This study investigated the eating habits of elementary school children and their perceptions related to traditional Korean foods, based on the health belief model. The subjects were fifth grade elementary school children (274 boys and 274 girls) in eight Korean cities. The results were as follows: The children ate almost three meals per day and were grateful for their meals. However, they irregularly consumed meals and snacks. They tended to eat heartily and did not eat foods that they had not yet eaten. Their meals were based on rice and they have eaten kimchi and vegetables at almost every meal. However, they had undesirable habits in eating other foods, such as fruits, fish, soybeans, and sweet foods. They did not sensitively or seriously perceive their eating habits in relation to their health. They perceived that it was very good for their nutrition, health, and tastes to eat traditional Korean foods, and they had pride in traditional Korean foods and eating style. Although they expressed some difficulty regarding availability and preparation of traditional Korean foods, they hardly felt difficulty in eating them. They had high dietary self-efficacy with regard to eating these foods, except for two items of self-regulation. Their eating habits showed positive correlation with dietary self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefit. In conclusion, eating habits of elementary school children in relation to traditional Korean foods are not desirable, but not serious. They did not sensitively or seriously perceive their eating habits in relation to their health. However, they perceived that it was very good for their nutrition and health to eat traditional Korean foods, did not have a high level of difficulty in eating them, and had high dietary self-efficacy with regard to eating them. Therefore, we suggest that children should be exposed to various traditional Korean foods, along with education about them, in order to enhance their concern and motivation to eat them. (

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESThere are limited studies investigating the eating patterns of children's favorite foods. The present study aimed to evaluate a wide range of children's favorite foods, derive its eating patterns, and identify factors related to the patterns.SUBJECTS/METHODSA nationwide cross-sectional study included 5,458 students in elementary, middle, and high schools. The survey was conducted at each school to evaluate children's favorite food intake, including the intake frequency of 31 food items or food groups, and its related factors, such as demographic, economic, and environmental characteristics and awareness of policies on children's favorite foods. Factor analysis using varimax rotation method and logistic regression analysis were conducted.RESULTSTwo factors were derived as major eating patterns from data of children's favorite foods: the ‘unhealthy eating pattern’ which mainly involves confectionery, chocolate, ramen, fried food, etc.; and the ‘healthy eating pattern’ which mainly involves soybean milk, vegetables, fruit juice, and nuts. A stepwise selection procedure through the regression analysis revealed that allowance, use of screen media, less awareness of policies on children's favorite foods, and less interest in health were positively related to the tendency of unhealthy or less-healthy eating patterns (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONSThis study examined that the eating patterns of children's favorite foods were associated with certain environmental characteristics and awareness about the related policies. These findings suggest that a nutrition education program regarding children's favorite foods needs to be conducted according to the characteristics of students to develop their healthy eating habits and proper choice of favorite foods.

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In this study, in order to understand how much subject competencies and skills can be realized through the dietary unit in the Practical Arts textbook, the dietary units in the 5th and 6th grade Practical Arts textbook were analyzed based on the subject competencies and skills in the family life field of the 2015 revised Practical Arts curriculum. The conclusions drawn based on the results of this study are as follows. First, all three subject competencies presented in the family life field of the Practical Arts curriculum could be cultivated by learning the dietary units in Practical Arts textbook based on the 2015 revised curriculum. In particular, it was found that life independence ability can be cultivated the most. As for the sub-elements of each subject competency, practical reasoning, decision-making, and critical thinking can mainly be cultivated in practical problem-solving ability. The ability to perform diet, clothing, and shelter, and healthy and safe living can mainly be cultivated in life independence ability. Family relationship and community consciousness, respect and communication with others, consideration and care/environmental and ecological consciousness can mainly be cultivated in relationship formation ability. Second, among the skills presented in the 2015 revised Practical Arts curriculum, the skills that could be cultivated by learning the dietary units in the 5th and 6th grade Practical Arts textbook were most prominent in practicing(executing) and applying. Synthesizing, evaluating, exploring, and judging could also be cultivated by learning the dietary unit in Practical Arts textbook. Third, most of the skills required to develop practical problem-solving ability can be cultivated in the dietary unit of Practical Arts textbook, so it can be said that the skills are relatively well connected for the cultivation of practical problem-solving ability. However, as for the life independence ability and the relationship formation ability, the skills required to cultivate these subject competencies were somewhat insufficient, so the link between the subject competency and the skills was found to be somewhat insufficient.