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Yun, Kwon, and Yoon: Status of Maternal Nutrition in South and North Korea
Research Article

Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 2016; 21(3): 265-273.

Published online: 30 June 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.3.265

Status of Maternal Nutrition in South and North Korea

Soh-Yoon Yun1, 2, Young Hye Kwon1, Jihyun Yoon1, 2

1Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

2Office of Nutrition Policy and Programs for North Korea, Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Jihyun Yoon. Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea. Tel: (02) 880-8750, Fax: (02) 884-0305, hoonyoon@snu.ac.kr

Received 27 April 2016       Revised 19 June 2016       Accepted 19 June 2016

Copyright © 2016 The Korean Society of Community Nutrition

(open-access):

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Objectives

This study compared the nutritional status of child-bearing age women between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

Methods

The data presented in the DPRK Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 was utilized for the nutritional status and food intake of North Korean women. To produce the South Korean women's data comparable to those of North Korean women, the data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey were analyzed and the data presented in the 2010 Report of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards were utilized.

Results

The prevalence of maternal anemia (blood hemoglobin < 12.0 g/dL) was over 30% in all the age groups of North Korean women and 8.9%, 14.2%, 16.4% in 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 year old South Korean women, respectively. The prevalence of maternal protein-energy malnutrition (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference < 22.5 cm) was 25.2%, 21.4%, 21.8% in 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 year old North Korean women, respectively and less than 10% in all the age groups of South Korean women. Result of dietary diversity comparison showed that North Korean women consumed less food than South Korean women at all food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy. Percentage of North Korean women having consumed protein rich foods-meat and fish, eggs or dairy products-were much lower than those of South Korean women.

Conclusions

The striking disparity of nutritional status between South and North Korean women indicates that nutrition support for North Korean women is essential in the process of preparation for a unified nation.

Keywords: unified Korea, child-bearing aged women, KNHANS, DPRK National Nutrition Survey, health status

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Prevalence of anemia3) among child-bearing age women in North and South Korea

1) Data from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 [1]
2) Analyzing the data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2012 [22]
3) Assessed by blood hemoglobin < 12.0 g/dL
kjcn-21-265-g001
Table 1

Distribution of study subjects by age groups in North and South Korea

kjcn-21-265-i001

1) Data from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 [1]

2) Analysis results of the data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2012 [22]

3) Data from the Size Korea report (6th Korean Agency of Technology and Standards 2010) [23]

Table 2

Prevalence of protein and energy malnutrition1) among child-bearing age women in North and South Korea

kjcn-21-265-i002

1) Assessed by low mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) less than 22.5 cm

2) Data from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 [1]

3) Data from the Size Korea report (6th Korean Agency of Technology and Standards 2010) [23]

4) Calculated assuming the increase in mid upper arm circumference proportional to the percentile

Table 3

Percentages of child-bearing age women having consumed respective food groups in North and South Korea

kjcn-21-265-i003

1) Data from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 [1]

2) Analysis results of the data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2012 [22]

3) Chrysanthemum leaves, spinach, broccoli, sea weed and other dark green vegetables

4) Pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes and other vitamin A rich vegetables (yellow or orange inside), apricot, peach (vitamin A rich fruits) and their juices

5) Other vegetables (cabbage, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, etc), other fruits (apple, pear, watermelon, etc) and their juices

6) Liver, kidney, heart or other organ meats

7) Inclusion of food items such as oil, butter, sweets, honey, biscuits, cakes, condiments and beverages etc.

8) Inclusion of food groups such as sugars, oils, beverage and alcohol, others

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ORCID iDs

Jihyun Yoon
https://orcid.org/http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9479-9305

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