom Teachers’ Nutrition Education

Homeroom teachers are not usually nutrition professionals, but they spend a lot of time with students in elementary school classrooms. This study was conducted to determine the association of homeroom teachers’ nutrition education with the dietary habits of their classroom children. The subjects were 131 homeroom teachers and their 1,102 children from 17 elementary schools in Gyeonggi, Korea. Self-administered questionnaires to collect information on dietary habits were conducted in December 2016. The dietary habits were determined with the adherences to the Dietary Guidelines for Adults and Children, respectively, by coding the better diet life with a higher score. The significances between groups according to teachers’ implementation of nutrition education (106 implemented, 25 not implemented) were analyzed by using SPSS at P＜0.05. Implementing nutrition education was not associated with the dietary habits of teachers themselves, but their students. Therefore, the students of teachers who implemented nutrition education had significantly higher adherence to 8 items out of 19 items (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). More of the students considered themselves as non-picky eaters (P＜0.05), tried to eat all the foods served at school lunch even when it contained unwanted ingredients (P＜0.01), and agreed on the need of nutrition education (P＜0.01), as compared to their counterparts. Conclusively, this study suggests that nutrition education delivered by homeroom teachers may be associated with more desirable dietary habits of students, even though homeroom teachers are not nutrition professionals. Therefore, efforts should be undertaken to develop and provide proper contents for homeroom teachers to use in nutrition education for elementary students.

Mukbang- and Cookbang-watching status and dietary life of university students who are not food and nutrition majors

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#As watching food-related programs has become very popular among the young generation in Korea, this study sought to compare the Mukbang- and Cookbang-watching status of university students with their dietary life. @*SUBJECTS/METHODS@#The participants were 380 students who were not majoring in food and nutrition at a university in Gyeonggi, Korea. Based on self- reports, the participants were grouped according to their frequency of watching Mukbang or Cookbang: frequent-watching (FW) 21.1% and 5.3%, respectively; moderate-watching (MW) 43.9% and 27.9%, respectively; and not-watching (NW) 35.0% and 66.8% respectively. @*RESULTS@#In the FW group, up to 88.8% and 70.0% of participants reported watching Mukbang and Cookbang, respectively, ≥ 3 days/week. Almost all participants in the FW and MW groups reported intention to keep watching these shows. The most frequent watching route was “YouTube” and the most important criterion to select a program was “food". In the case of Mukbang, but not Cookbang, the participants in the FW group scored their diet significantly worse than those in the NW group (P < 0.05). A greater proportion of participants felt that watching Cookbang improved their diets rather than worsened them (14.3% vs. 0.8%, respectively), while more participants said that watching Mukbang worsened their diets rather than improved them (8.1% vs. 2.4%, respectively). In both cases, greater differences were shown in the FW groups compared to the MW groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 for Cookbang and Mukbang, respectively). Moreover, the participants answered that Mukbang-watching prompted them to eat more of less desirable food, such as through eating out and purchasing convenient and delivered foods, whereas Cookbang-watching made them want to cook more of their own food. @*CONCLUSIONS@#Our results suggested that Korean university students who frequently watch Mukbang, but not Cookbang, may be a nutritionally vulnerable group that needs attention.

Parents' Recognition of Center for Children's Food Service Management and Preschoolers' Satisfaction with Menu Provided by Childcare Centers and Food Life Regarding Vegetable Intake

