Disparities in dietary quantity and quality between the two different types of Korean family of older adults living with spouses and living alone: using data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#This study was conducted to examine disparities in food and nutrient intakes based on family types identified among 1,856 participants who were the Korean elderly people in the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) excluding those who were currently practicing the diet therapy. @*SUBJECTS/METHODS@#We separated the subjects into two groups: living alone (LA, n = 638) and living with a spouse (LS, n = 1,218). We also examined the disparities of dietary quantity and quality of those two groups using complex sampling design general linear regression analyses (CS GLM). @*RESULTS@#In the LA group, there was a higher percentage of females and average age in LA group was higher than the participants in the LS group. Household income and education level were significantly lower in LA compared to those of LS. The frequencies of skipping meals were higher in LA. LA's food and nutrient intakes showed lower consumption of vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, and of most nutrients. Even after adjusting for the confounding factors, the consumption of vegetables, seaweeds, carbohydrates, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin C showed lower in LA than LS. Moreover, LA's nutrient intake ratios compared to the KDRIs were lower which turned out to be similar to their nutrient intakes. @*CONCLUSIONS@#These results show that dietary behavior and food intake of the elderly are associated with family types. Frequently skipping meals and less dietary variety are more common with elderly persons who were living alone. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the supplementary food programs and nutrition education programs for the elderly living alone.

Adherence to Dietary Guidelines for Elementary School Children According to Homeroom Teachers’ Nutrition Education

Homeroom teachers are not usually nutrition professionals, but they spend a lot of time with students in elementary school classrooms. This study was conducted to determine the association of homeroom teachers’ nutrition education with the dietary habits of their classroom children. The subjects were 131 homeroom teachers and their 1,102 children from 17 elementary schools in Gyeonggi, Korea. Self-administered questionnaires to collect information on dietary habits were conducted in December 2016. The dietary habits were determined with the adherences to the Dietary Guidelines for Adults and Children, respectively, by coding the better diet life with a higher score. The significances between groups according to teachers’ implementation of nutrition education (106 implemented, 25 not implemented) were analyzed by using SPSS at P＜0.05. Implementing nutrition education was not associated with the dietary habits of teachers themselves, but their students. Therefore, the students of teachers who implemented nutrition education had significantly higher adherence to 8 items out of 19 items (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). More of the students considered themselves as non-picky eaters (P＜0.05), tried to eat all the foods served at school lunch even when it contained unwanted ingredients (P＜0.01), and agreed on the need of nutrition education (P＜0.01), as compared to their counterparts. Conclusively, this study suggests that nutrition education delivered by homeroom teachers may be associated with more desirable dietary habits of students, even though homeroom teachers are not nutrition professionals. Therefore, efforts should be undertaken to develop and provide proper contents for homeroom teachers to use in nutrition education for elementary students.

Current Status of Sanitary and Nutritional Food Service in Elderly Day Care Center / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Objectives@#This study was conducted to examine the status of foodservice management, with special interest on sanitary and nutritional food service in elderly day care centers. @*Methods@#A total of 79 employees who managed foodservice facilities in elderly day care centers were included in the survey. The contents of the questionnaire consisted of general characteristics, importance and performance of sanitary and nutrition management, the reasons for poor performance, factors necessary for improvement, and the employee's demand for support. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS v25.0. @*Results@#Sanitary management showed an average importance score of 4.84 ± 0.40 and a performance score of 4.70 ± 0.61 (t-value: 8.260). The item with the lowest performance score was personal sanitary management (4.58 ± 0.71). In nutrition management, the average importance score was 4.52 ± 0.68, and the performance score was 4.20 ± 1.00 (t-value: 9.609). There were significant differences between the average score of importance and performance in both areas. As a result of an Importance-Performance Analysis, items that were recognized as important but had relatively low performance was “personal hygiene”, “ventilation” and “food storage”. Also in the nutritional management area, “menu planning for disease management” and “checking the saltiness in the soup” etc. had very low performance with low importance recognition. The items shown in the “low priority” quadrant were those that required professional management skills. In the areas that demanded support in foodservice management, education about sanitary and safe institutional food service had the highest score (4.42 ± 0.74), and all other items showed a demand of 4 points or more. @*Conclusions@#Foodservice managers recognize the importance of foodservice facility management but performance is relatively low. Institutional support is, therefore, needed to improve performance. For items with low importance, it seems necessary to improve awareness of the necessity of these items and to provide education in this regard. To gradually improve foodservice management, continuous provision of education and training in these areas are of great importance.

