Abstract
Background
The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and use of premium snacks (PS) in school aged children. In addition, the influence of their mothers attitude toward the PS use on the children's PS eating behavior was examined.
Methods
337 boys and 292 girls and their mothers (n=535) were participated in this study. Participants were recruited from two elementary schools located in Kyung-ki area. Information on general characteristics, the frequencies of general snack eating and associated factors, and the frequencies of PS eating and associated factors were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire.
Results
The mean frequency of PS eating were 1.12 times/wk in boys and 0.98 times/wk in girls. The PS eating frequency was positively associated with the frequency of eating general snacks in boys and the money spent on purchasing general snacks in girls. The main reasons for eating PS were ‘health' followed by ‘taste'. The frequencies of general snack eating and those of PS use in mothers were highly associated with the frequencies of eating PS in children. Further, the perceptions on PS in mothers were significantly correlated with the frequencies of PS eating both in boys and in girls, although correlation coefficients were somewhat weak.
Conclusions
Our study showed that mother's snack eating behavior and perceptions can affect their children's PS uses. Our findings suggest that the education toward the mother's eating behavior and nutrition knowledge are important in improving child's eating behavior including reasonable and healthy snack choices.
References
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Table 1.
Variables | Boy (n=337) | Girl (n=292) | Total (n=629) | χ2 (P)b |
---|---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | ||
Grade | ||||
5th | 192 (57.0) | 172 (58.9) | 364 (57.9) | 0.239 (0.625) |
6th | 145 (43.0) | 120 (41.1) | 265 (42.1) | |
Obesity | ||||
Underweight | 113 (34.7) | 132 (46.5) | 245 (40.2) | 15.872 (0.001) |
Normal | 137 (42.2) | 113 (39.7) | 250 (41.1) | |
Overweight | 28 (8.6) | 22 (7.8) | 50 (8.2) | |
Obese | 47 (14.5) | 17 (6.0) | 64 (10.5) | |
Number of siblings | ||||
0 | 28 (10.4) | 24 (9.2) | 52 (9.8) | 0.398 (0.820) |
1 | 181 (67.0) | 174 (66.4) | 355 (66.7) | |
≥2 | 61 (22.6) | 64 (24.4) | 125 (23.5) | |
Family income, 10,000 Korean Won/mon | ||||
<100 | 11 (4.1) | 12 (4.6) | 23 (4.4) | 6.209 (0.184) |
100–200 | 38 (14.2) | 42 (16.3) | 80 (15.2) | |
200–300 | 54 (20.2) | 71 (27.4) | 125 (23.7) | |
300–400 | 105 (39.2) | 91 (35.1) | 196 (37.2) | |
≥500 | 60 (22.3) | 43 (16.6) | 103 (19.5) | |
Mother's age | ||||
30–35 | 8 (3.0) | 13 (5.0) | 21 (4.0) | 3.274 (0.351) |
36–40 | 85 (31.5) | 92 (35.1) | 177 (33.3) | |
41–45 | 134 (49.5) | 125 (47.7) | 259 (48.6) | |
≥45 | 43 (16.0) | 32 (12.2) | 75 (14.1) | |
Mother's education | ||||
≤Middle/high school | 164 (60.7) | 153 (58.4) | 317 (59.6) | 0.303 (0.582) |
≥College/university | 106 (39.3) | 109 (41.6) | 215 (40.4) | |
Mother's employment | ||||
Full-time employed | 124 (45.9) | 131 (50.0) | 255 (47.9) | 3.543 (0.170) |
Part-time employed | 31 (11.5) | 39 (14.9) | 70 (13.2) | |
None | 115 (42.6) | 92 (35.1) | 207 (38.9) |
Table 2.
