Food and Nutrient Consumption Patterns of Korean Adults Based on their Levels of Self Reported Stress

Kim, Young Ok

Abstract

Differences in food and nutrient intake among Korean adults based on different stress levels were investigated using information obtained from 7,370 adults who participated in the 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey. The twenty-four hour recall method was used for this dietary survey. Data pertaining to indivisual stress levels were collected by means of interviews as part of the National Health Behavior Survey. Following the analysis of variance, Duncan's Multiple Range Test was used to test the differences in food and nutrient intake among groups with different levels of stress. Eighty-three percent of the study subjects were reported to have a certain level of stress. Unlike the observations made in European and American studies, there were no significant differences observed in food and nutrient intake based on the stress levels among Korean adults of either sexes. These results may imply that even though stress was clustered with other health related behavior, the association between food intake and stress among Koreans was very weak.