Relationship between Dietary Behaviors and Life Stress of Middle School Students in Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to examine the dietary behaviors and life stress of middle school students in the Gyeonggi area. METHODS: A total of 580 middle school students (295males, 285 females) in the Gyeonggi area participated in the study between July and August in 2011. The study was a questionnaire-based survey that included dietary habits, dietary behaviors, and life stress. RESULTS: For dietary habits, the score for drinking milk was higher in male students than in female students, whereas the score for eating fruits was higher in female students compared to male students. There were significant differences in foods eaten and preferred under stress between male and female students. Male students showed significantly less changes in the number of meals, amount of meal intake, number of snacks, snack intake, frequency of overeating, and appetite during stress than female students. Life stress score of students largely came from academic factors, and female students showed higher stress levels in personal and surrounding environment factors than male students. Life stress score was significantly lower in students with high and moderate levels of dietary habits than in students with a low level of dietary habits. Total score for dietary habits and scores for eating adequate amounts of foods for each meal, considering a combination of food groups at each meal and eating green and orange vegetables, were significantly negatively correlated with life stress score. Life stress score was significantly negatively correlated with meal regularity and positively with the level of overeating. CONCLUSIONS: This study may provide basic information on dietary habits and life stress according to gender and the relationship between dietary behaviors and life stress of middle school students, and it suggests gender-based nutrition education programs to solve undesirable dietary habits and dietary behaviors in students with higher stress.

Dietary behavior status and its association with study-related factors in middle school students in Gyeonggi area / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the status of dietary behavior and its association with study-related factors in middle school students. METHODS: Study-related factors, dietary habit score and dietary behaviors were surveyed by questionnaire and then analyzed. A total of 580 students in some middle schools in Gyeonggi-do participated in this study. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS for windows Ver. 22.0. RESULTS: 71.3% of the subjects slept for 6 ~ 8 hours, and the studying time outside of school was the highest (2 ~ 4 hours). The highest score for stress from studying by private lessons or academies was ‘seldom stressed’, with higher stress being observed in male students than female students. The average dietary habit score was 3.69 in male students and 3.62 in female students. The highest average time for meal eating was 10 ~ 20 minutes, with shorter times being observed for male students than female students. Eating meals was regular in most students and the highest number of snack eating was 1 ~ 2 times a day. For dietary behaviors by study-related factors, students with more than 2 hours of studying time outside of school showed higher dietary habit scores than those with less than 2 hours, who showed significantly higher rates of eating 2 meals a day. As the sleeping hours and daily average studying hours increased, the rate of regular meal eating increased significantly. CONCLUSION: The students showed good, above average dietary behaviors, but gender differences in study-related factors and dietary behaviors. Moreover, the sleeping hours and the studying time outside of school were correlated with dietary habit scores and dietary behaviors. Thus, continuous and systematic education for proper dietary behavior is needed along with greater interest in students with problems of study-related factors, particularly those due to study burden.

Nutrient intake and dietary quality of Korean adults according to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Based on the 2012~2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: Food intake of COPD patients decreases because of appetite loss, depression, and breathing problems while eating, which increase the likelihood of patients becoming malnourished. This study investigated the nutrient intake and dietary quality of people with and without COPD in Korea. METHODS: There were 2,160 adults aged 50 and over who participated in the 5~6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were divided into the COPD group and non-COPD group according to the rate of forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1) against forced vital capacity (FVC). Consumption of food and nutrients were calculated based on the nutrition examination survey. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 19.0. RESULTS: Among individuals in their 50s, intake of vitamin B1 in the COPD group was significantly less than the NCOPD group, while intake of sodium in the COPD group was significantly greater than the NCOPD group. Among individuals in their 60s, the energy intake of the COPD group was significantly less than that of the NCOPD group. The COPD group showed significantly less intake of vitamin B1 and vitamin C, but greater intake of sodium than the NCOPD group. In the group aged 70 and over, The COPD group had significantly less intake of vitamin B1 than the NCOPD group and showed lower nutrient adequacy ratio values in protein, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and iron than the NCOPD group. CONCLUSION: The COPD group consumed less energy and certain nutrients, and their dietary quality was poor compared to the NCOPD group. Thus, more detailed research is required to understand the concrete relationship between COPD and malnutrition.

