The Effect of NutriPlus Program among 1-5 Year Children in Daejeon Area - The Improvement in Nutritional Status of Children and Nutrition Knowledge and Attitude of Parents - / 대한지역사회영양학회지

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effect of nutritional improvement of 1-5 year children participated in NutriPlus program. The program was carried out at Public health Center, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon from March 2009 to April 2011. The subjects were selected among applicants for low-income family financing of the government and included 90 children and their parents. they were divided into 2 groups (less than 6 months and more than 6 months of participation in the study). We analyzed the effects of NutriPlus program and nutrition education in both study groups. The results of this study were summarized as follows The number of children with less than 10th percentile in height and weight and weight for height was decreased. The anemia prevalence rate was reduced from 64.4% to 8.9%. NAR value of subjects increased for energy, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C. The education program improved knowledge and attitude of the parents. In nutrition knowledge according to the income level, there were greater changes in the group of less than 100% compared to the subsistence. In nutrition attitude according to the education level, there were greater changes in the group of middle school graduates than in high school graduates or college graduates. There were no difference between less than 6 months group and more than 6 months group in improvement of hemoglobin level, anthropometric data and nutrients intakes. Based on these results, we conclude that providing supplementary food to children and nutrition education brought positive effects on growth of the children.