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Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated the eating behaviors of Chinese children using the Nutrition Quotient for Children (NQ-C). Methods: The research subjects were 336 students (166 boys and 170 girls) in the 5th and 6th years at two elementary schools in Shandong Province and Jiangsu Province. Results: The average score of the Children's NQ was good, reaching 69.6 points. The factor scores for balance, moderation, diversity, regularity, and practice were 58.8, 84.9, 63.6, 76.1, and 73.6 points, respectively. Compared with the diagnostic cut-off points of the factors, mean balance, moderation, regularity, and practice scores were above the cut-off points, but diversity score did not meet the cut-off points. Fathers' education level showed positive correlation with the balance, regularity, and NQ scores of the students. Mothers' education level also showed positive correlation with the balance and regularity scores and mother's employment showed positive correlation with regularity score. As the exercise hours per day increased, the NQ score also increased. Conclusion: The questionnaire of NQ-C developed in Korea can be used in assessment of nutrition behavior of Chinese elementary students who have similar eating patterns.
References
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Table 1.
General characteristics of the subjects
| Total (n = 336) |
Boy (n = 166) |
Girl (n = 170) |
χ²-value (t-value) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 11.9 ± 0.81) | 12.0 ± 0.7 | 11.9 ± 0.8 | (1.269NS) | |
| Paternal education | primary school | 27 (8.0)2) | 17 (10.2) | 10 (5.9) | 2.246NS |
| middle school | 112 (33.3) | 53 (31.9) | 59 (34.7) | ||
| high school | 87 (25.9) | 43 (25.9) | 44 (25.9) | ||
| college | 110 (32.7) | 53 (31.9) | 57 (33.5) | ||
| Maternal education | primary school | 57 (17.0) | 28 (16.9) | 29 (17.1) | 0.181NS |
| middle school | 100 (29.8) | 48 (28.9) | 52 (30.6) | ||
| high school | 108 (32.1) | 55 (33.1) | 53 (31.2) | ||
| college | 71 (21.1) | 35 (21.1) | 36 (21.2) | ||
| Maternal status of employment | no | 38 (11.3) | 19 (11.4) | 19 (11.2) | 0.006NS |
| yes | 298 (88.7) | 147 (88.6) | 151 (88.8) | ||
Table 2.
Food intake frequency of Chinese children
| Total (n = 336) |
Boy (n = 166) |
Girl (n = 170) |
χ²-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intake frequency of cooked rice with whole grain | always | 21 (6.3)1) | 15 (9.0) | 6 (3.5) | 4.613 |
| often | 92 (27.4) | 43 (25.9) | 49 (28.8) | ||
| seldom | 162 (48.2) | 77 (46.4) | 85 (50.0) | ||
| never | 61 (18.2) | 31 (18.7) | 30 (17.6) | ||
| Intake frequency of green vegetable in each meal | more than 3 | 65 (19.3) | 28 (16.9) | 37 (21.8) | 4.492 |
| two | 210 (62.5) | 108 (65.1) | 102 (60.0) | ||
| one | 55 (16.4) | 25 (15.1) | 30 (17.6) | ||
| none | 6 (1.8) | 5 (3.0) | 1 (0.6) | ||
| Intake frequency of white vegetable | every meal | 42 (12.5) | 24 (14.5) | 18 (10.6) | 6.818 |
| once a day | 47 (14.0) | 25 (15.1) | 22 (12.9) | ||
| once every other day | 68 (20.2) | 32 (19.3) | 36 (21.2) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 147 (43.8) | 64 (38.6) | 83 (48.8) | ||
| never | 32 (9.5) | 21 (12.7) | 11 (6.5) | ||
| Intake frequency of fruits | ≥ 2 / days | 155 (46.1) | 81 (48.8) | 74 (43.5) | 5.912 |
| once a day | 104 (31.0) | 46 (27.7) | 58 (34.1) | ||
| once every other day | 42 (12.5) | 22 (13.3) | 20 (11.8) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 26 (7.7) | 10 (6.0) | 16 (9.4) | ||
| never | 9 (2.7) | 7 (4.2) | 2 (1.2) | ||
| Intake frequency of white milk | ≥ 2 / days | 53 (15.8) | 36 (21.7) | 17 (10.0) | 11.437∗ |
| once a day | 155 (46.1) | 69 (41.6) | 86 (50.6) | ||
| once every other day | 48 (14.3) | 27 (16.3) | 21 (12.4) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 35 (10.4) | 16 (9.6) | 19 (11.2) | ||
| never | 45 (13.4) | 18 (10.8) | 27 (15.9) | ||
| Intake frequency of legume | once a day | 47 (14.0) | 30 (18.1) | 17 (10.0) | 5.451 |