Variables | Boy (n=337) | Boy's mother (n=273) | χ2 (P)b | Girl (n=292) | Girl's mother (n=262) | r χ2 (P)b | Boy vs. girl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | χ2 (P)b | |||
Frequency of purchasing premium snacks | |||||||
≥1 time/d | 24 (7.1) | 5 (1.9) | 10.988 (0.012) | 12 (4.1) | 6 (2.3) | 8.136 (0.043) | 4.204 (0.240) |
3∼6 times/wk | 19 (5.7) | 11 (4.0) | 14 (4.8) | 6 (2.3) | |||
1∼2 times/wk | 52 (15.4) | 39 (14.3) | 57 (19.5) | 36 (13.9) | |||
Rare | 242 (71.8) | 217 (79.8) | 209 (71.6) | 212 (81.5) | |||
Reasons for purchasing premium snacks (choose two) | |||||||
Taste | 141 (22.2) | 37 (6.8) | 118.367 (<0.001) | 115 (20.5) | 41 (7.8) | 66.683 (<0.001) | 10.699 (0.058) |
Health | 201 (31.5) | 168 (30.6) | 168 (29.9) | 150 (28.6) | |||
Nutrition | 91 (14.3) | 44 (8.1) | 71 (12.7) | 44 (8.4) | |||
Ingredient | 91 (14.3) | 137 (25.1) | 112 (19.9) | 146 (27.9) | |||
Food additives | 41 (6.5) | 110 (20.2) | 48 (8.5) | 102 (19.5) | |||
Others | 71 (11.2) | 50 (9.2) | 48 (8.5) | 41 (7.8) | |||
Reason for not purchasing premium snacks | |||||||
Price | 179 (55.4) | 126 (46.3) | 40.621 (<0.001) | 170 (59.2) | 136 (51.9) | 14.746 (0.005) | 1.924 (0.750) |
Too much advertisement | 42 (13.0) | 79 (29.0) | 34 (11.9) | 53 (20.2) | |||
Bad taste | 56 (17.4) | 15 (5.5) | 42 (14.6) | 22 (8.4) | |||
Similar nutrient contents | 22 (6.8) | 23 (8.5) | 16 (5.6) | 24 (9.2) | |||
Similar ingredients | 24 (7.4) | 29 (10.7) | 25 (8.7) | 27 (10.3) |
Table 3.
Variables | Boy | Girl | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N | Mean±SD | F (P)a | N | Mean±SD | F (P)a | N | Mean±SD | F (P)a | |
Frequency of eating general snacks | |||||||||
≥3 times/d | 27 | 0.40±0.78b | 2.87 (0.023) | 26 | 0.20±0.59 | 1.27 (0.280) | 53 | 0.30±0.69b | 2.62 (0.034) |
2 times/d | 76 | 0.14±0.43c | 69 | 0.21±0.59 | 145 | 0.17±0.51c | |||
1 time/d | 113 | 0.12±0.30c | 106 | 0.09±0.20 | 219 | 0.11±0.26c | |||
1–3 times/wk | 75 | 0.16±0.35c | 59 | 0.10±0.21 | 134 | 0.13±0.30c | |||
Rare | 46 | 0.12±0.27c | 32 | 0.19±0.55 | 78 | 0.15±0.41c | |||
Money spent on general snacks, Korean Won/d | |||||||||
<500 | 97 | 0.15±0.37 | 2.29 (0.059) | 70 | 0.11±0.39c | 3.40 (0.010) | 167 | 0.14±0.38c | 5.21 (<0.001) |
500–1000 | 161 | 0.14±0.36 | 151 | 0.14±0.40c | 312 | 0.14±0.38c | |||
1100–1500 | 41 | 0.12±0.36 | 43 | 0.13±0.33c | 84 | 0.13±0.34c | |||
1600–2000 | 16 | 0.10±0.25 | 19 | 0.04±0.08c | 35 | 0.07±0.18c | |||
>2000 | 22 | 0.40±0.76 | 9 | 0.61±0.96b | 31 | 0.46±0.81b | |||
Ways of getting general snacks | |||||||||
Purchased by oneself | 125 | 0.12±0.32 | 1.03 (0.359) | 119 | 0.15±0.37 | 1.27 (0.282) | 244 | 0.13±0.34 | 1.42 (0.242) |