Comparative study on prevalence and components of metabolic syndrome and nutritional status by occupation and gender: Based on the 2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: In this study, factors of metabolic syndrome and nutritional status were examined according to gender and occupations using the 2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: This study was conducted on 1,750 workers (male : 892, female : 858) aged between 30 and 64, who participated in a health survey, health examination, and nutrition survey using the 6th 2013 KNHANES. Occupations were classified into white collar and blue collar workers, and nutrient intake was analyzed using a food frequency questionnaire. Analysis of complex sample design data through SPSS 19.0 was used for analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome among blue collar (35.1%) was higher than that among white collar workers (26.8%) in male subjects (p < 0.05) as well as in blue collar (24.8%) compared to white collar workers (8.9%) in female subjects (p < 0.001). Intake frequency per week, considering one portion by food category, showed significant differences in cooked rice (p < 0.05) and bakeries and confectioneries (p < 0.05) in make workers as well as stew and casserole (p < 0.01) and fruits (p < 0.05) in female workers. With regard to nutrient intake by occupation and gender, white collar workers consumed a greater amount of nutrients (not including total energy intake) compared to blue collar workers in both male and female workers. With regard to nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR) according to gender and occupation, white collar workers showed higher numbers than blue collar workers in both male and female subjects. CONCLUSIONS: This study examined the prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome and nutrient intake according to gender and occupation. In both male and female subjects, blue collar workers showed higher prevalence rates compared to white collar workers, and their diet quality was worse than white collar workers' diet quality. Considering this result, customized nutrition education according to gender and occupation should be provided to workers to prevent diseases.

Comparative analysis of dietary behavior and nutrient intake of elderly in urban and rural areas for development of “Village Lunch Table” program: Based on 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: We conducted comparative analysis of dietary behavior and food and nutrient intakes of Korean elderly in urban and rural areas using the 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: This study was conducted on 1,239 participants (urban elderly: 867, rural elderly: 372) aged 65 years and over who participated in the health examination and nutrition survey in the 6th 2014 KNHANES. Dietary behaviors, including skipping meals, eating out frequencies, and food and nutrient intakes were analyzed using 24-hour recall data. Analysis of complex sample design data through SPSS 19.0 was used for the analysis. RESULTS: The rate of skipping dinner was higher in urban (6.5%) than in rural elderly (3.6%) (p < 0.05), and the frequency of eating out per week of urban elderly (1.73) was higher than that of rural elderly (1.35) (p < 0.001). The rural elderly consumed a greater amount of grain compared to urban elderly, whereas consumption of water, seaweed food, and dairy products was lower in rural than in urban areas (p < 0.05). The rural elderly consumed significantly less highly unsaturated fatty acids, n-6 fatty acids, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, carotene, niacin, and vitamin C in comparison with elderly in urban areas. Comparison of the percentages of Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) between the two groups showed that intakes of vitamin A and vitamin C were significantly lower in the rural elderly than in urban elderly. CONCLUSION: The elderly in rural areas showed unbalanced food and nutrient intakes compared to the elderly in urban areas. Therefore, customized nutrition education according to residential areas should be developed and provided to rural elderly to improve their health and nutritional status.