This study was conducted to determine parents' recognition of the Center for children's foodservice management (CCFSM) and to compare preschoolers' satisfaction for meals served by childcare centers and some aspects regarding the vegetable intake according to the parents' recognition of CCFSM. The subjects were 255 parents, whose children were 2~5 year old and attended a childcare center, were grouped according to the recognition of CCFSM (high recognition, HR, 27.5%; medium recognition, MR, 47.4%; low recognition, LR, 25.1%). Information was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire and data were analyzed by SPSS 25.0. Only 58.6% of HR and 10.7% of MR answered the they had participated education/event held by the CCFSM. More parents in the HR group (88.6%) acknowledged the helpfulness of CCFSM on the children's food habits compared to those in the MR group (63.6%) (P<0.001). Compared to the MR and LR groups, more parents in the HR group answered not only that they were ‘satisfied’/‘very satisfied’ with the meals served by childcare centers (P<0.05), but also they tended to think that their children were also satisfied (P=0.061). Up to 31.2% of parents in the LR group answered that there was no need for education to increase the vegetable intake of their child compared to 14.3% and 17.4% in the HR and MR groups, respectively (P<0.05). Moreover, up to 26.6% of parents answered that school cook planned menus compared to 5.7% and 13.2% in the HR and MR group, respectively (P<0.001). In conclusion, the results provided the association between parents' high recognition of CCFSM and preschoolers' satisfaction for meals from childcare centers as well as a better chance for a desirable food life regarding vegetable intake.

Association of Descriptive Menu Names and Number of Correctly Vegetable Names with Factors Regarding Vegetable Intake in Elementary School Children

Children's exposure to various vegetables has been associated with higher preferences and intake of vegetables. Attractive names have been reported to increase children's vegetable intake in school lunches. This study hypothesized that the number of vegetables identified correctly may be used as a measure of exposure to vegetables. The survey was administered to students (n=368) at an elementary school located in Gyeonggi-do to determine the association of number of vegetables identified correctly with factors regarding vegetable intakes and effects of descriptive menu names on consumption intentions in school lunches. Students were asked to identify the correct names for nine vegetables and rate their desire to eat six vegetable dishes labeled with general names and two different descriptive names. Descriptive menu names did not consistently increase subjects' desire to eat vegetables compared to general menu labels. Children who ate two vegetable dishes and more per meal tended to identify the names of more vegetables than those who ate less, without reaching statistical significance (P=0.057). Moreover, 5th graders who answered that they ate more than two vegetable dishes each meal had significantly higher scores in identifying vegetable names than those who did rarely (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between the number of correctly identified vegetable names and children's vegetable preferences and frequency of being served vegetable dishes. Mother's vegetable preference showed a significant positive association with vegetable preferences of children (r=0.147, P < 0.01) and fathers (r=0.340, P < 0.01) as well as the number of correctly identified vegetables by children (r=0.183, P < 0.01). The results of this study cannot support the advantage of descriptive menu labels over general menu labels. However, it suggests that the number of correctly identified vegetable names could serve as a measure of children's exposure to vegetables associated with factors regarding vegetable intake.

Operation Status and Perception for School Gardens According to Program Leader's Dedication in Pocheon City

School gardens are known to be effective for increasing vegetable consumption in children. This study was carried out to examine the perception of garden program leaders for actual conditions and barriers to promote school gardens according to their sense of dedication. The 49 garden program leaders at schools and child care centers in Pocheon city were surveyed and grouped into two groups: dedicated (57.1%) and less dedicated (42.9%) as program leaders. Compared to dedicated leaders, leaders in the less dedicated group less advocated promotion of school gardens (P<0.001) and were less willing to attend training for school garden (P<0.01), despite less experience as program leaders (P<0.01) and past training (P<0.05). Moreover, leaders in the less dedicated group less acknowledged the educational results of school garden in every aspect (P<0.001, respectively), less perceived support from parents and colleagues (P<0.05, respectively), and less used garden produce in more active activities such as donation and literature (P<0.05, respectively), compared to the dedicated group. The most answered barrier against the promotion of school gardens was work burden, followed by manpower shortage, shortage of technique, knowledge, and information, and time shortage. The results of this study provide evidence that developing strategies is needed to make more teachers and child care providers more dedicated as garden program leaders.