| once every other day | 102 (30.4) | 45 (27.1) | 57 (33.5) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 136 (40.5) | 68 (41.0) | 68 (40.0) | ||
| never | 51 (15.2) | 23 (13.9) | 28 (16.5) | ||
| Intake frequency of egg | once a day | 137 (40.8) | 71 (42.8) | 66 (38.8) | 2.922 |
| once every other day | 94 (28.0) | 47 (28.3) | 47 (27.6) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 75 (22.3) | 31 (18.7) | 44 (25.9) | ||
| never | 30 (8.9) | 17 (10.2) | 13 (7.6) | ||
| Intake frequency of sweet food | once a day | 32 (9.5) | 18 (10.8) | 14 (8.2) | 5.283 |
| once every other day | 67 (19.9) | 26 (15.7) | 41 (24.1) | ||
| 2 times /week | 68 (20.2) | 38 (22.9) | 30 (17.6) | ||
| once a week | 67 (19.9) | 31 (18.7) | 36 (21.2) | ||
| never | 102 (30.4) | 53 (31.9) | 49 (28.8) | ||
| Intake frequency of fastfood | once a day | 2 (0.6) | 2 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 8.422 |
| once every other day | 6 (1.8) | 4 (2.4) | 2 (1.2) | ||
| 2 times /week | 18 (5.4) | 11 (6.6) | 7 (4.1) | ||
| once a week | 75 (22.3) | 44 (26.5) | 31 (18.2) | ||
| never | 235 (69.9) | 105 (63.3) | 130 (76.5) | ||
| Intake frequency of ramyeon | once a day | 4 (1.2) | 2 (1.2) | 2 (1.2) | 1.286 |
| once every other day | 9 (2.7) | 3 (1.8) | 6 (3.5) | ||
| 2 times /week | 25 (7.4) | 12 (7.2) | 13 (7.6) | ||
| once a week | 72 (21.4) | 38 (22.9) | 34 (20.0) | ||
| never | 226 (67.3) | 111 (66.9) | 115 (67.6) | ||
Table 3.
Food behavior of Chinese children
| Total (n = 336) |
Boy (n = 166) |
Girl (n = 170) |
χ²-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How often do you eat breakfast? | every day | 315 (93.8)1) | 154 (92.8) | 161 (94.7) | 1.219 |
| once every other day | 8 (2.4) | 4 (2.4) | 4 (2.4) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 4 (1.2) | 3 (1.8) | 1 (0.6) | ||
| never | 9 (2.7) | 5 (3.0) | 4 (2.4) | ||
| Do you eat your meal at regular hours? | always | 122 (36.3) | 63 (38.0) | 59 (34.7) | 2.547 |
| often | 171 (50.9) | 78 (47.0) | 93 (54.7) | ||
| seldom | 29 (8.6) | 17 (10.2) | 12 (7.1) | ||
| never | 14 (4.2) | 8 (4.8) | 6 (3.5) | ||
| Do you eat diverse side dishes in each meal? | always | 145 (43.2) | 72 (43.4) | 73 (42.9) | 1.233 |
| often | 144 (42.9) | 69 (41.6) | 75 (44.1) | ||
| seldom | 43 (12.8) | 22 (13.3) | 21 (12.4) | ||
| never | 4 (1.2) | 3 (1.8) | 1 (0.6) | ||
| Do you chew well whenever you eat? | always | 188 (56.0) | 91 (54.8) | 97 (57.1) | 4.090 |
| often | 114 (33.9) | 53 (31.9) | 61 (35.9) | ||
| seldom | 26 (7.7) | 16 (9.6) | 10 (5.9) | ||
| never | 8 (2.4) | 6 (3.6) | 2 (1.2) | ||
| How often do you eat late-night snacks? | every day | 6 (1.8) | 2 (1.2) | 4 (2.4) | 1.817 |
| once every other day | 10 (3.0) | 6 (3.6) | 4 (2.4) | ||
| 1∼2 times/week | 46 (13.7) | 20 (12.0) | 26 (15.3) | ||
| never | 274 (81.5) | 138 (83.1) | 136 (80.0) | ||
| How often do you eat street food? | every day | 3 (0.9) | 3 (1.8) | 0 (0.0) | 8.777∗ |
| once every other day | 15 (4.5) | 10 (6.0) | 5 (2.9) | ||
| 1–2 times/week | 86 (25.6) | 49 (29.5) | 37 (21.8) | ||
| never | 232 (69.0) | 104 (62.7) | 128 (75.3) | ||
| Do you check the nutrition labeling when you buy processed food? | always | 76 (22.6) | 38 (22.9) | 38 (22.4) | 0.893 |
| often | 88 (26.2) | 45 (27.1) | 43 (25.3) | ||
| seldom | 107 (31.8) | 49 (29.5) | 58 (34.1) | ||
| never | 65 (19.3) | 34 (20.5) | 31 (18.2) | ||
| Do you wash your hands before meal? | always | 247 (73.5) | 119 (71.7) | 128 (75.3) | 1.407 |
| often | 71 (21.1) | 37 (22.3) | 34 (20.0) | ||
| seldom | 14 (4.2) | 7 (4.2) | 7 (4.1) | ||
| never | 4 (1.2) | 3 (1.8) | 1 (0.6) | ||
| How long do you watch TV and/or play computer game a day? | over 2 hours | 29 (8.6) | 19 (11.4) | 10 (5.9) | 4.864 |
| 1∼2 hours | 106 (31.5) | 51 (30.7) | 55 (32.4) | ||
| under 30 minutes | 125 (37.2) | 64 (38.6) | 61 (35.9) | ||
| never | 76 (22.6) | 32 (19.3) | 44 (25.9) | ||
| How long do you exercise a day? | over 1 hour | 93 (27.7) | 50 (30.1) | 43 (25.3) | 1.337 |
| 0.5∼1 hours | 130 (38.7) | 60 (36.1) | 70 (41.2) | ||
| under 30 minutes | 90 (26.8) | 44 (26.5) | 46 (27.1) | ||
| never | 23 (6.8) | 12 (7.2) | 11 (6.5) | ||
Table 4.
