A Study on Dietary Practices of Juvenile Delinquents in Korea

Park, Seon Joo; Choi, Haymie; Mo, Sumi; Park, Michael M

Abstract

The relationship between dietary practices and juvenile delinquency was studied using a dietary survey. Subjects were selected from juvenile delinquents who were under the supervision of the Seoul Probation Office of the Ministry of Justice. The study group consisted of 52 male and 52 female delinquents. As a control group, 104 exemplary high school students were selected in Seoul. A questionnaire was designed to find out the subjects' general characteristics, dietary habits, lifestyle, eating behavior, food frequency, and nutrient intake using the 24-hour recall method. Compared to the exemplary students, the juvenile delinquents were significantly different in education level, family status, monthly allowance, residence status, breast fed, parents' education level, parents' concern. In dietary habits, fifty-eight percent of the juvenile delinquents ate 2 or fewer meals per day, preferred to eat with friends, and liked hot tasting foods. The juvenile delinquents consumed more ion drinks (OR=9.26 CI: 3.83-22.37), rameon (OR=7.67 CI: 3.21-18.33), cola (OR=6.75 CI: 2.91-15.69), soft drinks (OR=6.12 CI: 2.53-14.81), steamed korean sausage (OR=5.34 CI:2.31-12.32), hamburger (OR=5.15 CI: 1.91-13.87), kimbab (OR=3.63 CI: 1.76-7.46), ddokbokgi (OR=3.17 CI: 1.58-6.38), candy (OR=3.08 CI: 1.41-6.73), white rice (OR=2.59 CI: 1.19-5.64), hotdog (OR=2.52 CI: 1.31-4.86), and less rice mixed with grains (OR=0.02 CI: 0.01-0.05), tangerine (OR=0.06 CI: 0.02-0.20), milk (OR=0.29 CI: 0.14-0.60), roasted fish (OR=0.32 CI: 0.28-0.99, anchovy (OR=0.35 CI: 0.17-0.72), seaweed (OR=0.37 CI: 0.16-0.83), and tofu (OR=0.48 CI: 0.23-0.99) than the exemplary students. With respect to the juvenile delinquents, the nutrient intakes lower than 75% of the Korean RDA were for riboflavin (75.0%) and calcium (47.9%) among the boys, and calcium (46.9%) and iron (60.4%) among the girls. To prevent juvenile delinquency, nutritional education and well-balanced school food service meals should be emphasized so as to improve the management of dietary practices.