The purposes of this study were to investigate the perception of community nutrition programs and the conditions to carry them out, for 32 directors of health centers where public health nutritionists are not employed. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. Nutrition intervention programs were not carried out actively except those for infants but the health center directors strongly felt the necessity of carrying out various nutrition programs. The factors that affect the selecting and priotizing of nutrition programs were the need of community residents, the perception of the local congressmen, and the head of the local government. The most urgent and important problem to be solved in order to intervene nutrition programs was employing public health nutritionists on a tenure basis. Other were securing necessary revenue, precise guidance, political support, hardwares, etc. These results showed the importance of employing public health nutritionists for intervening appropriate nutrition programs and improving the perception of nutrition services for health center directors, local congressmen and personnels in charge of formulating nutrition policies.
Head ; Humans ; Infant ; Local Government ; Nutrition Policy ; Nutritionists* ; Public Health*

The purpose of this study was to analyze task performance and importance level of the dietitian who is working in the public health nutrition area. Work oriented job analysis methodology was employed for the study purpose. Subjects of 38 dietitians currently working at health centers in 2002 were recruited. Based on the focus group interview with 7 public health nutritionists and 7 professors, information about task elements was collected. Questionnaires measuring work performance and self-perception of importance of the selected task elements were administered. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1) The tasks with high performance and importance level among 20 tasks are developing nutrition education material (B1), nutrition services for adults and the elderly (C3), writing the proposal for nutrition services (A2), evaluating service effect (A4), improving professionalism (E1), and self management (E2). 2) The task elements with high performance and importance level among weekly task elements are nutrition education for diabetes (C56), nutrition counseling for adults (C47), nutrition for hypertension (C53), managing and keeping records (C80), nutrition education for kindergarten and nursery school children (C42), searching for nutrition education materials (B26), and searching for media (B27). 3) The number of task elements with high performance and importance level among monthly task elements are 13 in the planning and evaluation of public health nutrition service, and 5 in developing nutrition education materials. The tasks of a dietitian in the public health center show a very wide spectrum. However dietitians recognize most of the tasks are important even though they cannot perform those tasks adequately.
Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Counseling ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Public Health ; Schools, Nursery ; Self Care ; Self Concept ; Task Performance and Analysis ; Writing

The purpose of this study was to analyze task performance and importance level of the dietitian who is working in the public health nutrition area. Work oriented job analysis methodology was employed for the study purpose. Subjects of 38 dietitians currently working at health centers in 2002 were recruited. Based on the focus group interview with 7 public health nutritionists and 7 professors, information about task elements was collected. Questionnaires measuring work performance and self-perception of importance of the selected task elements were administered. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1) The tasks with high performance and importance level among 20 tasks are developing nutrition education material (B1), nutrition services for adults and the elderly (C3), writing the proposal for nutrition services (A2), evaluating service effect (A4), improving professionalism (E1), and self management (E2). 2) The task elements with high performance and importance level among weekly task elements are nutrition education for diabetes (C56), nutrition counseling for adults (C47), nutrition for hypertension (C53), managing and keeping records (C80), nutrition education for kindergarten and nursery school children (C42), searching for nutrition education materials (B26), and searching for media (B27). 3) The number of task elements with high performance and importance level among monthly task elements are 13 in the planning and evaluation of public health nutrition service, and 5 in developing nutrition education materials. The tasks of a dietitian in the public health center show a very wide spectrum. However dietitians recognize most of the tasks are important even though they cannot perform those tasks adequately.
Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Counseling ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Public Health ; Schools, Nursery ; Self Care ; Self Concept ; Task Performance and Analysis ; Writing

Korea has not tried any food consumption survey so far except the national nutrition survey, which does not show food consumption patterns of different income stratas. The results of the family income and expenditure survey(FIES) by the national statistical office can be precious sources which show household food consumption patterns due to large, random. Samples, year-round survey period and socioeconomic background data. This study analyzed the FIES data to find out food consumption patterns including nutrient intakes and frequently consumed foods by households among different monthly income levels. Big difference was found in food consumption patterns among the quartile-income groups especially the amount of consumed foods, food expenditure, and nutrient intakes. For every food item, the higher the monthly invomr, yhr motr og goof yhry vondumrf. The monthly food expenditure of higher higher income strata was composed with higher percentage of relatively expensive foods compared to other stratas. Nutrient intake levels of lower income strata were 50-60% of the RDA, which showed the necessicity of food assistance programs for those high risk groups to complement the nutritional difficiency.
Complement System Proteins ; Family Characteristics ; Food Assistance ; Health Expenditures* ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys

The purpose of this study is to estimate the minimum optimal scale(MOS) of the self-employed health insurance associations. Considering the high proportion of operating expenses, the author have selected 254 regional health insurance associations from the 1990 Finance Report of the self-employed health insurance programs. both a quadratic function and a hyperbolic function were chosen for the analysis. The dependent variables are the average maintenance cost per insured person and per household, and the independent variables are the number of insured members and of household. The minimum optimal scale was obtained from the differentiation of the quadratic function. Major findings are summarized as follows: 1. The M.O.S. was calculated as 166,174 members (27,442 households) for the rural self-employed health insurance associations and 258,462 members (75,446 households) for the urban. Providing that both the rural and urban health insurance associations would e integrated, the M.O.S. be found to become 231,687 members (68,101 households) 2. Compared with the optimal minimum scale, the magnitude of the current health insurance association found to be much smaller, less than half of the optimal scale. 3. In order to reduce the operating cost, it is necessary to enlarge the operational scale of self-employed health insurance associations.
Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Insurance ; Insurance, Health* ; Korea* ; Urban Health

