J Nutr Health.  2018 Jun;51(3):264-274. 10.4163/jnh.2018.51.3.264.

Current status of meal and snack service in elementary care classes in Gyeonggi area

• Yang HS
• Park H
• Song K
• Ahn Y
• Choi D
• Jin J
• Lee Y

• KMID: 2415222
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2018.51.3.264

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate the current status of food service management in elementary care classes.
METHODS
A focus group interview with seven care class managers and a survey with 101 care class managers using a self-administered questionnaire in Gyeonggi province were conducted.
RESULTS
In the focus group interview, purchased meals and snacks were evaluated as low quality by the care class managers. Frequent use of frozen or processed food and products with low prices were also reported as problems. Care class managers were in charge of meal and snack planning without any guidelines or expert advices. The results of the survey show that most schools serve purchased snacks and meals. The average unit costs of one meal and snack were 4,062 and 1,463 Won, respectively. The average unit costs of snacks during semester (p = 0.015) and vacation (p = 0.039) were significantly lower in rural than urban areas. The percentages of schools that prepared nutrition standards for meal and snack planning in elementary care classes were only 7.4% and 10.9%, respectively. The meal menus were mostly provided by catering service companies, and the snack menus were planned mostly by the care class managers. Menu planning by the care class managers was more usual in rural than urban areas (p = 0.054 for meal planning and p = 0.008 for snack planning). Just 33.7% of schools introduced safety standards for food service in elementary care classes, and more than half of the respondents (56.4%) did not do a regular medical check-up. Only 33.7% of the respondents received education for food safety.
CONCLUSION
These results show the necessity for establishment of detailed guidelines for food service in elementary care classes and for the introduction of a food safety and nutrition education program customized for care class managers.

Keyword

elementary care class; food service; meal; snack; menu

MeSH Terms

Education
Focus Groups
Food Safety
Food Services
Gyeonggi-do*
Humans
Meals*
Menu Planning
Snacks*
Surveys and Questionnaires

Reference

1. Ministry of Education (KR). Plans for expansion of elementary care classes [Internet]. Sejong: Ministry of Education;2014. cited 2018 Jan 12. Available from: http://www.moe.go.kr.

2. Korean Educational Development Institute. 2016 guidance on operation of elementary care classroom. Jincheon: Korean Educational Development Institute;2016.

3. Statistics Korea. Economically active population survey [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea;2018. cited 2018 Jan 12. Available from: http://www.index.go.kr.

4. Bae SM. Analysis on the operation of elementary school caregiving class - focusing on downtown area in Seoul - [dissertation]. Cheongju: Korea National University of Education;2017.

5. Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (KR). A study on the status of sole-parent families. Seoul: Ministry of Gender Equality and Family;2015.

6. Beets MW, Tilley F, Kim Y, Webster C. Nutritional policies and standards for snacks served in after-school programmes: a review. Public Health Nutr. 2011; 14(10):1882–1890.

7. Kim JH, Sim YM. A comparative study on the status and satisfaction for using the after school caring service: focus on elementary child-care class in Uijeongbu, Goyang, Yeoncheon city. Korean J Policy Anal Eval. 2017; 25(1):399–419.

8. Jung YM. The development of a quality assessment tool for elementary child-care classroom [dissertation]. Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University;2016.

9. Korean Educational Development Institute. 2017 guidance on operation of elementary care classroom. Jincheon: Korean Educational Development Institute;2017.

10. Shin DC. A study on meals of elementary school's care programs in Seoul [dissertation]. Seoul: Korea National Open University;2011.

11. Woo SJ. A study on activation methods for operation of after - school student care class [dissertation]. Cheongju: Korea National University of Education;2011.

12. Han JK. A study on the comparison of the management in after-school student care classes: the country vs. the city [dissertation]. Cheongju: Korea National University of Education;2017.

13. Korean Educational Development Institute, Statistics of Education. 2016 current situation of elementary schools [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea;2017. cited 2018 Mar 30. Available from: http://kosis.kr.

14. Sung CJ, Sung MK, Choi MK, Kang YL, Kwon SJ, Kim MH, Seo YL, Adachi M, Mo SM. An ecological study of food and nutrition in elementary school children in Korea. Korean J Community Nutr. 2001; 6(2):150–161.

15. Sung SJ, Kwon S. Effect of eating with family or alone on the self-rated mental or physical health: the elementary school children in Daejeon area. Korean J Community Nutr. 2010; 15(2):206–226.

16. Baek YJ. Family structure and diet of children and adolescents: analysis of data from the fifth Korea national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES V) 2010~2011[dissertation]. Seoul: Seoul National University;2014.

17. Kim HK, Yun CH, Lee EH, Lee KI, Moon CS, Lee YH, Moon SY, Kwon EJ. Development of health promotion program for low income children in underserved area. Seoul: Korean Association of Health Promotion;2007.

18. Yun MH. The comparison of diet behavior, stress, self-esteem, and nutrient uptake in accordance with obesity of elementary school students of Gyeongbuk local children's center [dissertation]. Daegu: Kyungpook National University;2017.

19. Yang Y, Lee T. A study on the management status and improvement of the care class in elementary school: focusing on comparing direct management with consigned management by social enterprises. J Yeolin Educ. 2013; 21(4):171–200.

20. Oh SY. Job analysis of child care professionals in elementary child care classes [dissertation]. Seoul: Soongsil University;2017.

21. Beets MW, Weaver RG, Tilley F, Turner-McGrievy G, Huberty J, Ward DS, Freedman DA. Salty or sweet? Nutritional quality, consumption, and cost of snacks served in afterschool programs. J Sch Health. 2015; 85(2):118–124.

22. Lee SY. comparison of factors related to skipping breakfast between rural and urban elementary school students [master's thesis]. Seoul: Kookmin University;2013.

23. Kim KH. Food habits, eating behaviors and food frequency by gender and among Seoul and other regions in upper-grade elementary school children. J Community Nutr. 2010; 15(2):180–190.

24. United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). Child and adult care food program [Internet]. Washington, D.C.: United State Department of Agriculture;2017. cited 2017 Dec 9. Available from: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/child-and-adultcare-food-program.

25. Gyeonggido Office of Education. Operation status of elementary care class in Gyeonggido. Uijeongbu: Gyeonggido Office of Education;2017.

26. Mozaffarian RS, Andry A, Lee RM, Wiecha JL, Gortmaker SL. Price and healthfulness of snacks in 32 YMCA after-school programs in 4 US metropolitan areas, 2006–2008. Prev Chronic Dis. 2012; 9:E38.