Korean J Community Nutr.  2016 Feb;21(1):1-11. 10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.1.1.

Evaluation of Nutrition Quotient and Related Factors in Preschool Children

• Jung YH
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2269397
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.1.1

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was conducted to evaluate the nutrition quotient (NQ) by gender and understand which factors influence NQ in preschool children.
METHODS
Subjects were 245 children (110 boys, 135 girls) aged 4-6 years and their parents. The questionnaire composed of demographic characteristics, eating behavior factors and the NQ questions. The NQ consisted of 19 food behavior checklist items and all items were grouped into 5 factors: balance, diversity, moderation, regularity, and practice. Inbody J05, a measurement device that measures individual's body composition was used to measure children's anthropometric data. All data were statistically analyzed by SPSS program (Ver. 20) and the statistical differences in variables were evaluated by Student t-test, chi2-test, One-way ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range test.
RESULTS
The total NQ score of the subjects was 65.3. The NQ score of girls (67.0) was significantly higher than that of the boys (63.2) (p<0.01). The girls' average scores of NQ factors including diversity (p<0.01) and practice (p<0.05) were higher than those of the boys. The analysis of related-factors influencing NQ scores showed that there was a significant difference among the groups according to feeding methods during infancy (p<0.05), breast feeding group being the highest. Furthermore, the NQ score showed a significant difference depending on how to correct children's unbalanced diet as well as parents' nutrition knowledge. The NQ score of obesity group tended to be lower than that of underweight group although there was no significant difference.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall results indicated that the girls had better quality of diet and eating habits than the boys. Children and their parents need proper nutrition education and counseling to correct children's eating habits and to improve diet quality in kindergartens and in children care centers.

Keyword

nutrition quotient; eating behavior; preschool children; NQ related factors

MeSH Terms

Body Composition
Breast Feeding
Checklist
Child
Child, Preschool*
Counseling
Diet
Eating
Education
Feeding Behavior
Feeding Methods
Female
Humans
Obesity
Parents
Thinness

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