Nutrient Intake Determined by School Lunch Plate Waste and by self-reported Food Consumption of Selected High School Students in Seoul

ABSTRACT

The Purposes of this study were to assess high school students' nutrient consumption at the ordinary time and to analyze nutrient contents and nutrition consumption of lunch. The questionnaires for self-reported food consumption were distributed to 210 students enrolled in a boy's high school and a girl's high school located in Seoul area. A final response rate was 87.1%, excluding responses that had significant missing data. Data of self-reported food consumption and BMI(Body Mass Index) were analyzed with descriptive analysis and t-test using SPSS Win(ver. 12.0). To measure the serving size and the waste amount, data were collected for three meals in a three day period at each school. A weighed plate method was employed to measure plate wastes and consumption of the menus served. Nutrient analyses for the served and consumed menus were performed using CAN-PRO. The result of nutrient intake determined by self-reported food consumption demonstrated 74.2% of boys and 70.0% of the girls did not meet EAR(Estimated Average Requirement) for calcium. In addition, the data collection showed that 60.2% boys and 26.7% girls did not consume EAR for Vitamin B1. Nutrient analyses of the served and consumed menus at school lunch were compared with 1/3 of the Dietary Reference Intakes(DRIs) for this age group. The served menus did not meet 1/3 of the Recommended Intake(RI) for calcium, iron, and vitamin B2. In contrast, the menu provided to students exceeded almost five times(490%) more than the sodium needed for 1/3 of the Adequate Intake(AI). Considering the amount of the students' plate waste, intake of vitamin A and vitamin C were below 1/3 of the RI, and calcium, iron, and vitamin B2 intake were also reduced. Students' sodium consumption still exceeded 1/3 of the AI at 340.0%.