Online Program

281974
Factor affecting the physical growth and eating habits of children at daycare centers located in South Korea


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Yun Kyung Kim, MA, Graduate School of Social Welfare, Health and Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
Jeniffer Kim, MSW, Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
Jieun Kim, BA, Graduate School of Social Welfare, Health & Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
In Han Song, PhD, Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)

Purpose: To compare the physical growth of children living in Yangyang-gun in Gangwon Province, South Korea with children across the nation, and to investigate factors affecting their eating habits.

Methods: A total of 340 children at the age of two or older registered at five daycare centers who were selected by a probability sampling procedure from a total of nine daycare centers located in the region were surveyed. The subjects of the final analysis were a collection of a total of 246 children, who's responded to the survey questionnaires and the measurements of their physical growth. The knowledge of nutrition and eating habits of their mothers were measures using a scale verified for its reliability by the Korean Nutrition Society; and a multivariate regression analysis was conducted in order to control the effects of other variables.

Results: According to the multivariate regression analysis, children with working mothers earned lower scores on their eating habits than others who had stay-at-home mothers. Furthermore, the scores were positively related to the children's age, body mass index (BMI), and their mothers' knowledge of nutrition.

Conclusion: The knowledge of nutrition is positively related to the eating habits when other variables are controlled. It indicates the importance of offering nutrition education to children is evident. In addition of providing education on nutrition to working mothers, it is necessary to emplace measures to allow sufficient time and proper environment in which working mothers can improve on the eating habits of their children.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Compare the eating habits and children’s physical growth between working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Identify the malnutrition problems on working mothers’ children. Discuss the nutrition education for working mothers.

Keyword(s): Child Care, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I planned the research, did a literature review, analyzed the data, and wrote the abstract with co-authors
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.