Sooyoun Kwon

Diet of children under the government-funded meal support program in Korea

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diet of children under the government-funded meal support program. The 143 children (67 boys and 76 girls) participated in this study among 4th-6th elementary school students receiving free lunches during the summer vacation of 2007 and living in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Korea. The subjects consisted of four groups supported by Meal Box Delivery (n = 26), Institutional Foodservice (n = 53), Restaurant Foodservice (n = 27), or Food Delivery (n = 37). A three-day 24-hour dietary recall and a self-administered survey were conducted. In addition, the childrens heights and weights were measured. The average energy intake of the children was 1,400 kcal per day, much lower than the Estimated Energy Requirements of the pertinent age groups. The results also showed inadequate intake of all examined nutrients; of particular concern was the extremely low intake of calcium. On average, the children consumed eight dishes and 25 food items per day. The children supported by Meal Box Delivery consumed more various dishes and food items than the other groups. The percentage of children preferring their current meal support method was the highest in those supported by Meal Box Delivery and the lowest in those supported by Food Delivery. We requested 15 children among the 143 children participating in the survey to draw the scene of their lunch time. The drawings of the children supported by Institutional Foodservice showed more positive scenes than the other groups, especially in terms of human aspects. In conclusion, the overall diet of children under the government-funded meal support program was nutritionally inadequate, although the magnitude of the problems tended to differ by the meal support method. The results could be utilized as basic data for policy and programs regarding the government-funded meal support program for children from low-income families.

Current status of managing food allergies in schools in Seoul, Korea

Recently the need to manage food allergies in schools has been growing. This study aimed to examine the current status of managing food allergies in schools in Seoul, Korea. A questionnaire survey was conducted in cooperation with the School Dietician Association during April 2009. Among the participating 154 schools, a total of 109 (71%) were determining students’ food allergy status through parental surveys based on self-reported food allergies. A total of 72 (47%) had experienced student visits to a school health room due to food allergies within one year before the survey. Over 80 percent of the schools relied on self-care only without any school-wide measures for food allergies in place. Among the 890 menu items most frequently served in school lunch programs, a total of 664 (75%) were found to contain more than one food allergen. It is highly suggested that preventive plans and treatment measures should be established to manage food allergies in schools.

Recommendation of Serving Size of the Meal Service of Community Child Centers in Korea

Objectives: This study was performed to set easily applicable portion sizes by sex and age for children at the Community Child Centers (CCC) in Korea. Methods: Considering the age and gender specific energy level at Target Patterns for children aged 6-18 years, which were suggested as a part of the 2010 Korean Food Guidance System (KFGS), we set three meal sizes. We reclassified the recommended daily servings of Grains, Meat⋅fish⋅eggs⋅beans and Vegetables group at Target Patterns into three meal sizes, and then calculated the recommended serving per meal. Each proposed amount of food per meal was calculated based on serving size of foods commonly eaten at KFGS, which was then allocated to five meal components; rice, soup?stew, protein and vegetable side-dishes and Kimchi. Each proposed amount of food per meal was applied to 173 menus’ recipes from CANpro 3.0 as main ingredient’s amounts. We cooked the 173 menus at the medium size and measured their weights after cooking. Results: Each recommended serving per meal was 0.75, 0.9 and 1.2 for Grains; 1.2, 1.6 and 2.4 for Meat⋅fish⋅eggs⋅beans; 2, 2.4 and 2.8 for Vegetables by meal sizes. Among five meal components, the ratio of small and large to medium size was 1/5 less and 1/3 more for rice and 1/3 less and 1/3 more for soup⋅stew, protein side-dish and Kimchi, respectively. We suggested the same amount for a vegetable side-dish to encourage vegetable intake. Proper portion sizes per meal of medium were rice 190 g, soup⋅stew 210 g (solid ingredients 60 g), protein side-dish 100 g (meat⋅eggs⋅beans) and 70 g (fish), vegetable side-dish 80g and Kimchi 30 g. Conclusions: Proper portion size per meal suggested in this study may be useful at the CCC where dietitians are not available and the approach could be applicable to the other types of meal services. Korean J Community Nutr 19(4): 361~371, 2014

Menu pattern and food diversity of snack menus provided by Child Care Information Centers in Seoul

Purpose: This study was conducted for analysis of menu pattern and food diversity of snack menus of child care centers in order to provide preliminary data for establishment of related guidelines for snack menus for child care centers. Methods: Data from 630 snack menus (350 for morning snacks and 280 for afternoon snacks) of March, 2013 from 14 Child Care Information Centers in Seoul provided for child care centers were analyzed. In addition, the menu pattern and food diversity of morning snack menus were compared with those of afternoon snack menus. Results: Differences in menu pattern and food diversity were observed between morning and afternoon snack menus. The majority of snack menus (66.8%) included two menu items and the numbers of menu items of afternoon snack menus were significantly larger than those of morning snack menus. The percentages of “Grains (G)” and “Grains (G) + Milk (D)” patterns were higher in snack menu (G: 18.9%, G+D: 17.1%). Approximately one third of snack menus were composed of only one food group. In addition, 45.6 % of all snack menus comprised milk and only 23.0% included fruits. Conclusion: These results demonstrated the need for improvement in food composition and diversity of snack menus provided by Child Care Information Centers for child care centers. Therefore, to ensure childrens intake of nutritionally balanced snacks, it will be necessary to establish more detailed guidelines for the menu pattern and food composition in snack menus for child care centers.

Socio-demographic factors and diet-related characteristics of community-dwelling elderly individuals with dysphagia risk in South Korea.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to determine dysphagia risk among community-dwelling elderly people living at home. We also examined the impact of socio-demographic variables on dysphagia risk as well as the relationship between dysphagia risk and dietary characteristics. SUBJECTS/METHODS The study sample included 568 community-dwelling individuals, aged 65 years and above, who were living independently in their own home in Seoul, Gyeonggi, or Gwangju in South Korea. We used a dysphagia risk assessment scale to screen for dysphagia risk and the Mini nutritional assessment to evaluate the nutritional status. Associations between dysphagia risk and other variables were assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Of the 568 subjects, 350 (61.6%) were classified into the dysphagia risk group (DR) and 218 (38.4%) were classified into the normal group (non-DR). Being female (odds ratio (OR) = 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28–2.59), being 75 years and older (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.69–3.42), having a lower education level (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.33–3.97), and having a lower perceived economic status (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.32–3.60) were more frequently observed with dysphagia risk compared to those who did not have such characteristics. Lowered mastication ability (OR = 14.40, 95% CI = 4.43–46.95), being at risk of malnutrition or malnourished (OR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.75–4.23), lowered appetite (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 2.16–4.93), and decreased food intake (OR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.83–4.78) were observed more frequently in the DR group than in the non-DR group when adjusting for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS It is necessary to develop and apply integrated programs to improve the dietary habits and nutritional status of elderly individuals at risk for dysphagia, especially for women aged 75 years or older with lower educational and economic levels.