The purposes of this study were to investigate the perception and needs of community nutrition programs for 379 community residents of 23 health centers where the pilot community nutrition programs are intervening. The awareness rate of the nutrition programs was 54.3% and the reason of the awareness was mainly happened to know when visiting health centers'. More than 90% of the respondents responded that public health nutrition services are necessary. But the residents who experienced the nutrition services showed higher needs of the programs(97.3%) and improved the impression about the roles of health centers(93.6%). They also showed a higher rate of balanced dieting, stronger intentions to change their inappropriate eating style and a higher practicing rate. The more they believed in the provided nutrition information, the more they showed concerns about their diet and practicing rate of the advices from nutritionists. These results show the positive and successful impact of the pilot nutrition programs on the community residents. We need strategies for a more active improvement of the programs and to maintain more qualified public health nutritionists to carry out targeted community nutrition programs.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diet ; Eating ; Intention ; Nutritionists ; Public Health

The purpose of the study was to find the sociopsychological factors predicting the intention of compliance with the dietary regimen in diabetes with a questionnaire. Data were collected from 282 adult noninsulin-dependent diabetics in Seoul, Kyoggida, and Kyongsangbukdo in Korea. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted with predictor variables from theories of the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Model, The Theory of Reasoned Action, and Social Support. The behavioral intention of compliance with the prescribed diet was the independent variable. Subjects norm self-efficacy knowledge about diet therapy, outcome expectation, relationship with medical team, threat of deterioration of disease, and social support were the independent variables, The mean score of behavior intention was high ie 35.3 out to 42. Subjective norm and self-efficacy were the significant variables to predict the intention of dietary compliance. These variables comprised 39% of the common variance. To increase dietary compliance by influence of the referents and improve self-efficacy significant referents must be included and concrete and practical methods to follow the dietary regimen must be provided in nutrition education.
Adult ; Compliance* ; Diet ; Diet Therapy ; Education ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to find the sociopsychological factors influencing the compliance of dietary regimen in diabetes by using focus group interviews. The data were collected from fifty three diabetes patients in eleven focus groups from September 1997 to March, 1998 in Seoul and Suwon Korea. The interviews were tape-recorded and the contents of the interviews were analysed by researchers. The subjects knew the causes, complications, and therapies of diabetes although they were incorrect at times . Patients had a wide range of outcome expectations from very optimistic to pessimistic. They recognized diabetes as a disease which needs life-time care, and they though that good care could provide a normal life. One the other hand they thought diabetes could lead to death through complications, and cause financial problems as well as social isolation. As for self-efficacy they recognized the importance of compliance to diet regimen but they thought the diet therapy was very difficult and were not very willing to follow it. They felt medical professionals, especially doctors, were influential for the therapies. However they frequently felt counselling provided by doctors was insufficient in time and content and led to attitude problems. They felt support from families and others was often insufficient and inadequate. Nutrition education fostering outcome expectation, social support, and self-efficacy is needed to increased compliance. The most influential referents were medical professional including doctors, nurses, dieticians, so their role in diet therapy should by emphasized.
Compliance* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Diet Therapy ; Education ; Focus Groups* ; Foster Home Care ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutritionists ; Seoul ; Social Isolation

This survey was conducted to evaluate with 457 health professionals from July, 1999 to September, 1999 the awareness of and satisfaction with the nutrition labeling system in Korea and to determine a desirable labeling system. Professors of food and nutrition and nutrition researchers in the food industry had the hightest scores on awareness of the nutrition labeling system(75.6% and 73.4%, respectively), which was significantly different from each other by occupation(p<0.01). Frequently checked labeling information were expiration date, production date, price, and company respectively. Special nutrient food producers(56.9%), dietitians(49.3%), nurses(48.1%), researchers(42.3%) answered moderately on satisfaction with nutrition information for products, which was statistically significant(p<0.01). This suggests that health professionals were unsatisfied with the present nutrition labeling system. In nutrition focusing statements, nutrient content claims, health claims, and working periods were significantly related with nutrition focusing statements and health claims, but not with nutrient content claims : the subject who had been working for more than 10 years and less than 5 years had positive thoughts or those matters while the subjects whose working periods were between 10 and 5 years had the lowest score. The most desirable labeling units were serving size(65.1%). Ninety two percent of the subjects wanted absolute nutrient contents in food and their percentage of the KRDA. Eight nine percent of health professionals agreed that the health claims should be used only with scientific approval by the government or food research institutions. Only 4.4% of subjects were satisfied with current regulations of health claims(p<0.001). More studies regarding labeling units, their range and nutrient reference values are needed. The opinions of health professionals in nutrition labeling system should discussed to establish a desirable nutrition labeling system.
Food Industry ; Food Labeling* ; Health Occupations* ; Korea ; Reference Values ; Social Control, Formal

The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized job description for dietitians working in the public health nutrition area. Work-oriented job analysis methodology was employed for the study purpose. Subjects of 38 dietitians currently working at health centers in 2002 were recruited. Based on the focus group interview with 7 public health nutritionists and 7 professors, information about task elements was collected. Questionnaires measuring work performance and self-perception of importance of the selected task elements were administered. Reliability and validity of this instrument were tested by Chronbach's alpha and factor analysis. SAS PC package program was used for the statistical analysis. The final developed job description for public health nutritionists included 5 duties, 20 tasks and 93 task elements. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1) 5 duty areas are A. plan and evaluation of public health nutrition services, B. developing nutrition education materials, C. implementing nutrition services, D. networking community, and E. self development. 2) Each duty area from A to E was composed with 6, 2, 6, 4, 2 tasks, respectively. 3) Each duty area from A to E was composed with 24, 8, 38, 14, 9, and 2 task elements, respectively.
Focus Groups ; Job Description ; Phenothiazines ; Public Health ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Concept