Purchased by parents | 140 | 0.17±0.44 | 107 | 0.10±0.32 | 247 | 0.14±0.40 | |||
Prepared by parents | 72 | 0.20±0.44 | 66 | 0.20±0.58 | 138 | 0.20±0.51 | |||
Person who eat snacks with | |||||||||
Alone | 135 | 0.15±0.39 | 0.13 (0.878) | 98 | 0.17±0.57 | 0.97 (0.379) | 233 | 0.16±0.47 | 0.42 (0.657) |
Friends | 100 | 0.17±0.39 | 86 | 0.16±0.27 | 186 | 0.16±0.34 | |||
Family | 101 | 0.16±0.43 | 108 | 0.10±0.33 | 209 | 0.13±0.38 | |||
Obesity | |||||||||
Underweight | 113 | 0.18±0.47 | 1.21 (0.307) | 132 | 0.11±0.23 | 1.16 (0.320) | 245 | 0.14±0.36 | 1.02 (0.385) |
Normal | 137 | 0.14±0.30 | 111 | 0.20±0.60 | 248 | 0.16±0.46 | |||
Overweight | 28 | 0.05±0.11 | 22 | 0.08±0.22 | 50 | 0.06±0.17 | |||
Obese | 47 | 0.14±0.26 | 17 | 0.09±0.20 | 64 | 0.13±0.25 | |||
Totald | 337 | 0.16±0.40 | 292 | 0.14±0.40 | 629 | 0.15±0.41 | –0.80 (0.423) |
Table 4.
Mother's characteristics | Boy (n=273) | Girl (n=262) | Total (n=535) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N | Mean±SD | F (P)a | N | Mean±SD | F (P)a | N | Mean±SD | F (P)a | |
Age | |||||||||
30–35 | 8 | 0.28±0.70 | 0.85 (0.470) | 13 | 0.12±0.22 | 2.02 (0.111) | 21 | 0.18±0.46 | 0.43 (0.733) |
36–40 | 85 | 0.14±0.29 | 91 | 0.13±0.37 | 177 | 0.13±0.33 | |||
41–45 | 134 | 0.16±0.40 | 125 | 0.12±0.36 | 259 | 0.14±0.39 | |||
≥45 | 43 | 0.08±0.22 | 33 | 0.32±0.75 | 75 | 0.19±0.53 | |||
Education | |||||||||
≤Middle school | 3 | 0.07±0.12 | 0.06 (0.983) | 6 | 0.23±0.39 | 2.28 (0.080) | 9 | 0.18±0.32 | 1.40 (0.241) |
High school | 161 | 0.14±0.39 | 147 | 0.09±0.33 | 308 | 0.12±0.37 | |||
College/university | 104 | 0.15±0.31 | 105 | 0.23±0.54 | 209 | 0.19±0.44 | |||
≥Graduate school | 2 | 0.10±0.14 | 4 | 0.00±0.00 | 6 | 0.03±0.08 | |||
Employment | |||||||||
Full-time employed | 124 | 0.14±0.33 | 1.14 (0.322) | 131 | 0.14±0.42 | 0.16 (0.855) | 255 | 0.14±0.38 | 0.23 (0.797) |
Part-time employed | 31 | 0.06±0.12 | 39 | 0.18±0.58 | 70 | 0.13±0.44 | |||
None | 115 | 0.17±0.42 | 92 | 0.15±0.38 | 207 | 0.16±0.40 | |||
Frequency of eating general snacks | |||||||||
≥2 times/d | 52 | 0.17±0.38 | 0.70 (0.497) | 47 | 0.24±0.64b | 3.09 (0.047) | 99 | 0.20±0.52b | 3.28 (0.038) |
1 time/d | 120 | 0.16±0.42 | 115 | 0.15±0.40bc | 235 | 0.16±0.41bc | |||
≤3 times/wk | 101 | 0.11±0.24 | 100 | 0.07±0.16c | 201 | 0.09±0.21c | |||
Frequency of purchasing premium snacks | |||||||||
≥1 time/d | 5 | 0.44±0.88 | 1.31 (0.272) | 6 | 0.78±1.15bc | 6.25 (<0.001) | 11 | 0.63±1.00b | 6.57 (<0.001) |
3–6 times/wk | 11 | 0.19±0.31 | 6 | 0.28±0.31c | 17 | 0.22±0.31c | |||
1–2 times/wk | 39 | 0.12±0.24 | 36 | 0.27±0.69c | 75 | 0.19±0.51c | |||
Rare | 217 | 0.14±0.36 | 211 | 0.11±0.32c | 428 | 0.12±0.34c |
Table 5.
