J Nutr Health.  2022 Jun;55(3):406-417. 10.4163/jnh.2022.55.3.406.

Dietary safety management competency for the sustainable health management of adolescents

• Kim Y

• KMID: 2530894
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2022.55.3.406

Abstract

Purpose
The incidence of chronic diseases is increasing and the age of onset is decreasing in South Korea. Healthy eating habits to prevent chronic diseases are established in adolescence. This study verified the identified factors and dynamics that affect diet selfassessment for sustainable adolescent health and the prevention of chronic diseases.
Methods
Data were collected from 492 middle and high school students in South Korea from June to July 2018, and the participants answered a questionnaire on dietary safety management competency for sustainable health.
Results
The healthy dietary self-assessment scores of overweight/obese adolescents and adolescents who perceived their health as normal were significantly lower than those of other groups. Factor analysis verified the validity of the items that comprised each study area before a multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the factors affecting healthy dietary self-assessment. Sweet and salty diets, anxiety, food and nutrition knowledge, weight management knowledge, stress management, exercise, basic eating habits, and healthy eating habits significantly affected healthy dietary assessment among adolescents. A higher perception of one’s health indicated a higher healthy dietary self-assessment, dietary safety knowledge, and health management practice scores (p < 0.01). Factors like healthy dietary self-assessment, food and nutrition knowledge, and weight management knowledge appear to have a significant correlation with other identified factors, except overeating. The adolescents’ awareness, knowledge, and dietary safety practices influenced healthy dietary self-assessment, which can prevent chronic diseases and achieve sustainable health.
Conclusion
This study illustrated how the adolescents’ awareness, knowledge, and practices of dietary safety influenced their healthy diet self-assessment. The results indicate that dietbased health management competency education relative to the adolescents’ self-perception and weight levels should be implemented.

Keyword

adolescent; chronic disease; healthy diet; obesity