Objectives : 1) to investigate dietary habits, 2) to identify risk groups according to BMI, and 3) to compare eating behaviors between students in normal(20-24) and risk groups (below 19, 25-27, above 28).
Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study using a survey method.
Sample: The participants were 1,176 elementary school students, 850 middle school students and 672 high school students in Wonju City, selected by Cluster sampling.
Variables: Diet habits, Eating Behaviors
Instrument : The instrument was a structured questionnaire which included dietary habits, and the eating behavior instrument developed by Stunkard & Messick(1985) and revised by Kim & Kim (1997).
Findings: 1) As the student grade level increased their dietary habits became more irregular and they chewed their food less. 2) Identification of risk groups according to BMI showed that for elementary school students, 55.9% were in the low weight group, and 6.4% in the overweight and obese group. For middle and high school students, 40.6% and 35.5% respectively were in the low weight group, 11.5% and 8.8% in the overweight and obese group. 3) Comparisons of the eating behavior of students in normal weight group with that of those in risk groups showed that there were significant differences in 'hunger' and 'cognitive restraint of eating' in elementary school students, and significant differences in 'cognitive restraint of eating' in middle and high school students.
Conclusions & Implications: The results showed that the percentage of in the low weight group was high. Management of diet in school health should be addressed from both the aspect of insufficient and excess nutrition. Family, school nurses, and students should be involved in nutrition management to establish good dietary habits and eating behaviors for students.
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