Journal List > J Nutr Health > v.48(1) > 1081377

Kim, Heo, and Hee-Kyong: Perceptions of school meal services of middle school students and dieticians/ dietetic teachers in Gwangju area according to the conversion of free meal services

Abstract

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to investigate satisfaction with and perception of the school meal service according to middle school students and dieticians/dietetic teachers in Gwangju area who experienced change to the free meal service and the main contents were as follows.

Methods:

The research subjects were 197 students (99 boys and 98 girls) and 42 dieticians/dietetic teachers were recruited.

Results:

Compared to the free meal service before, satisfaction of students was high (53.8%), and 69.9% of students said there was no change in the school meals, however a significant difference was observed between gender. Overall 80.2% of middle school students said that there was no change in menu, 70.6% were no change in the frequency of food with high preference, and 64.0% were no change in leftover of meals. 85.7% of dieticians/dietetic teachers said that there was no change in the student's satisfaction according to the conversion of free meal services; 59.5% of dieticians/dietetic teachers said that there was no change in the frequency of foods with high preference, the variety of vegetables was increased in the qualitative change item of food materials, and 95% of them were not aware of change in the amount of students' leftover foods. Dieticians/dietetic teachers had limitations in selecting menus with purchase and costs of food materials (26.2%) by conversion of the free meal service and their priority considered was the food cost (45.2%) when they selected menus. Change in feeding affairs was office work management (26.2%) and recipe research and development (19.0%).

Conclusion:

With the results of this study, the satisfaction with the school meal service was not changed in the awareness of students and dieticians/dietetic teachers. Therefore further study is needed to determine the middle school's satisfaction with school meals based on a variety of factors including the environmental food meal services.

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Table 1.
General characteristics of students N (%
Variables Total (n = 197)
Gender Male 99 (50.3)
Female 98 (49.7)
Home economy status Lowest 8 (4.1)
Middle low 45 (22.8)
Middle 106 (53.8)
Middle high 33 (16.8)
Highest 5 (2.5)
Home Double-income 121 (61.4)
economy type Single-income 76 (38.6)
Table 2.
General characteristics of dieticians/dietetic teachers N (%)
Variables Total (n = 42)
Type of school establishment Public 29 (69.0)
Private 13 (31.0)
Work career (years) > 5 7 (17.0)
5 ~ 10 12 (29.3)
10 < 22 (53.6)
Age (years) 26 ~ 35 12 (28.5)
36 ~ 40 10 (23.8)
41 ~ 20 (47.6)
Period of supplying with free meal service (years) > 1 12 (28.6)
1 ~ 3 27 (64.3)
3 < 3 (7.1)
Number of feeding students ~ 500 5 (11.9)
501 ~ 1,000 26 (61.9)
1,001 ~ 1,500 11 (26.1)
Number of cooking employee ~5 16 (38.1)
6 ~ 10 21 (50.0)
11 ~ 15 5 (11.9)
Table 3.
School meal satisfactions of middle school students according to conversion of free meal services N (%)
Variables Gender Total χ2-value
M (n = 99) F (n = 98)
Satisfaction of school meal Dissatisfied very much 6 (6.1) 1 (1.0) 7 (3.6) 38.813∗∗∗1)
Dissatisfied 27 (27.3) 5 (5.1) 32 (16.2)
So-so 32 (32.3) 20 (20.4) 52 (26.4)
Satisfied 13 (13.1) 43 (43.9) 56 (28.4)
Satisfied very much 21 (21.2) 29 (14.7) 50 (25.4)
Total 99 (100.0) 98 (100.0) 197 (100.0)
Reason of dissatisfaction Decreased frequency of menu with high preference 2 (3.1) 4 (15.4) 6 (6.6) 9.291
Less various menu 14 (21.5) 9 (34.6) 23 (25.3)
Decreased quantity of meals 24 (36.9) 8 (30.8) 32 (35.2)
Less tasty 17 (26.2) 5 (19.2) 22 (24.2)
Decreased quality of food materials 8 (12.3) 0 (0.0) 8 (8.8)
Total 65 (100.0) 26 (100.0) 91 (100.0)
Reason of satisfaction Good in economic aspect 18 (52.9) 35 (48.6) 53 (50.0) 1.102
Increased reflection of preference 1 (2.9) 1 (1.4) 2 (1.9)
Various menu 8 (23.5) 15 (20.8) 23 (21.7)
More tasty 7 (20.6) 21 (29.2) 28 (26.4)
Total 34 (100.0) 72 (100.0) 106 (100.0)