The effect of providing nutritional information about fast-food restaurant menus on parents' meal choices for their children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To encourage healthier food choices for children in fast-food restaurants, many initiatives have been proposed. This study aimed to examine the effect of disclosing nutritional information on parents' meal choices for their children at fast-food restaurants in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online experimental survey using a menu board was conducted with 242 parents of children aged 2-12 years who dined with them at fast-food restaurants at least once a month. Participants were classified into two groups: the low-calorie group (n = 41) who chose at least one of the lowest calorie meals in each menu category, and the high-calorie group (n = 201) who did not. The attributes including perceived empowerment, use of provided nutritional information, and perceived difficulties were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The low-calorie group perceived significantly higher empowerment with the nutritional information provided than did the high-calorie group (P = 0.020). Additionally, the low-calorie group was more interested in nutrition labeling (P < 0.001) and considered the nutritional value of menus when selecting restaurants for their children more than did the high-calorie group (P = 0.017). The low-calorie group used the nutritional information provided when choosing meals for their children significantly more than did the high-calorie group (P < 0.001), but the high-calorie group had greater difficulty using the nutritional information provided (P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that improving the empowerment of parents using nutritional information could be a strategy for promoting healthier parental food choices for their children at fast-food restaurants.

Utilization Status and Efforts to Increase Usage of Traditional Foods in School Lunch according to Dietitians' Preference / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The study was conducted to assess school dietitians' preferences for traditional foods, to determine the association with their perception and usage status, and to develop the strategies to increase its utilization of traditional foods in school lunches. The information was obtained by the self-administered questionnaire from the subjects, which were 198 dietitians in schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. According to the preference for traditional foods, subjects were distributed into three groups (High = 54, Medium = 128, Low = 16). The significances of differences between groups were determined using SPSS 12.0 at p < 0.05. Compared to the dietitians with lower (medium and low) preferences, those with high preferences answered that they had better knowledge (p < 0.001) for traditional foods, and served them more in school lunches (p < 0.01). Also, more dieticians in the high preference group not only felt that they need to train school administrators (p < 0.01) as well as themselves (p < 0.05), but also were currently providing students with the nutrition education on traditional foods (p < 0.05). The results presented the evidence suggesting that having dietitians with higher preference for traditional foods can offer an effective strategy to increase the opportunities for schoolchildren to be exposed to traditional foods. Development of the standard recipes for use in school lunches by the government or the association was answered as the best strategy to increase the use of traditional foods, regardless of the dietitians' preferences.

Evaluation of Nutrition Education for Preschool Children Using Picture-Questionnaire / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the nutrition education on preschool children's nutrition knowledge and behaviors. The study subjects were preschool children attending J kindergarten located in Wonju. Each of the control group and the education group consisted of 49 children and the education group was exposed to nutrition education while the control group did not. The nutrition education intervention lasted 9 weeks weekly basis. The t-test for the homogeneity of each group showed no meaningful difference at the beginning point of nutrition education. After nutrition education a test of nutrition knowledge using picture-questionnaire was carried out by the researcher for the subjects of education group and control group and the caretakers of the education group were offered self-administered questionnaire on the changes in children's dietary behaviors. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Nutrition education intervention showed a meaningful difference in children's understanding nutrition; the kinds and function of food, the relationship between food and body, the function of nutrients and enhanced their idea on hygiene compared to the control group (p < p.005). 2. However, nutrition education intervention made no statistically meaningful difference in children's dietary behaviors such as having breakfast, keeping balanced diet, washing hands before meals, saying "thanks" before and after meals, cleaning the table after meals, brushing teeth after meals and so on. Therefore, we found that it is hard to expect children to correct their dietary behaviors in such a short period of 9 weeks and nutrition education for preschool children should be offered to caretakers at the same time.

One portion size of foods frequently consumed by Korean adults

This study aimed to define a one portion size of food items frequently consumed for convenient use by Koreans in food selection, diet planning, and nutritional evaluation. We analyzed using the original data on 5,436 persons (60.87%) aged 20 ~ 64 years among 8,930 persons to whom NHANES 2005 and selected food items consumed by the intake frequency of 30 or higher among the 500 most frequently consumed food items. A total of 374 varieties of food items of regular use were selected. And the portion size of food items was set on the basis of the median (50th percentile) of the portion size for a single intake by a single person was analyzed. In cereals, the portion size of well polished rice was 80 g. In meats, the portion size of Korean beef cattle was 25 g. Among vegetable items, the portion size of Baechukimchi was 40 g. The portion size of the food items of regular use set in this study will be conveniently and effectively used by general consumers in selecting food items for a nutritionally balanced diet. In addition, these will be used as the basic data in setting the serving size in meal planning.

