충북지역 초등학생의 식생활 실태 및 ‘어린이 식생활 지침’ 이행도

Practices of 'Dietary Guidelines for Children' among Primary School Students in Chungbuk Area

This study was conducted to investigate dietary behavior and practices of dietary guidelines among primary school children. Questionnaire survey was carried out among 211 primary school children in the 5th and 6th grade at Chungju, Chungbuk in May 2010. Children who eat breakfast everyday was 69.7%, The percentage of boys who had regular meals(56.1%) was significantly higher than that of girls (32.7%). About half of the children(49.8%) drank one glass of milk a day, and 42.2% consumed fast foods 2~3 times a month. The snacks they eat frequently were fruits(61.1%) and milk/milk products(50.2%). Boys consumed beverages more frequently and flour-based foods and fruits less frequently than girls as snack. Most children(73.9%) answered that they were picky about some foods, such as vegetables, legumes, and fish. 65.9% of children eat protein foods at least once a day. 62.6% had two meals with their family, 68.2% washed their hands before eating, and 45.5% appreciated their meals, and 42.7% had proper posture while eating. Boys spent more time for exercise(31.8 min vs 21.3 min) and computer use (53.7 min vs 40.1 min) than girls, and these differences were significant. While the children who always check expiration date before choosing food were 65.4%, those who always check nutrition information were only 15.7%. Our results showed that the guideline the children follow the most was 'Eat protein foods at least once a day'(97.6%) and the guidelines the children follow the least were 'Do not be picky' (15.2%). Nutrition education for primary school children to follow dietary guidelines should be implemented in school in cooperation with family members.