School Dietitians' Satisfaction with and Needs for School Meal Service Support Centers / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate school dietitians' satisfaction with and needs for School Meal Service Support Centers. A web-based on-line survey was conducted with 1,102 nutrition teachers or school dietitians using four School Meal Service Support Centers during the summer of 2011. The data from 578 respondents (52.5%), consisting of 165 (44.4%), 334 (53.4%), 41 (67.2%), and 38 (86.4%) dietitians using Seoul, Gyeonggi, Suncheon and Gyeongju centers, respectively, were analyzed. The main reason for using the centers was subsidies from local governments. The dietitians using the metropolitan centers, which were Seoul and Gyeonggi centers, tended to buy agricultural products through the centers only, and those using local centers, which were Suncehon and Gyeongju centers, bought those products from the private suppliers as well as from the centers. The dietitians' overall level of satisfaction with the centers was not high showing 3.3 out of 5 points; it was significantly associated with the operating system and services of the centers such as system efficiency, delivery accuracy, communication, and information provision rather than the agricultural products provided by the centers. The dietitians preferred joint operation of the centers by local governments and producers' groups. They wanted School Meal Service Support Centers to be evaluated every year. It was suggested that efforts should be made to improve the operation system and service of School Meal Service Support Centers for improving dietitians' satisfaction with the centers. In addition, an evaluation system for School Meal Service Support Centers should be implemented soon based on school dietitians' needs.

Needs Assessment for Developing a Nutrition Information Site for Elementary School Children Among Elementary School Dietitians / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was to examine the needs among elementary school dietitians (n = 115) for developing a nutrition information internet site for children. A survey questionnaire included general characteristics, internet use regarding health and nutrition information, and needs for developing a nutrition information site. The mean age of the subjects was 36.2 years. The higher working experience group (> 10 years of working as dieticians) had higher mean age (p < 0.001), had a larger number of enrolled students at school (p < 0.01) and the number of those receiving school lunch (p < 0.01) than the counterparts (< or = 10 years group). Sources of health and nutrition information were mainly PC/internet (60.4%) and seminar (14.4%). About 95% used health or nutrition information using the internet, however, the majority of users (71.6%) used internet information only when they needed it. Major reasons for using internet information was 'to get nutrition education materials' (63.8%) and 'to obtain general nutrition information' (21%). One third of the subjects were satisfied with nutrition information internet sites; major problems with internet sites were 'lack of content' (38.9%) and 'lack of practical information' (33%). These characteristics regarding internet use were not different between work experience groups. Major problems with nutrition education were 'lack of nutrition educational materials' (41.1%) and 'lack of nutrition education skills' (32.1%). These were significantly different between the work experience groups (p < 0.01). Subjects preferred CD/ internet to leaflet/booklet as nutrition educational materials. In developing nutrition sites for children, subjects wanted topics such as obesity assessment, dietary assessment, and obesity. Subjects responded that contents of nutrition information should be 'suitable to the children's knowledge levels' (31.1%), 'interesting enough by including quizzes, games and songs' (27.8%), 'inserting many illustrations/icons' (16.3%). In terms of designing internet sites for children, they wanted that internet sites should 'be easy enough to find the sites' (29.2%), 'use illustrations and characters' (24.8%), 'use communication channels such as Q&A' (18.7%). Needs for developing internet sites for children were not different by the work experience group. This study suggests that web sites for children should be carefully developed considering the contents and design, have less information with more illustrations, designed to induce the interest of children, as well as including sections such as eating habit assessment and games.

Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Attitudes of the School Foodservice Dietitians Working in Kyungnam Area

This survey was conducted in February 24, 1999, in order to investigate the nutritional knowledge and dietary attitude of the school dietitians working in Kyungnam area. Subjects consisted of 305 school dietitians of which 163 married and 141 unmarried. The results obtained are summarized as follows : The average nutritional knowledge score was 10.50 out of possible 15 points, and dietary attitude score was 69.36 out of 100 points. Most of the subjects belonged to "Fair" group in terms of nutritional knowledge and dietary attitude level. Married dietitians scored significantly higher on dietary attitudes than unmarried dietitians (p<0.05). The correlation between nutritional knowledge score and dietary attitude score was not statistically significant(r=0.107)