The Study on Dietary Behaviors of Elementary School Student in Chungnam Area According to the School Food Service Type, Gender and Grade

Chang, Hye Soon; Kim, Myung Ja

Abstract

This study compared the food habits and attitudes towards dietary life culture in types of feeding management, gender and grade. The subjects were 352 elementary school students who lived in Seocheon, Chungnam. The independently managed school students were better than jointly managed school students in food habits (p < 0.05). In skipping school meals, upper grade students were skipped more than lower grade students (p < 0.05). In rate of eating school meals, boys were faster than girls (p < 0.001). The independently managed school students and the jointly managed school students were different on distasteful food. Boys disliked vegetables and girls disliked cereals and beans (p < 0.05). Upper grade students ate more well-balanced meals than lower grade students (p < 0.05). As for the question "what you will do if the distasteful foods are provided through school meals", they responded. the highest percent of students, "I will try once or twice". And the response "I have them for health" was higher independently in managed school students than the jointly managed school students (p < 0.05), girls than boy (p < 0.05), and the lower grades than the upper grades (p < 0.05). As for the question "what you will do if the distasteful foods are provided, after the guide for school meals was performed", the response, "I will make an effort to have it" accounted for the highest percents, and there were differences in lower grade students who were high percents than upper grade students (p < 0.01). As for the recognition for unbalanced diets, most of the students recognized that it is a "bad habit"; the girl students accounted for more percentage than boys (p < 0.05). The criterion of food choice were different in gender and grade (p < 0.01). As for the factor of influences for the food habits formation, lower grade students were "school education" and upper grade students were "parents" (p < 0.05). Thus, the systematic guide for proper intakes of nutrition should be performed. Also, the time when students can be educated by an expert of nutritional education, which is connected with school meals and students can grow healthily.