Body Image Perception, Eating Disorder Risk, and Depression Level according to Dieting Experience of Female High School Students in Seoul

This study was conducted in order to compare weight control behaviors, eating disorder risk, and depression in female adolescents according to dieting experience during the last year. The subjects were 707 students attending a girls' high school in Seoul, and all the information was collected by self-administered questionnaire. Eating disorder risk and depression were determined by using EAT-26 (Eating Attitude Test-26) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), respectively. Data were compared between subjects with experience of dieting (320) and those without (387). More of the subjects with dieting experience were unsatisfied with their own body weights (76.9% vs. 44.2%, P<0.01) and weighed themselves frequently (P<0.01) compared to those without diet experience. EAT-26 (11.63±8.3 vs. 5.99±4.7, P<0.01) and PHQ-9 scores (7.05±4.6 vs. 6.00±4.4, P<0.01) were higher in subjects with dieting experience compared to their counterparts. Therefore, we concluded that dieting is associated with several undesirable psychological aspects such as eating disorder risk and depression in adolescent girls, and thus providing proper education is urgently needed to emphasizing importance of healthy weight and the danger of unnecessary dieting.

Lunch Eating Patterns and Dietary Habits of University Students according to Major Lunch Place

This study was performed to determine lunch eating patterns and compare dietary habits among university students according to major lunch place. The subjects were 800 students from a university in Gyeonggi-do, and information was obtained by self-administered questionnaire. Data were compared among groups according to major lunch place (school cafeteria n=236, off-campus private restaurant n=73, on-campus private food shop n=134, delivery food n=119, convenient store n=238). Compared to male students, more female students ate at convenient stores (37.8% vs. 17.5%, respectively) while less ate at school cafeterias as the major lunch place. The on-campus private food shop group (19.1 year) were younger than the other groups (20.4∼20.8 year). Dietary habits were significantly better in the school cafeteria group (65.55 out of 100) than in the other groups (60.33∼62.66) (P<0.01). However, the satisfaction with school cafeterias was significantly lower than those with the other lunch places (P<0.01), and the most frequently answered reason for dissatisfaction was "not taste good" (51.0%). Despite having the lowest satisfaction among the five lunch places, eating at school cafeterias may be associated with better dietary habits in university students. Therefore, this study is able to provide basis for encouraging school cafeteria utilization for university students and for strategy development to improve university students' lunches.

A study on blood lipid profiles, aluminum and mercury levels in college students

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: College students are in a period of transition from adolescence to adulthood, in which proper dietary habits and balanced nutritional intake are very important. However, improper dietary habits and lifestyles can bring several health problems. This study was performed to investigate blood lipid profiles, blood aluminum and mercury in college students and the relationships among them. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects were 80 college students (43 males and 37 females) in Gyeonggi-do. General characteristics, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, blood lipids, SGOT, SGPT, and blood aluminum and mercury of the subjects were measured and analyzed, and their relationship was studied. RESULTS: The BMI was significantly higher in males, 23.69 ± 3.20 kg/m², than in females, 20.38 ± 2.37 kg/m² (P < 0.001). The blood pressure was significantly higher in males with 128.93 ± 12.92 mmHg systolic pressure and 77.14 ± 10.31 mmHg diastolic pressure compared to females with 109.78 ± 11.97 mmHg and 65.95 ± 6.92 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.001). HDL cholesterol in males, 61.88 ± 13.06 mg/dl, was lower than 64.73 ± 12.16 mg/dl in females, but other blood lipid levels were higher in males. Blood aluminum was significantly higher in males, 9.12 ± 2.11 µg/L, than in females, 8.03 ± 2.14 µg/L (P < 0.05), and blood mercury was higher in males, 3.08 ± 1.55 µg/L, than in females, 2.64 ± 1.49 µg/L. The blood lipids showed positive correlation with obesity and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of obesity, blood pressure, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol were higher in males, suggesting possible association with chronic disease incidence such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Thus, it is considered that a systematic health education is needed for college students, especially for males.

