Evaluation of Food Behavior of Secondary School Students in Seoul and Kyunggi Area

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to find the proper methods of school food service conducted from June 20th July 30th in 1996. The subjects of this study were 587 parents of students, 794 students and 359 school teachers at 508 middle and high schools in Seoul and Kyunggi area. And the result was as follow. A total of 48.3% of respondent answered they had breakfast regularly. The reasons why they had breakfast, were habits(34.4%) followed by hunger(28.2%), health(19.9%), parent's persuasion(17.5%). They reasons why they didn't have breakfast are, lacks of time(68.8%) followed by absence of appetite(20.5%), diet(4.5%). About the question the problem of eating habits the most of parents of students, chose an unbalanced diet(25.9%), followed by overeating of snacks(21.7%), voracious eating(18.0%), not eating meals(17.5%), eating little(10%) and overeating(6.8%). At the research of an unbalanced diet, the 63.3% of respondents said they eat evenly while the 36.7% said they had an unbalanced diet. From the research of correlativity between food service at elementary schools and eating habits, we knew that the experience of school food service had an effect on an unbalanced diet. And the students living in Seoul complained more than in Kyunggi. The question about the quality of food, 69.0% of respondents said they were not so bad. While 21.2% said not delicious at all just 9.8% of students said they were very satisfied with the taste. Interestingly, more middle school students both in Kyunggi and Seoul answered the food was delicious than high school students. About the question of the price, 49.5% of students thought appropriate(49.5%) while 44.3% said it was too high. Just 5.9% students answered cheap(5.9%). And students living in Kyunggi thought the price was high than students in Seoul. 62.9% of respondents think their refectories were clean while 22.8% think not clean. And 14.3% answered said dirty. Snack bars at school were managed by the contract with trusters(63.2%), while by the school itself(32.6%).