1) ∗∗∗p < 0.001 by χ2 -value between gender

Table 4.
Middle school students' satisfactions and changes in satisfaction of school meals according to conversion of free meal services
Variables Current satisfaction Mean ± SD Changes in satisfaction N (%)
M F p-value Decrease Increase No-Change
Quality of meals 3.14 ± 0.891) 3.79 ± 0.85 0.000∗∗∗2) 20 (10.2) 46 (23.4) 131 (66.5)
Taste 3.19 ± 1.00 3.82 ± 0.84 0.000∗∗∗ 31 (15.7) 46 (23.4) 120 (60.9)
Appropriate temperature of foods 3.05 ± 0.87 3.52 ± 0.90 0.000∗∗∗ 15 (7.6) 39 (19.8) 143 (72.6)
Quantity of meals 2.84 ± 0.99 3.56 ± 0.89 0.000∗∗∗ 28 (14.2) 42 (21.3) 127 (64.5)
Variety of menu 3.09 ± 0.92 3.58 ± 0.80 0.000∗∗∗ 26 (13.2) 44 (22.3) 127 (64.5)
Nutritional balance 3.29 ± 0.86 3.61 ± 0.82 0.008∗∗ 16 (8.1) 39 (19.8) 142 (72.1)
Hygiene 3.17 ± 0.87 3.45 ± 0.88 0.027 13 (6.6) 41 (20.8) 143 (72.6)
Quality of food material 3.20 ± 0.85 3.62 ± 0.83 0.001∗∗ 13 (6.6) 43 (21.8) 141 (71.6)
Instruction on eating distribution 3.06 ± 0.95 3.13 ± 1.07 0.617 16 (8.1) 40 (20.3) 141 (71.6)
Harmony of color on menu 3.09 ± 0.83 3.49 ± 0.84 0.001∗∗ 17 (8.6) 36 (18.3) 144 (73.1)
Acceptance of opinion on food service 2.90 ± 0.91 3.38 ± 0.83 0.000∗∗∗ 16 (8.1) 34 (17.3) 147 (74.6)
Information offering of food 3.00 ± 0.93 3.66 ± 0.79 0.000∗∗∗ 17 (8.6) 42 (21.3) 138 (70.0)
Smooth distribution of meals 3.01 ± 0.88 3.46 ± 0.90 0.000∗∗∗ 18 (9.1) 39 (19.8) 140 (71.1)
Comfort of dining 3.03 ± 0.86 3.29 ± 0.94 0.048 16 (8.1) 39 (19.8) 142 (72.1)
Kindness of distributor 2.81 ± 1.02 3.52 ± 0.92 0.000∗∗∗ 19 (9.6) 38 (19.3) 140 (71.1)
Average of total 3.06 ± 0.91 3.53 ± 0.87 0.000∗∗∗ 19 (9.5) 41 (20.6) 138 (69.9)

1) ‘dissatisfied very much’: 1 point, ‘dissatisfied’: 2 points, ‘moderate’: 3 points, ‘satisfied’: 4 points, ‘satisfied very much’: 5 points

2) ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001

Table 5.
Changes in perceptions on school meals according to conversion of free meal services of middle school students N (%
Variables Gender Total χ2-value
M (n = 99) F (n = 98)
Change in menu Changed 26 (26.3) 13 (13.3) 39 (19.8) 6.655∗1)
Not changed 30 (30.3) 43 (43.9) 73 (37.1)
Don't know 43 (43.4) 42 (42.9) 85 (43.1)
Change in the frequency of food with high preference Changed 37 (37.4) 21 (21.4) 58 (29.4) 6.327
Not changed 19 (19.2) 27 (27.6) 46 (23.4)
Don't know 43 (43.4) 50 (51.0) 93 (47.2)
Change in leftover of meals Less 28 (28.3) 15 (15.3) 43 (21.8) 6.338
More 10 (10.1) 18 (18.4) 28 (14.2)
Not changed 61 (61.6) 65 (66.3) 126 (64.0)

1) ∗p < 0.05 by χ2 -value between gender

Table 6.
Dieticians/dietetic teachers' perceptions on school meal satisfactions of middle school students according to conversion of free meal services N (%)
  Variables Total
Students' satisfaction (n = 42) Decreased very much 0 (0.0)
Decreased 3 (7.1)
Not changed 36 (85.7)
Increased 3 (7.1)
Increased very much 0 (0.0)
Reason of dissatisfaction (n = 3) Qualitative decrease in food materials 0 (0.0)
Decrease in amount of foods 2 (66.7)
Decrease in food taste 0 (0.0)
Decrease in preference foods 1 (33.3)
Lower in feeding services and hygiene status 0 (0.0)
Reason of satisfaction (n = 39) Economic aspect 0 (0.0)
Reflection of preference with high frequency 4 (10.3)
Qualitative increase in food materials 31 (79.5)
Improvement in food taste 2 (5.1)
Satisfaction with food services and hygiene 2 (5.1)
Table 7.
Changes in perceptions on school meals according to conversion of free meal services of dieticians/dietetic teachers N (%)
Variables Contents Total
Change in menu (n = 42) Changed 6 (14.3)
Different, depending on menu 11 (26.2)
Not changed 25 (59.5)
Reason of change in menu Reflect on students' preference 5 (29.4)
Policy of school guidance 0 (0.0)
Increased food cost 12 (70.6)
Increased personnel expenses 0 (0.0)
Change in the frequency of foods with high preference (n = 42) Changed 8 (19.0)
Different, depending on menu 9 (21.4)
Not changed 25 (59.5)
Qualitative change in food materials (n = 42) Changed 23 (54.8)
Different, depending on menu 2 (4.8)
Not changed 17 (40.5)
Qualitative change item of food materials (n = 25) Increase in grade and kind of fishes and meats 6 (24.0)
Increase in vegetable kind 12 (44.0)
Increase in kind of industrial products 7 (28.0)
Increase in eco-friendly food materials 1 (4.0)
Change in students' leftover of foods (n = 42) More 0 (0.0)
Less 2 (4.8)
Not changed 40 (95.2)
Table 8.
Dieticians/dietetic teacher's perceptions in feeding affairs according to conversion of free meal services of dieticians/dietetic teachers N (%)
Variables Contents Total
Limitations in selecting menus (n = 42) Reflect on students' preference 7 (16.7)
Recommended dietary allowance and composition of food group 3 (7.1)
Purchase and costs of food materials 11 (26.2)
Techniques of cooking employees 10 (23.8)
Consideration on food poisoning risk 0 (0.0)
Nothing 11 (26.2)
Considerations on selecting menus (n = 42) Students' preference 10 (23.8)
Leftover quantity of food 3 (7.1)
Recommended dietary allowance 9 (21.4)
Food cost 19 (45.2)
Hygiene 0 (0.0)
Nothing 1 (2.4)
Change in feeding affairs (n = 42) Management in menus 6 (14.3)
Purchase, storage, and management of food materials 7 (16.7)
Manpower management 6 (14.3)
HACCP management 1 (2.4)
Office work management 11 (26.2)
Recipe research and development 8 (19.0)
Nothing 3 (7.1)
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