This study compared obese children's food group intakes with the new Dietary References Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) food guides for 5th-6th grade school children. This study also determined the extent of sedentary life styles related with obesity in this area of children. This is a cross-sectional study of 799 school children. The dietitian sent a survey form describing the project and a questionnaire to the subject's family. The questionnaire included child demographics, family history of chronic diseases, the daily servings of five food groups, such as grains, meat and beans, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. The daily or weekly hours of physical activity, television viewing, and computer usage were also surveyed. Obesity index (%) of the subjects was calculated, and children with an obesity index (%) equal to or greater than 20 were classified as the obese. Among the 799 participants, 50.7% were female. The percentages of the normal and the obese were 691 (86.5%) and 108 (13.5%) respectively. Obese children reported eating less vegetables (p<0.05), more high sugar snacks (p<0.05), and high fat snacks (p<0.05) than normal children. No significant differences in food servings of grains, meats and beans, and fruits, and dairy products between the normal and the obese were shown. Obese children reported fewer hours of physical activities (p<0.05) and more hours of computer usage (p<0.05) than normal children. Girls showed less likelihood of being obese (odds ratio, 0.575, CI (0.38, 0.87), p<0.05). More hours of physical activity significantly decreased the likelihood of being obese (odds ratio, 0.572, CI (0.35, 0.92), p<0.05). Family history of obesity almost doubled the likelihood of obesity in children (odds ratio, 2.653, CI (1.660, 4.241), p<0.05). In conclusion, frequent snacking, inadequate vegetable consumption, and sedentary lifestyle increased significantly the likelihood of obesity in children, which suggest that obesity intervention in this age group should focuse more on those variables.
Edible Grain ; Child* ; Chronic Disease ; Compliance* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dairy Products ; Demography ; Diet* ; Eating ; Fabaceae ; Female ; Fruit ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Style* ; Meat ; Motor Activity ; Nutritionists ; Obesity* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sedentary Lifestyle ; Seoul* ; Snacks ; Television ; Vegetables

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the mother's interest in weight control and its association with the preschooler's obesity and weight related concerns. This was a cross-sectional study based on 470 parents' self-reports. To score interests in weight control, mothers rated each of 6 items on a five-point Likert scale ranging from disagree (1) to agree (5). The perceptions of mothers' weights and their children's weights, mothers' Body Mass Index (BMI), preschoolers' Weight-Length Index (WLI) (%), and weight-related concerns were determined. The mothers' BMI was significantly correlated with interest scores of weight control in mothers (r=0.632, p<0.001) while their children's obesity was weakly correlated with the mothers' interest scores (r=0.133, p=0.025). Mothers with a high interest of weight control reported higher percentages of family history of obesity than mothers with lower interests (63.2% vs. 36.8%, p<0.001). Two-thirds of the mothers (65.4%) were accurate in their perceptions about their weights. Similarly, 63.7% of mothers knew exactly their children's weight-statuses. Compared with mothers with low interest in weight controls, mothers with high interest in weight control had lower correct-perceptions about their weights (p<0.05) but higher correct-perceptions about their children's weights. More than two-thirds of mothers (85%) reported not worrying about their children's obesity in the future. Only 14.3% of the mothers were satisfied with their current weight statuses. Three-fourths of mothers preferred exercise as an effective weight-control method for their children, 20% preferred diet therapy and 5.5% preferred behavior modification. More girls were overweight / obese, than boys (overweight: 16.1% (girl) vs. 12.8% (boy), obese: 5.4% (girl) vs. 4.5% (boy)). About 40% of overweight girls' mothers had low interests in their weight controls with low correct-perceptions in their children's weights, which suggests possible elevated risk of obesity, especially in girls, in the future.
Behavior Therapy ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Mothers ; Obesity* ; Overweight ; Weights and Measures