Korean J Community Nutr.  2013 Dec;18(6):555-564. 10.5720/kjcn.2013.18.6.555.

Comparison of Salty Taste Assessment and High-Salt Dietary Behaviors among University Students and Chinese Students in Daegu, South Korea and University Students in Shenyang, China

• Jiang L
• Lee YK

• KMID: 2267578
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2013.18.6.555

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the assessment of salty taste and high-salt dietary behaviors of Korean university students and their Chinese counterparts. The researchers developed a taste assessment computer program focusing on preference for salty taste, and it was applied to 300 university students, including 100 Korean students, and 100 Chinese students in Daegu of South Korea, and 100 Chinese students in Shenyang of China (144 males and 156 females). The results of the taste assessment of Chinese and Korean university students are as follows. Among males, Koreans (36.0%), Chinese students in Korea (36.2%), and Chinese (40.4%) scored highest in the "a bit salty" followed by "normal." Among females, Koreans (36.0%), Chinese students in Korea (49.1%), and Chinese (28.3%) scored highest in the "normal". In terms of salt concentration in solution, among the male subjects, most Koreans favored the salt concentration of 0.31%, which is considered to be a "normal" concentration; most Chinese students in Korea favored 0.63%, which is considered to be "a bit salty", and most Chinese favored the concentration of 1.25%, which is considered to be "salty". As for the female subjects, Koreans, Chinese students studying abroad, and Chinese favored 0.31%, the "normal" level of concentration. Korean students scored higher than Chinese students in Korea and Chinese students both in males and females (p < 0.001, p < 0.01), in terms of high-salt dietary behaviors favored salty taste. This study suggests that Chinese university students need nutrition education in terms of modifying eating behaviors to reduce dietary salt intake.

Keyword

salty taste assessment; high-salt dietary behaviors; nutrition knowledge; analysis of salty taste assessment

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
China*
Daegu*
Education
Feeding Behavior
Female
Humans
Korea
Male
Republic of Korea*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Comparison of salty taste assessment scores between Korean university students and Chinese university students. Chinese 1: Chinese living in Korea, Chinese 2: Chinese living in China

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