A Study on the Parents' Perceptions of Children's Favorite Foods / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the parents' perceptions of children's favorite foods. Mothers of elementary school students in Seoul were asked in a survey about their perceptions of children's favorite foods and their opinions of the related policy. Respondents pointed out the problems of children's favorite foods including insufficient sanitation, concerns with food additives, untrustworthy manufacturer, unsafe food distribution system and overuse of MSG. Overall hazardous perceptions of children's favorite foods were 2.71 out of 4.00. Most respondents believed that the children's favorite foods contained some harmful ingredients or over nutrients, and 69.2% of those respondents knew exactly which ingredients may cause children's health problems. The hazardous perception of chocolate, yogurt, sport drink and fruit drink were low compared to others, whereas hazardous perceptions and accuracy were high in candies, icebars, hamburgers and pizza, In terms of comprehensive countermeasures against unsafe children's foods, the respondents perceived that the establishment of standard amounts of nutrient value and food additives was the most important issue.

The Anthropometric Status and Nutrient Intakes of Physical Education Majors and Non-major Male College Students / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The study was performed to investigate the relationship of regular exercise to body composition and nutrient intakes of male college students by comparing anthropometric measurements and one-day dietary intakes by 24-hour recall of physical education (PE) majors and non-major male college students. The subjects were 253 students residing in the Gyeonggi area. Only 64.1% and 32.1% of PE majors and non-major students exercised over 4 times a week and PE major students did stronger exercise than the non-major students did. Mean BMI and WHR (Waist Hip Ratio) of the two groups were not different. But percentages of body fat and lean body mass in PE major students were lower and higher, respectively, than those of non-major students. PE major students consumed significantly more energy and other nutrients except iron, niacin, vitamin C, and vitamin E than non-major students. Nutrients consumed less than KRDA was calcium in PE major students and energy, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin C in non-major students. Mean adequacy ratio (MAR) of PE major students (1.00) was significantly higher than that of non-major students (0.94). Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) of all nutrients except vitamin A of PE major students was also significantly higher than that of non-major students. Nutrients below 1.00 in INQ of both groups were calcium, zinc, vitamin B2, and folate. Our data supports that regular exercise may positively influence on body composition and increase diet quality in male college students. Therefore, an educational program focused on regular exercise along with proper dietary behavior would be needed.

The Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Dietary Habits of Physical Education Majors and Non-majors of Male College Students / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was performed to investigate the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and dietary habits of physical education (PE) major and non-majors of male college students. The subjects were 253 students residing in Gyeonggi area. Nutrition knowledge scores of PE major students were lower than that of non-major students. Both PE major and nonmajor students reported TV, radio, and internet as their primary sources of nutrition information. Overall dietary attitude scores of two groups did not differ significantly, but PE major students showed more positive attitudes than non-major students for 'Enjoy eating foods that are good for health'. PE major students took more number of meals a day and took more irregularly than non-major students. Also they used more nutrient supplements than non-major students. PE major students drank more amounts of alcohol and drank more frequently than non-major students. But the smoking status of the two groups was not significantly different. PE major students scored higher than non-major students in dietary habits on balance of meals in spite of their low nutrition knowledge scores. Therefore, it is suggested that nutritional programs for PE major and non-major college students should be developed.

