Status of Dietary Life Related Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Food Preference and Dietary Behavior of Preschoolers in Kyunggi Area

A Reum Lee; Ye Lee Yu; Hye Jin Kim; Kyung A Kim; Kyung Won Kim

doi:10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.3.274

Journal List > Korean J Community Nutr > v.21(3) > 1038545

Go to TopGo to Top Go to BottomGo to Bottom

TOOLS

Lee, Yu, Kim, Kim, and Kim: Status of Dietary Life Related Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Food Preference and Dietary Behavior of Preschoolers in Kyunggi Area

Research Article

Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 2016; 21(3): 274-283.

Published online: 30 June 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.3.274

Status of Dietary Life Related Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Food Preference and Dietary Behavior of Preschoolers in Kyunggi Area

A Reum Lee, Ye Lee Yu, Hye Jin Kim, Kyung A Kim, Kyung Won Kim

Food and Nutrition, Seoul Women's University, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Kyung Won Kim. Food and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul Women's University, 621 Hwarangro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01797, Korea. Tel: (02) 970-5647, Fax: (02) 976-4049, kwkim@swu.ac.kr

Received 30 April 2016 Revised 19 June 2016 Accepted 23 June 2016

(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

The purpose of the study was to examine dietary life characteristics such as knowledge, self-efficacy and dietary behavior of preschoolers in Namyangju, Kyunggi-province, Korea.

Methods

The survey questionnaire was developed based on literature review. Preschoolers aged 4-5 years (n=208) responded to the questionnaire to measure knowledge, self-efficacy, food preference, and dietary behavior. After excluding incomplete responses, the data of 197 subjects were used for analysis.

Results

Mean score of dietary life knowledge was 8.0 out of 12, showing a low level of knowledge. Two out of 12 knowledge items were significantly different by gender. Percentage of correct answer on items of 'foods to make bones strong' and 'kinds of fast foods' was higher in girls than in boys (p<0.05). Total score of self-efficacy regarding dietary life was 40.1 (possible score: 12~48), on average. Compared to girls, boys had more confidence in 'not over-eating', and 'eating balanced meals with meat, fish and vegetables' (p<0.05). Boys scored higher on total score of food preference than girls (p<0.01). The preference for fruits was quite high. Among food items, boys scored higher on the preference for rice (p<0.01), fish (p<0.01), pork (p<0.05), beef (p<0.05), milk (p<0.01), and ice cream (p<0.05) than girls. Boys also liked fast foods more than girls did, showing preference for chicken (p<0.01) and soda (p<0.05). Compared to girls, boys showed more desirable behavior in 'eating breakfast everyday' (p<0.01). Dietary behavior was significantly correlated with self-efficacy (r=0.52, p<0.01), food preference (r=0.35, p<0.01), and knowledge (r=0.25, p<0.01) of subjects.

Conclusions

In this study, we observed differences in food preference by gender. Dietary behavior of preschoolers was correlated with several factors, including dietary life related knowledge, self-efficacy and food preference. Thus, it is needed to develop nutrition education programs focusing on increasing dietary life related knowledge and self-efficacy, and consider the differences in food preference of preschoolers by gender.

Keywords: dietary behavior, knowledge, self-efficacy, food preference, preschooler

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General characteristics of the study subjects

1) n (%)

Table 2

Knowledge regarding dietary life of subjects

1) n (%) of correct answer. 2) χ² value 3) Sum of 12 items. Possible score: 0~12. 4) Mean±SD 5) t value

^*: p < 0.05

Table 3

Self-efficacy regarding dietary life of subjects

1) Each item was measured by 4-point scales ranging from 1 (very difficult) to 4 (very easy).

2) Mean±SD 3) Total score of 12 self-efficacy items. Possible score: 12~48.

^*: p < 0.05

Table 4

Food preference of the study subjects

1) Each item was measured by 4-point scales ranging from 1 (dislike very much) to 4 (like very much).

2) Mean±SD 3) Total score of 30 food preference items. Possible score: 30~120.

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01

Table 5

Dietary behavior of the study subjects

1) Each item was measured by 4-point scales ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree).

2) Mean±SD 3) Total score of 15 dietary behavior items. Possible score: 15~60. To calculate the total score, the items 8~12 were scored reversely.

^**: p < 0.01

Table 6

Correlation among dietary life related knowledge, self-efficacy, food preference and dietary behavior of the study subjects

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from Namyangju City Government (2015).

References

1. Koo JO, Kim JH, Byun KW, Sohn CM, Lee JW, Lee JH, et al. Nutrition through the life cycle. Goyang: Powerbook;2011. p. 175–201.

2. Mascola A, Bryson S, Agras W. Picky eating during childhood: A longitudinal study to age 11 years. Eat Behav. 2010; 11(4):253–257.

3. Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-2) [Internet]. 2015. cited 2016 Jan 25. Available from: http://knhanes.cdc.go.kr/.

4. Lee JY, Cho DS. The eating behavior and food preference of preschool children in Sungnam day care facilities. Korean J Food Nutr. 2006; 19(4):482–495.

5. Schindler J, Corbett D, Forestell C. Assessing the effect of food exposure on children's identification and acceptance of fruit and vegetables. Eat Behav. 2013; 14(1):53–56.

