초등학교 아동의 패스트 푸드 이용 실태 조사

The Consumption Patterns of the Fast Foods by the Elementary School Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the fast food consumption patterns of elementary school students in Gwangju. The study was carried out on 470 6th grade students(boys : 236, girls : 234) in September, 2002. The results are summarized as follows ; The mean body mass index of boys and girls was 18.72, 17.76, respectively. The perceived physical condition of the subjects was that 70.2% were healthy and 4.0% were unhealthy. The subjective health disorders were drowsiness, tired eyesight, and frequent headaches. Their preference for fast food was : like(67.6%), moderate(29.4%), dislike(3%). There was no significant difference in body mass index resulting from the fast food preference. The perceived physical condition of subjects preferring fast food was lower than the other two groups. The frequency in eating fast food was 1-2 times/week(34.3%), 1-2 times/month(23.3%). The reason for eating fast food was because of the good taste(66.0%) and its convenience(20.2%). The subjects’ first choice in fast food was the hamburger and the least preferred was noodles or dumplings. The effect of fast food on eating habits was an increase in weight(19.4%) and an increase in fat intake(18.9%). 39.9% of subjects offered suggestions for better fast food service such as lowering the price, 28.3% wanted a greater variety in the menu. 23.8% of subjects wished there were more Korean traditional food items in the fast food chain. From this result it appears that there is a need for developing domestic brand fast foods and educating the youth regarding proper food selections and eating patterns.