NQ score and factor scores of the children
| Factor |
Cut-off point |
Total (n = 336) |
Boy (n = 166) |
Girl (n = 170) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | 57 | 58.8 ± 17.01) | 60.3 ± 17.0 | 57.4 ± 16.9NS |
| Diversity | 87 | 63.6 ± 17.1 | 63.3 ± 19.0 | 63.8 ± 15.0NS |
| Moderation | 66 | 84.9 ± 12.9 | 83.9 ± 13.0 | 85.9 ± 12.7NS |
| Regularity | 69 | 76.1 ± 16.9 | 75.0 ± 17.2 | 77.2 ± 16.5NS |
| Practice | 67 | 73.6 ± 18.3 | 72.7 ± 19.0 | 74.5 ± 17.7NS |
| NQ | 69.5 ± 10.9 | 69.3 ± 11.6 | 69.8 ± 10.3NS |
Table 5.
Diagnosis by cut-off point of the factors1)
| Total | Boy | Girl | χ²-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | good | 180 (53.6)2) | 89 (53.6) | 91 (53.5) | 0.000NS |
| bad | 156 (46.4) | 77 (46.4) | 79 (46.5) | ||
| Diversity | good | 27 (8.0) | 18 (10.8) | 9 (5.3) | 3.500NS |
| bad | 309 (92.0) | 148 (89.2) | 161 (94.7) | ||
| Moderation | good | 304 (90.5) | 149 (89.8) | 155 (91.2) | 0.196NS |
| bad | 32 (9.5) | 17 (10.2) | 15 (8.8) | ||
| Regularity | good | 216 (64.3) | 105 (63.3) | 111 (65.3) | 0.152NS |
| bad | 120 (35.7) | 61 (36.7) | 59 (34.7) | ||
| Practice | good | 180 (53.6) | 86 (51.8) | 94 (55.3) | 0.411NS |
| bad | 156 (46.4) | 80 (48.2) | 76 (44.7) | ||
Table 6.
NQ grade of the children1)
| Highest | High | Medium | Low | Lowest | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 25 (15.1)2) | 37 (22.3) | 79 (47.6) | 18 (10.8) | 7 (4.2) | 166 (100.0) |
| Female | 21 (12.4) | 42 (24.7) | 90 (52.9) | 14 (8.2) | 3 (1.8) | 170 (100.0) |
| Total | 46 (13.7) | 79 (23.5) | 169 (50.3) | 32 (9.5) | 10 (3.0) | 336 (100.0) |
Table 7.
NQ score and factor scores of the children by daily exercise length
| Factor |
≥ 1 h /day (n = 93) |
0.5∼1 h /day (n = 130) |
< 0.5 hr/day (n = 90) |
Never (n = 23) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | 62.0 ± 16.3b,1),2) | 59.5 ± 16.5b | 56.6 ± 17.4ab | 50.8 ± 18.0a |
| Diversity | 66.2 ± 16.8b | 65.3 ± 17.5ab | 59.9 ± 15.9ab | 57.5 ± 16.8a |
| Moderation | 86.2 ± 13.4NS | 85.0 ± 12.8 | 83.3 ± 13.2 | 85.8 ± 9.9 |
| Regularity | 78.9 ± 14.8b | 76.0 ± 17.6ab | 75.4 ± 15.9ab | 68.3 ± 21.9a |
| Practice | 77.1 ± 17.2b | 74.3 ± 16.8ab | 71.1 ± 20.1ab | 65.7 ± 20.9a |
| NQ | 72.4 ± 9.2b | 70.2 ± 11.3b | 67.3 ± 10.7ab | 62.9 ± 12.3a |
Table 8.
Correlation coefficient of parent's education or employment on NQ score and factor scores of the children
| Balance | Diversity | Moderation | Regularity | Practice | NQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Father's education | 0.151∗∗1) | 0.011 | 0.044 | 0.192∗∗ | 0.043 | 0.144∗∗ |
| Mother's education | 0.158∗ | –0.064 | –0.095 | 0.123∗ | 0.013 | 0.074 |
| Mother's employment | 0.81 | 0.021 | 0.064 | 0.123∗ | 0.021 | 0.093 |
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