A study on nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior of elementary school children in Seoul

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrition and diet related knowledge, attitude, and behavior of elementary school children in Seoul. The subjects included were 439 (male 236, female 203) elementary school children in the 4th to the 6th grades. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 12.0 program. The average obesity index (OI) was 104.98 and 99.82 for male and female subjects, respectively. The average percentage of underweight, normal, overweight and obese of subjects was 33.7%, 32.8%, 12.3%, and 19.4%, respectively. The percentage of the underweight group of female subjects was higher than that of the male subjects. The percentage of the obese group of male subjects was higher than that of the female subjects. The average score of nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitude and dietary behavior was 6.8, 7.44, and 7.34, respectively. Dietary behavior of male subjects was positively correlated with parents' education levels, monthly household income and nutrition attitude. Dietary behavior of female subjects was positively correlated with monthly household income, nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitude. Dietary behavior of female subjects was positively correlated with obesity index (OI). Proper nutrition education and intervention are required for the improvement of elementary school children's nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitudes and dietary behaviors.

Body Image Recognition and Dietary Behaviors of College Students According to the Body Mass Index / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was performed to investigate the body image perception by BMI and the dietary behaviors in 803 college students (408 males and 395 females). The degree of obesity was divided into an underweight group with BMI less than 18.5 kg/m(2), a normal group with BMI of 18.5~22.9 kg/m(2), an overweight group with BMI of 23~24.9 kg/m(2) and an obese group with BMI over 25.0 kg/m(2). The average ages of subjects were 22.9 years in males and 20.2 years in females. The average weight and height of male subjects were 175.3 cm and 69.6 kg, respectively and those of female subjects were 162.5 cm and 52.0 kg, respectively. The average BMIs of male and female subjects were 22.6 kg/m(2) and 19.7 kg/m(2), respectively. The distribution of subjects who perceived their current body image as ideal body image was 25.7% in males and 10.9% in females, showing that the body image satisfaction of male subjects was 1.5 times higher than that of female subjects. Body image perception for their own bodies was mostly shown as the average or standard shape both in males and females with 64.2% and 54.2%, respectively, but males showed a higher perception rate than females and 31.1% of females and 19.5% of males perceived their bodies as lean shape (p < 0.01). The body image satisfaction was 4.20 in males and 3.70 in females, showing more satisfaction in the male subjects (p < 0.001). The correlation between body image and physical variables in male subjects indicated that CBI and IBI showed statistically significant correlation and also BMI showed statistically significant correlation with IBI (p < 0.001) and CBI (p < 0.001). The frequency of eating out increased as the frequency of skipping meals increased (p<0.001) and the frequency of having snacks increased as the frequency of eating out increased (p < 0.01). The correlation between body image and physical variables in female subjects showed that CBI and IBI (p < 0.001) had statistically significant correlation. Body weight showed statistically significant correlation with CBI (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001) and height (p < 0.001). The frequency of eating out increased as height (p < 0.01) and the frequency of skipping meals (p < 0.001) increased. When both male and female subjects wanted leaner body shapes, they preferred much leaner shapes despite their current body images belonging in the normal range. Additionally subjects preferred the body image in the normal range in cases when their current body images were lean. In particular, more female subjects had strong desires to become leaner in their body images than male subjects, which could be analyzed as a risk factor for physical harm. From the above results, it is considered that both male and female subjects need to establish proper recognition and dietary behaviors for their body images and also need nutritional education and counseling for desirable weight control methods.

The Effect of Antioxidant Vitamins Supplementation on Blood Pressure, Plasma Lipids, Folate, and Homocysteine Levels in Smokers and Non-Smokers of College Students in the Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was performed to investigate the effect of vitamin C and E supplementation on blood pressure, plasma lipids, folate, and homocysteine levels in smokers and non-smokersof college male students in Gyeonggi Area. The nutrient intakes were determined by a 24hr-recall method. The subjects were divided into six groups: vitamin C supplementation group (n: smokers = 10, nonsmokers = 10), vitamin E supplementation group (n: smokers = 10, nonsmokers = 10), vitamin C and E supplementation group (n: smokers = 10, nonsmokers = 10), respectively. There were no significant differences between the smokers and nonsmokers in terms of anthropometric measurements. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in smokers than that of non-smokers. There was no significant difference in energy and other nutrients intakes between smokers and non-smokers. In plasma lipids levels, smokers had higher plasma triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol concentration than that of non-smokers (p < 0.05). HDL-cholesterol level of smokers had a tendency to be lower than that of nonsmokers. In smokers, AI, TPH, LPH were significantly higher than that of non-smokers (p < 0.01). Plasma folate, homocysteine levels were not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers. The effect of antioxidant vitamins supplementation in smokers: In vitamin C supplementation group, HDL-cholesterol level was significantly increased (p < 0.01) and AI, TPH, LPH were significantly decreased (p < 0.01). In vitamin E supplementation group, HDL-cholesterol level was significantly increased (p < 0.05). In vitamin C and E supplementation group, LPH was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The effect of antioxidant vitamins supplementation in non-smokers: HDL-cholesterol level was significantly increased (p < 0.05) and AI, TPH, LPH were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by vitamin C supplementation group. Plasma homocysteine level was decreased by vitamin E supplementation group in non-smokers p < 0.01). The results of this study showed that smoking had a tendency to increase plasma lipids levels that factor into the risk of coronary heart disease. It is considered that antioxidant vitamin supplementation in smokers had a tendency to decrease cardiovascular disease than in nonsmokers.