Weight Control Behaviors, Health-related Quality of Life and Nutritional Status by Overestimation of Body Image among Young Korean Females: Data from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2010-2011 / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effects of overestimation of their own body shape on weight control behaviors, mental condition, physical activity, dietary behavior, health-related quality of life, and nutritional status among young Korean females. METHODS: A total of 1,514 women aged 20-39 years who are not pregnant and lactating among those who participated in the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010~2011), were analyzed and grouped into underestimation (n=120), normal estimation (NE, n=840), and overestimation (OE, n=554), based on their body perception compared to actual percent ideal body weights. Variables were compared between OE group and NE group. RESULTS: The subjects in OE group were significantly younger (29.5 vs. 30.5 years, respectively p < 0.05) and had lower body mass index (20.9 vs. 22.2 respectively, p < 0.01), health-related quality of life measured by EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimension)(0.97 vs. 0.98 respectively, p < 0.05), nutrition adequacy ratio (NAR) of protein (0.91 vs. 0.93 respectively, p < 0.05), phosphorous (0.93 vs. 0.96 respectively, p < 0.05), and iron (0.70 vs. 0.75 respectively, p < 0.01), and index of nutrition quality (INQ) of iron (0.84 vs. 0.89 respectively, p < 0.05) compared to those in the NE group. The results of logistic regression showed that unmarried status (OR 1.32; 1.01~1.72) and severely underweight/underweight status (OR 1.94; 1.01~3.75)/(OR 1.81; 1.34~2.45) were significantly related to the probability of overestimation by the subjects. Significantly more women in OE group practiced fasting, skipping meals, and taking prescribed pills to lose body weights and had skipped breakfast compared to those in the NE group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that the Korean young women's distorted perception of own body shape may be associated with undesirable weight control behavior, low quality of life, and lower nutritional status. Therefore, nutrition education for this group should include information on correct body shape perception and its importance.

A Comparison of Dietary Habits, Weight Control Behaviors, Eating Disorder Risk, and Depression of Middle School Girls according to Various Stages of Dieting / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to compare dietary habits, weight control behaviors, eating disorder risk and depression among middle school girls who were at various stages of dieting. METHODS: Subjects were 391 girls attending a middle school in Kyeonggido, Korea. All the information was gathered by self-administered questionnaires. Eating disorder risk and depression were assessed using EAT-26 and PHQ-9, respectively. Data were compared among 4 groups; no interest in a diet (N=112), had experienced dieting (N=86), on diet currently (N=71), and plan to diet (N=122). RESULTS: A higher number of students currently on diet tended to be unsatisfied with their own weight (p < 0.01), overestimated their weight (p < 0.05), and weighed own body frequently (p < 0.001), compared to those with only experienced dieting in the past or those who plan to diet, despite similar weights and body mass index. The students who experienced dieting in the past or those who plan to diet appeared to have several undesirable as well as desirable dietary habits and their risk of eating disorder was significantly more prevalent compared to those without an interest in dieting (p < 0.01), although significantly less prevalent compared to those currently on a diet. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that unnecessary dieting is common among middle school girls and providing proper education with regard to healthy weights is needed to enhance their physical as well as psychological wellbeing.

Erratum: A comparative study on dietary behavior, nutritional knowledge and life stress between Korean and Chinese female high school students

We would like to correct the paragraph on page 207.

