RESUMEN
The purpose of this study was to review health information on nutrition in Japanese newspaper articles. The Nikkei Database was used to select articles published in five major newspapers: Asahi, Sankei, Nikkei, Mainichi and Yomiuri. All these dailies have nationwide circulation. The search period was for 7 years, from January 1993 to December 1999. The keywords "diet," "health," and "nutrition" were used. Consequently, 182 articles were selected and analyzed by determining content and coverage. The articles were published to be targeted for the general population: 123 (67.6%), schoolchildren: 21 (11.5%), and elderly: 18 (9.9%). The main source of the newspaper articles on diet was health professionals, such as nutritionists and medical doctors. As diet related health problems, the lifestyle-related diseases, obesity, hypertension, and mental health were introduced in the newspapers. Few articles commented on the relationship between oral health and diet, and dental professionals were not much involved in providing health information on diet. The newspaper is a major source for the general public to obtain health information. It is clear that oral diseases and functional disorder influence daily eating habits. It was suggested that dental professionals should provide such information to the general public, using many occasions, such as conducting health guidance at dental clinics, health education at health centers or schools, and also through mass media.
Asunto(s)
Educación en Salud , Periódicos como Asunto , JapónRESUMEN
A questionnaire survey and oral health examination were conducted in 2000. The subjects were students of dental and dental hygiene schools at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Subjects totaled 101 (48 males, 53 females), and the average age was 22.0 +/- 3.3. The relationship among eating habits, lifestyles, and oral health status of the students was analyzed. The following results were obtained. 1. Almost half of the students did not eat one of the three main meals; that is, breakfast, lunch, or supper. Most of them skipped breakfast. 2. The students who ate rice (traditional Japanese-style food) for breakfast had less DMFT compared with those who ate other foods, such as bread or noodles, or who did not eat breakfast. 3. The amount of stimulated saliva of the students who ate rice for breakfast was greater than that of others. 4. The oral health behavior and nutrition balance of the students who ate rice for breakfast was better than that of others. 5. The students' eating habits were related to their living styles, such as living alone or with the family. From these results, it was suggested that educational emphasis on nutrition balance and eating habits is needed for dental students and dental hygiene students, because in the future they must advise patients on good oral health and general health through good eating habits, as dental professionals.