A Study Food Habits, Food Behaviors and Nutrition Knowledge among Obese Children in Changwon (I)

Her, Eun Sil; Lee, Kyung Hea; Jang, Dong Su; Lee, Kap Yeon; Lee, Ju Hee; Ju, Jeong; Yoon, Sang Yeun

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data of nutrition education for obese children and to examine food habits, food behaviors, and nutrition knowledge. A convenience sample of 84(male:62, female:22) obese children was selected from "98 Children Nutrition Camp". The survey design employed a structured questionnaire. The results of this study were summarized as follows. 1. The percentage of the subjects who overestimated their body weight was higher in female compared to male. Only 35.9% of highly-obese subjects considered them as 'very fat'. The experience of weight control was higher in female than in male, and it was also higher moderately- or highly-obese subjects compared to mildly obese. 2. 64.3% of subjects reported that they regularly eat breakfast. The percentage of the subjects who indicated that they eat at regular meal time or they eat very irregularly was highest in the highly-obese subjects. 3. 34.5% of subjects reported that they eat very fast. The eating speed was slower in female compared to male, and in obese subjects. 55.4% of subjects reported that didn't eating out. 4. 80.9% of subjects had snacks, and most of them had snack between lunch and dinner. The reason the subjects eat snack was hunger. The most favorite snack was cookies. 5. The most preferred and distasteful food was meats(32.1%) and vegetables(67.1%), respectively. 6. The score of food behaviors was relatively low in most subjects. 7. The level of nutrition knowledge was in order of fair(83.1%), poor(9.6%), excellent(7.3%), and was higher in male compared to female. Consequently the results of this study showed to disagreement among food habits, food behaviors and nutrition knowledge, and feel keenly the necessity of education connecting of these. This education had to be practical education to change food behaviors.