The Effectiveness of Na Reduction Program for Cook in Child-care Center: Focus on Self-reevaluation and Strengthen Consciousness / 대한지역사회영양학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a Na-reduction education program and apply it for cooks who prepare meals in day-care centers. To development of the program was based on increasing the self-awareness of salinity, eating behaviors and enforcing skills of low-Na cooking. METHODS: The study was carried out from April to October in 2013, fifty five cooks participated in this program. The Na reduction program composed of 4 sessions of education which included a 90-minute lecture and self-reevaluation of personal saltsensitivity degree and three low Na recipe cooking classes. In order to measure the effectiveness of the program, the pretest and posttest of salinity of the soups provided by day care centers was conducted at registration and 5 month after the program with the same menu. RESULTS: After the conduct of the program, salimeter using rate was increased from 8.2% to 94.6% after the program and the other measuring instruments using rate was gradually increased. We observed that the score on eating behaviors increased 1.51 points from 38.80 to 40.31 after the intervention program (p < 0.001). Further, increased knowledge and skill provided by the intervention program resulted in improved Nareduction cooking capability. According to the results from analyzing the soup salinity, the salinity in watery soup was significant reduced from 0.556 to 0.449 0.107 and soybean-paste soup was significant reduced from 0.669 to 0.551 after the intervention program (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As the result of fact, the intervention programs that was based on self-reevaluation, to enforce practical skill and consciousness was effective to serve low sodium menu at day care centers.