Nutrition Status of Elderly Female Patients in Long-term Care Hospital according to Meal Types and Eating Ability / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine nutritional status of elderly patients in a long-term care hospital according to meal type and eating ability. METHODS: Subjects were 47 female patients aged over 65 (79.3 +/- 7.1 years) who resided in a long-term care hospital in Seoul. Thirty seven patients who ate diet orally were grouped according to meal type (27 general diet and 10 soft diet) and eating ability (26 eating by oneself and 11 eaten with help) and 10 were on tube feeding. Nutritional status was determined by food consumption and mid-arm circumference. RESULTS: The mean adequacy ratios (MARs) of 12 nutrients (protein, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, niacin, folic acid, vitamin C) were 0.687 for general diet, 0.565 for soft diet, 0.680 for eating by oneself and 0.677 for eaten with help, which were significantly lower than 0.982 for tube feeding (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The patients on tube feeding had significantly lower % arm circumference compared to those who ate general diet (84.0% vs. 95.4%, respectively, p < 0.05). Nutrients intakes, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and index of nutritional quality (INQ) were not different between meal types as well as eating ability. The most insufficiently consumed nutrients by the patients on diet were folic acid, vitamin B2, and calcium (NAR 0.334~0.453, 0.515~0.539, and 0.516~0.533, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that regardless of meal type or eating ability, the subjects who were on diets in this study might have inadequate intake of folic acid as well as vitamin B2, and calcium, which need to be reflected on menu planning. The measurement of mid-arm circumference presented more risk of malnutrition of patients on tube feeding than those on diets, despite apparently better nutrient consumption.

Lifestyle, Diet, Self-care, and Diabetes Fatalism of Diabetic Patients with and without Diabetic Foot / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was to determine diabetes fatalism of diabetic patients with and without diabetic foot and its association with lifestyle, diet, and self-care. METHODS: The subjects were diabetic patients with (male/female 48/21) and without diabetic foot (male/female 33/26). We administered the questionnaires which were designed to determine diabetes fatalism, lifestyle, diet, and self-care. Diabetes fatalism was determined by Diabetes fatalism scale (DFS), which consisted of total 12 items in three subscales namely, emotional stress, religiou.spiritual coping, and perceived self-efficacy. RESULTS: The patients with diabetic foot had undesirable diets more frequently (1.37 and 0.91 days/week respectively) and their desirable diets (2.74 and 3.61 days/week respectively) and foot care (4.61 and 5.53 days/week respectively) were less frequent than those without diabetic foot (p < 0.05). An item analysis of the 12 DFS items revealed a Chronbach' alpha of 0.614 and 0.869, respectively in diabetic patients with and without diabetic foot. Perceived self-efficacy related DFS of subjects without diabetic foot was positively associated with smoking (r = 0.350, p < 0.01), undesirable diet (r = 0.295, p < 0.05), and drinking (r = 0.257, p < 0.05), while its negative association with exercise (r = -0.224, p < 0.088) and foot care (r = -0.247, p < 0.059) did not reach to statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: This work was the first study reporting the potential usefulness of DFS, especially perceived self-efficacy related subscale as a predictor of lifestyle, diet and self-care on the Korean diabetic patients, at least those without severe diabetic foot to screen those who should be the first target for diabetes education.

A comparative study on dietary behavior, nutritional knowledge and life stress between Korean and Chinese female high school students

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary behavior and life stress in adolescence is related to growth rate and learning ability. This study was conducted to identify the relations between dietary habits, dietary attitude nutritional knowledge and life stress among high school girls in Korea and China. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects of this study were 221 high school girls in Korea and 227 high school girls in China. The questionnaire were about dietary habits, dietary attitude, nutritional knowledge and life stress. RESULTS: The dietary habits of chinese girls were healthier than those of Korean girls with a significant difference (P < .001). There was no significant difference in dietary attitude between Korean girls and Chinese girls. Korean girls had more nutritional knowledge than Chinese girls with a significant difference (P < .001). Korean girls did less physical exercise but spent more time watching TV and using PCs, compared to Chinese girls. Korean girls' degree of confidence in nutrition information that they had learned and their performance in their real lives were low. Also, they had a low level of awareness of the need for nutritional education. There was no significant difference in life stress between the two groups. Dietary habits had a significantly negative correlation with life stress in both Korean and Chinese girls (P < .01, P < .001). As for Chinese students, dietary attitude had a negative correlation with life stress with a significant difference (P < .05). As for Korean girls, nutritional knowledge had a negative correlation with life stress with a significant difference (P < .05), which means as life stress was less, dietary habits were better. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that effective nutrition education programs should include components that encourage application of learned nutrition information to real life, increase physical exercise and reduce life stress.