J Korean Diet Assoc.  2023 Nov;29(4):199-210. 10.14373/JKDA.2023.29.4.199.

Examining Nutritional and Dietary Risk Factors Across Weight Classes in Elementary School Students using Busan Office of Nutrition Education Center's Dietary Diagnosis System

• Song J
• Han Y
• Lee KA

• KMID: 2548795
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14373/JKDA.2023.29.4.199

Abstract

This study was undertaken to analyze the growth, nutritional, and dietary risk factors of elementary school students belonging to the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education and provide the basic data needed to develop an underweight and obesity prevention program. In 2021, BMI and Dietary Screening Test (DST) data of 4,046 children surveyed by the Nutrition Education Experience Center’s “Diagnosis System” of the Busan Regional Office of Education were analyzed. The DST consists of 36 questions about lifestyle habits, meal quality, meal regularity, snack quality, and eating behavior. Of the children included, 6.8% were underweight, 65.4% were normal weight, 13.4% were overweight, and 14.4% were obese. Children in the obesity group had shorter sleep and meal times (P＜0.001), lower vegetable and fruit consumption frequencies (P＜0.001), higher fast food consumption frequencies (P＜0.001), higher rates of skipping meals (P＜0.01) and breakfast (P＜0.001), and more frequently used smartphones and watched TV during meals (P＜0.001). The underweight group had the highest scores for all eating development factors but more frequently had chewing and swallowing difficulties (P＜0.001). The study confirms underweightedness and obesity are present different problems and indicates that nutrition teachers should conduct accurate studies on the eating habits and behaviors of obese and underweight students and provide individually tailored nutritional counseling.

Keyword

nutritional and dietary risk factors; elementary school student; underweight; obesity; dietary diagnosis system; nutrition education center