The aim of this study was to analyse associations between dietary habits and nutrient intake of 250 male middle school students in Daegu area. To determine energy and nutrient intake, 24-hour dietary recalls were conducted. The Statistical Analysis Sy...
The aim of this study was to analyse associations between dietary habits and nutrient intake of 250 male middle school students in Daegu area. To determine energy and nutrient intake, 24-hour dietary recalls were conducted. The Statistical Analysis Systems(SAS version 9.2 Institute, Cary, NC, USA) was used for the analyses. As a result, a high proportions of students reported having three meals a day (67.6%), eating from 10 to 20 minutes on average (55.2%), and having bread or cookies for snacks (56.0%). The patterns of dietary behaviour including rice meal for breakfast, unbalanced diet, skipping breakfast, and salty or spicy diet were 84.0%, 24.0%, 14.8%, and 12.4%, respectively. However, 17.2% of the subjects reported finding no problems on their diet. With regard to regularity of food intake, 39.6% of the subjects reported having their meals at regular intervals and 40.8% replied eating proper amounts of food per serving. The subjects who had daily intake of fruits and vegetable and daily intake of milk were 51.2% and 42.4%, respectively, and those who disregarded food combinations and nutritional value were 43.6%. When compared to other groups, the mean intakes of energy, carbohydrate, zinc, and vitamin C were significantly higher in the group who had daily intakes of fruits and vegetables, and the mean calcium intake was significantly higher in the group who had daily intake of milk. Also, the mean intakes of calcium, potassium, and zinc were significantly lower in the group who daily consumed instant food. The binge eating group had a significantly higher weight and height than others, whereas the unbalanced diet group had a significantly lower weights than others. The normal diet group had a significantly higher dietary fiber intake than the binge eating and unbalanced diet groups. The mean intakes of potassium, vitamin A, and beta-carotene were significantly higher in the normal diet group than the group with irregular diet. In conclusion, students reported eating more vegetable, fruit, and milk and less instant food showed a higher intake of important nutrient for growth such as calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. These findings provide evidence that food habit plays a role in nutrient intake in middle school students.