Boy (n=273) | Girl (n=262) | Boy vs. Girl | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No | Item | Boy | Boy's mother | t (P)b | Girl | Girl's mother | t (P)b | t (P)c |
1 | I'm interested in purchasing premium snacks | 2.90±1.18 | 3.14±1.08 | –2.551 (0.011) | 3.11±1.09 | 3.11±1.03 | 0.045 (0.964) | –2.17 (0.030) |
2 | I think premium snacks are healthier than general snacks | 3.47±1.20 | 3.20±0.99 | 3.179 (0.002) | 3.59±1.01 | 3.18±0.92 | 5.395 (<0.001) | –1.21 (0.229) |
3 | I trust the nutrients and ingredients of the premium snacks | 3.24±1.16 | 2.86±0.93 | 4.703 (<0.001) | 3.29±0.99 | 2.99±0.83 | 3.976 (<0.001) | –0.54 (0.590) |
4 | I think that the price of premium snacks are reasonable | 2.49±1.06 | 2.26±0.84 | 2.931 (0.004) | 2.47±0.81 | 2.35±0.86 | 1.619 (0.107) | 0.26 (0.792) |
5 | I think premium snacks are delicious | 3.18±1.13 | 2.80±0.82 | 5.088 (<0.001) | 3.30±0.97 | 2.89±0.76 | 5.715 (<0.001) | –1.28 (0.201) |
6 | I think premium snacks contain less food additives | 3.09±0.92 | 3.00±0.93 | 1.239 (0.216) | 3.13±0.78 | 3.11±0.81 | 0.114 (0.910) | –0.46 (0.648) |
7 | I think premium snacks are safer than general snacks | 3.34±1.07 | 3.00±0.87 | 4.289 (<0.001) | 3.36±0.91 | 3.08±0.80 | 4.270 (<0.001) | –0.27 (0.787) |
8 | I prefer premium snacks to general snacks | 2.55±1.20 | 2.54±0.95 | 0.130 (0.897) | 2.56±1.04 | 2.66±0.98 | –1.216 (0.225) | –0.08 (0.939) |
Totald | 24.26±6.70 | 22.80±5.83 | 3.127 (0.002) | 24.80±5.58 | 23.37±5.26 | 3.437 (0.001) | –1.01 (0.312) |
Table 6.
No. | Perceptions in mothers | Boy (n=273) | Girl (n=262) | Total (n=535) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | I'm interested in purchasing premium snacks | 0.071 | 0.128b | 0.099b |
2 | I think premium snacks are healthier than general snacks | 0.128b | 0.137b | 0.132c |
3 | I trust the nutrients and ingredients of the premium snacks | 0.188c | 0.085 | 0.139c |
4 | I think that the price of premium snacks are reasonable | 0.114 | 0.094 | 0.104b |
5 | I think premium snacks are delicious | 0.093 | 0.021 | 0.058 |
6 | I think premium snacks contain less food additives | 0.161c | 0.087 | 0.126c |
7 | I think premium snacks are safer than general snacks | 0.167c | 0.069 | 0.120c |
8 | I prefer premium snacks to general snacks | 0.113 | 0.171c | 0.141c |
Total scored | 0.163c | 0.137c | 0.150e |