A Study of Health Professionals Awareness, Satisfaction and Desirable Nutrition Labeling of Foods for Special Dietary Uses / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This survey was conducted to evaluate with 457 health professionals from July, 1999 to September, 1999 the awareness of and satisfaction with the nutrition labeling system in Korea and to determine a desirable labeling system. Professors of food and nutrition and nutrition researchers in the food industry had the hightest scores on awareness of the nutrition labeling system(75.6% and 73.4%, respectively), which was significantly different from each other by occupation(p<0.01). Frequently checked labeling information were expiration date, production date, price, and company respectively. Special nutrient food producers(56.9%), dietitians(49.3%), nurses(48.1%), researchers(42.3%) answered moderately on satisfaction with nutrition information for products, which was statistically significant(p<0.01). This suggests that health professionals were unsatisfied with the present nutrition labeling system. In nutrition focusing statements, nutrient content claims, health claims, and working periods were significantly related with nutrition focusing statements and health claims, but not with nutrient content claims : the subject who had been working for more than 10 years and less than 5 years had positive thoughts or those matters while the subjects whose working periods were between 10 and 5 years had the lowest score. The most desirable labeling units were serving size(65.1%). Ninety two percent of the subjects wanted absolute nutrient contents in food and their percentage of the KRDA. Eight nine percent of health professionals agreed that the health claims should be used only with scientific approval by the government or food research institutions. Only 4.4% of subjects were satisfied with current regulations of health claims(p<0.001). More studies regarding labeling units, their range and nutrient reference values are needed. The opinions of health professionals in nutrition labeling system should discussed to establish a desirable nutrition labeling system.

A Study on Blood Pressure and Serum Biochemical Indices of Cerebrovascular Accident Patients in Korean Urban Adults / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was done to investigate the blood pressure, BMI and serum lipids of cerebrovascular accident patients in Seoul. The subjects were 195 Korean urban cerebrovascular accident patients who were hospitalized at Dong Seo Oriental Hospital in Seoul from June, 1997 to December, 1997. There were more cerebral infarction patients(164) than cerebral hemorrhage patients(31). Cerebral infraction patients were prevalent for subjects in their sixties, but cerebral hemorrhage patients were most commonly in their fifties. The BMI of cerebral infarction accidents was significantly higher than that of cerebral hemorrhage patients(p<0.05). Mean diastolic blood pressure of cerebral hemorrhage patients was significantly higher than that of the cerebral infarction patients(p<0.05). The mean systolic blood pressure of the cerebral hemorrhage patients was higher than that of the cerebral infarction patients, not statistically significant. The serum total cholesterol and glucose levels of the cerebral infarction patients was significantly higher than those of the cerebral hemorrhage patients(p<0.05). Serum total cholesterol(p<0.01), triglyceride(p<0.05) and LDH(p<0.01) levels of female subjects were significantly higher than those of male subjects. Serum total cholesterol has a negative correlation with serum GOT and GPT, but has a positive correlation with triglyceride. Serum triglyceride has a negative correlation with diastolic blood pressure but has a positive compellation with serum glucose.