Korean journal of community nutrition最新文献

Objectives: This study investigated the nutritional differences between sweet and salty snacks and beverages in South Korea (Korea) and the United States (US). Nutritional content and healthiness were determined using back- and front-of-package nutrition labeling (FoPNL) systems.

Methods: Three snack and three beverage categories popular in Korea and the US were selected. Statistical data were used to determine the top 10-15 best-selling products in each category in each country. The selected products included chips (n = 15), cookies (n = 10), chocolate (n = 13), carbonated drinks (n = 10), fruit juices/drinks (n = 10, 5/5), and energy drinks (n = 10). The study excluded products that were artificially sweetened. Nutritional information and percentages of fruit and vegetable content in each product were collected from brand websites and grocery stores in each country. The FoPNL system was used to assess the healthiness of the products, which included multiple traffic light labels, a Health Star Rating, and a Nutri-Score.

Results: Overall, Korean snacks contained significantly more protein, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than US snacks. However, the US chips and carbonated drinks contained more sodium, while the US energy drinks contained more caffeine than Korean products. The serving size of US carbonated drinks was significantly larger than that of Korean drinks, whereas the serving size of US chips was smaller than that of Korean products. The FoPNL system classified the majority of products as 'less healthy.'

Conclusion: Our results suggest that Korean and US food manufacturers should improve the nutritional quality and/or serving size of commonly consumed food products. Policymakers in both countries should work to improve the presentation of nutrient information on nutrition labels to assist consumers in making healthier food choices.

Objectives: Obesity rates are rapidly rising in Korea. Weight control is highly involved in obesity treatment. This study aimed to explore research trends related to weight control through keyword network analysis. By focusing on journals indexed in the Korea Citation Index (KCI), this study highlights trends specific to Korea, offering insights that reflect the country's unique cultural and policy contexts in weight control research.

Methods: This study collected keywords from weight control-related papers published in the KCI journal over the past 20 years. Keywords were cleaned through Textom (2024), and the relationships between key research issue frequency analysis, structural characteristics, and keywords were identified using Textom, UCINET6, and NetDraw.

Results: Over the past 20 years, 40 to 50 studies related to weight control have been conducted each year. The Korean Journal of Community Nutrition had the largest number of published articles. Keyword frequency analysis showed that 'obesity' had the highest frequency. And the analysis of degree centrality and betweenness centrality, the keyword 'obesity' ranked the highest. CONCOR analysis identified four clusters: preventive health care, health management, physical health, and personal development.

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that weight control research reflecting the characteristics of the times has been steadily progressing in relation to the rapidly increasing obesity in Korea, and when developing policies or setting research directions related to weight loss in the future, research should be conducted in a prospective manner by subdividing it according to groups and interests.

Objectives: We aimed to analyze trends in growth and nutrient intake patterns in Korean toddlers and preschoolers and generate data for international comparisons of early childhood growth status.

Methods: Overall, 3,661 children aged 1-4 years were included. This study used the data from the 5th-8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The weight-for-height, height-for-age, weight-for-age, and body mass index-for-age z-scores of the participants were calculated using the World Health Organization 2006 child growth z-score reference cutoff points. The 24-hour recall method was used to determine dietary intake, which was assessed according to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. All statistical analyses were conducted and weighted according to a complex sample design.

Results: Most Korean toddlers and preschoolers demonstrated normal growth, with an increasing trend noted over the survey period. Concurrently, the prevalence of overweight decreased. The mean intake of energy from fat exhibited an upward trend, paralleling that of protein and fat. Conversely, the intake of several essential micronutrients declined. The prevalence of nutritional inadequacy showed significant variation throughout the survey period: the proportion of inadequacy in carbohydrate intake decreased, whereas those of iron, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, and vitamin C increased.

Conclusion: South Korea is making significant progress in supporting toddlers and preschoolers, as evidenced by consistent increases in the proportion of children with normal growth and decreases in the prevalence of malnutrition. Future research should focus on exploring dietary patterns and analyzing specific food groups that are essential for promoting optimal growth and nutritional status in children.

Objectives: A campus-based intervention to enhance food literacy (FL) and establish exercise habits among college students was developed and the program's effectiveness was evaluated.

Methods: The 13-session program was developed based on the transtheoretical model and social cognitive theory. Junior and senior students majoring in food and nutrition and physical education were asked to participate as mentors, with freshmen and sophomores from varied majors as mentees. The program encompassed food, nutrition, and exercise lessons including cooking sessions. Data were collected via pre- and post-program surveys using a questionnaire consisting of items on FL and nutrition behaviors and physical fitness measurements.

Results: Among 39 participants (35.9% male, 64.1% female), the overall FL score increased significantly from 64.1 to 70.6 post-program (P = 0.001). Significant increases were observed in the nutrition and safety (P < 0.001), cultural and relational (P = 0.023), and socio-ecological (P = 0.001) domains, as well as knowledge (P = 0.001), self-efficacy (P = 0.013), attitude (P < 0.001), and behavior (P = 0.005) items in three domains of FL. Additionally, meal duration increased significantly (P = 0.007) and sit-up performance among female showed a meaningful change (P = 0.046). Changes in dietary behaviors significantly progressed (P = 0.015) while that in exercise habits approached a marginal significance (P = 0.053) after the intervention.

Conclusion: The results reveal positive changes in FL and some modifications in eating habits, although the program had limited effects on physical activity and fitness measurements. These findings suggest that strategic approaches to foster exercise behavior changes in college students are required. This pilot program can serve as foundational data for improving and expanding multicomponent health promotion programs for this population.