Current Status and Strategic Plan of Nutrition Education Comparing Nutrition Teachers with Dietitians in Schools, Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The aim of this study was to investigate how implementation of direct nutrition education differs between nutrition teachers and dietitians in Gyeonggi Area. In this study, we collected data from 107 nutrition teachers and 129 dietitians in 2012. Among those who have answered they implemented direct nutrition education for the last one year, 36% were nutrition teachers and 10% were dietitians (p < 0.05). Among subjects who implemented direct education, a significantly greater percentage of nutrition teachers used a class as an education time to conduct creative hands-on-activity compare to dietitians (p < 0.05). However, for most dietitians, school meal time was more commonly used for direct nutrition education. When asked to make a suggestion regarding improvement for school nutrition education, the highest rate of people chose simplification of school administrative work (4.68 points) was needed. Developing nutrition education (4.55 points) showed the next highest rate. The rest of the answers were the following order; regular training of teaching methods (4.50 points), increasing awareness of school teachers (4.50 points), improving school facilities and financial support (4.47 points), preparing teaching plan (4.46 points), providing incentive for direct education (4.26 points), organizing regular class for nutrition education (4.17 points), and placing nutrition teachers (4.16 points). This study provides useful information including manageable workload of nutrition teachers and dietitians, capacity building and supportive school environment to be delivered with respect to nutrition education system in South Korea.

Pulmonary carcinoid tumor presented with recurrent pneumonia in adolescence / 소아과

The incidence of endobronchial tumor in the pediatric period is very rare and the symptoms are very close to those of respiratory tract infection. Diagnosis can be delayed because of low clinical suspicion and the many ways in which these tumors can present. We report the first case, in Korea, of a pulmonary carcinoid tumor that presented with recurrent pneumonia at the same location in adolescence. Treatment is surgical and geared towards complete resection while sparing healthy lung parenchyma. Long-term and careful follow up is recommended to detect local and distant metastasis.

Studies on Alterations in Taste Perception of Korean Elderly

BACKGROUNDS: Recent studies of population trends demonstrate massive increases in both absolute numbers and percentage of our aging population. A large proportion of the population older than 65 years has age-related sensory losses that impair food intakes, overall health, self-sufficiency, and quality of life. Thus, this study was performed investigate the subjective and objective changes of taste perception in Korean elderly. METHODS: The subjects were 22 male and 109 female normal elderly persons aged 55 to 81(mean: 70+4.5) years without diabetes mellitus. They were recruited from senior citizen centers in Northern area of Seoul. The agents used for taste measurements are; sodium chloride for salt taste ; sucrose, for sweet; Glacial acetic acid, for sour; and Quinine hemisulfate for buffer. Taste threshold was measured by determining detection and recognition thresholds for all 4 taste qualities by a forced-choice, three-stimulus drop technique. Taste threshold was obtained by dropping solutions on the right sides of the tip of the tongue for salt taste, anterior lateral side for sweet, posterior lateral side, for sour taste, and back of the tongue for buffer taste. RESULTS: Among subjects, 52(40%) had hypertension, 12(9%) heart disease, and 18(14%) hypercholesterolemia. Male subjects had lower detection threshold for salt taste compared to that of females. The subjects with hypercholestrolemia had higher detection threshold for buffer taste(p<0.05). Male subjects had higher recognition threshold for buffer taste compared to that of females(p<0.05). The subjects with hypertension, heart problems, history of smoking, drinking, or medication had no significant changes in detection and recognition taste threshold of 4 different taste. Twenty one(16%) subjects experienced symptoms of dysgeusia, thirty(23%) hypogeusia. None of them reported symptoms of phantogeusia, cacogeusia, or heterogeusia. The subjects with dysgeusia had higher detection threshold for sweet taste(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Male subjects had lower detection threshold for salt taste and higher recognition threshold for buffer taste compared to those of females in Korean elderly(p<0.05). The subjects with hypercholesterolemia had higher detection threshold for buffer taste(p<0.05), and the subjects with dysgeusia had higher detection threshold for sweet taste(p<0.05). Thus, sex-related salty and buffer taste perception were observed in the elderly and dysgeusia had an effect on sweet taste. These results suggest that these taste perception changes seem to have an influence on nutritional and health status of the elderly and we should consider these taste perception changes to prepare the dietary guidelines for healthy life of the elderly.