6. Lee MS, Lee KH. Development and application of dietary education to improve the vegetable intake of preschoolers. J Korean Diet Assoc. 2014; 20(1):26–35.

7. Yang HJ. Slow food movement. Food Sci Ind. 2011; 44(4):68–72.

8. Woo T, Lee KH. Development of a sensory education textbook and teaching guidebook for preference improvement toward traditional Korean foods in schoolchildren. Korean J Nutr. 2011; 44(4):303–311.

9. Anderson ES, Winett RA, Wojcik JR. Self-regulation, selfefficacy, outcome expectations, and social support: Social cognitive theory and nutrition behavior. Ann Behav Med. 2007; 34(3):304–312.

10. Lee SB, Jeong YR, Ahn HJ, Ahn MJ, Ryu SA, Kang NE. The development of a nutrition education program for lowincome family children by applying the social cognitive theory and health belief model. Korean J Community Nutr. 2015; 20(3):165–177.

11. Kwak S, Woo T, Lee KA, Lee KH. A comparison of dietary habits and influencing factors for vegetable preferences of adolescents in Gyeongnam province. Korean J Community Nutr. 2015; 20(4):259–272.

12. Na SY, Ko SY, Eom SH, Kim KW. Intakes and beliefs of vegetables and fruits, self-efficacy, nutrition knowledge, eating behavior of elementary school students in Kyunggi Area. Korean J Community Nutr. 2010; 15(3):329–341.

13. Kim JH, Kim YS, Kim Y, Kang MS. Fruit and vegetable consumption and factors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption of school children and adolescents: Findings from focus-group interviews with school nutrition teachers and nutritionists. Korean J Community Living Sci. 2013; 24(4):567–581.

14. Oh SM, Yu YL, Choi HI, Kim KW. Implementation and evaluation of nutrition education programs focusing on increasing vegetables, fruits and dairy foods consumption for preschool children. Korean J Community Nutr. 2012; 17(5):517–529.

15. Kim YS, Lee MJ. Effects of nutrition education through social cognitive theory in elementary school students -Focusing on the nutrition education of sugar intake-. Korean J Food Nutr. 2011; 24(2):246–257.

16. Chung H, Eum YH. A study on the children's eating habits and food preference according to their parents' economic status (II) -Seoul & Gyeonggi (Incheon) area -. Korean J Nutr. 2008; 41(1):89–99.

17. Hong MA, Choi MS, Han YH, Hyun TS. Effect of nutrition education program developed by a public health center on preschool children's nutrition knowledge and dietary habits and the parent's dietary attitudes. Korean J Community Nutr. 2010; 15(5):593–602.

18. Park YM, Ahn YK. The relationship between teacher's and parent's nutrition knowledge, food habit, diet-guidance for early childhood and children's nutrition knowledge, foodhabit. Wonkwang J Humanit. 2012; 13(1):67–91.

19. Pyo SH, Kang HJ. A study on the actual state of nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude, eating behavior, physical ability and locomotion of children aged 5 years in Siheung-city. Korean J Food Nutr. 2014; 27(5):760–770.

20. Lee OH, Chang SO, Park MJ. Comparison of nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude and dietary habit in elementary school children with and without nutrition education. J Korean Soc Food Sci Nutr. 2008; 37(11):1427–1434.

21. Kwon DH, Han SN, Kim HK. Evaluation of a nutrition education program for 3rd grade elementary school students. Korean J Community Nutr. 2011; 16(2):183–194.

22. Kawak SH. Analysis of self efficacy, dietary efficacy and exercise efficacy depending on gender type of the elementary school students [master's thesis]. Sangji University;2009.

23. Park KE, Kim SH. Effects of stress on food habits, preference and frequency in young children at Kyungbuk area. J East Asian Soc Diet Life. 2007; 17(2):164–182.

24. Seo JY, Lee IS, Choi BS. Study of food intakes and eating patterns among preschool children in Daegu area - Nutrient intakes and dietary habits associated with body weight status -. Korean J Community Nutr. 2009; 14(6):710–721.

25. Moon HK, Min JH, Kim JN. Monitoring diet and health related content in terrestrial TV programs for young children. Korean J Health Educ Promot. 2010; 27(3):85–96.

26. Baranowski T, Diep C, Baranowski J. Influences on children's dietary behavior, and innovative attempts to change it. Ann Nutr Metab. 2013; 62:suppl 3. 38–46.

27. Paik ES. The relationship between children's self-regulation and dietary life and dietary behavior [master's thesis]. Ajou University;2010.

28. Cerin E, Barnett A, Baranowski T. Testing theories of dietary behavior change in youth using the mediating variable model with intervention programs. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2009; 41(5):309–318.

29. Seo SJ, Min IJ, Shin HS. Study of eating behavior and food preference in young children: Differences by age and gender. J East Asian Soc Diet Life. 2009; 19(5):659–667.

30. Kim HK, Kim JH. A preliminary study on nutrition education for preschool children in day-care center - Dietary habit and nutrition knowledge -. J Korean Soc Food Sci Nutr. 2006; 35(7):866–873.

TOOLS

ORCID iDs: Kyung Won Kim
https://orcid.org/http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6569-9006
Similar articles