BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship of unbalanced diet habits and eating behaviors between school age children and their mothers. METHODS: From the Wonju area of Gangwon-do, 232 children and their mothers were recruited for this study. General characteristics, degree of unbalanced diet, eating behaviors, factors associated with food preferences, food preferences, and food intake frequencies were obtained through a questionnaire. RESULTS: The degree of unbalanced diet habits were significantly correlated between school age children and their mothers. Children's eating behaviors were also highly affected by their mother's eating behaviors. Especially, the frequency of eating breakfast showed a significant correlation between children and mothers. Among the factors associated with food preferences, family eating habits, appetite, and emotions showed significant associations between girls and mothers. As for food preferences, preference for meat in children was not significantly associated with that in their mothers, whereas preference for perilla oil and butter was significantly associated with preference in their mothers. The relationship of food preferences between children and mothers differed according to the sex of the children. Further, the intake frequencies for most foods were highly correlated between children and mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the unbalanced diet habits and eating behaviors of mothers can affect those in their children. Moreover, the correlations of food preferences between children and their mothers were different depending on the sex of the children. Our data suggest that educating mothers about their diet and eating behaviors could improve the eating practices of their children.
Appetite ; Breakfast ; Butter ; Child* ; Diet* ; Eating ; Feeding Behavior* ; Female ; Food Habits ; Food Preferences ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Meat ; Mothers* ; Perilla ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and use of premium snacks (PS) in school aged children. In addition, the influence of their mothers attitude toward the PS use on the children's PS eating behavior was examined. METHODS: 337 boys and 292 girls and their mothers (n=535) were participated in this study. Participants were recruited from two elementary schools located in Kyung-ki area. Information on general characteristics, the frequencies of general snack eating and associated factors, and the frequencies of PS eating and associated factors were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean frequency of PS eating were 1.12 times/wk in boys and 0.98 times/wk in girls. The PS eating frequency was positively associated with the frequency of eating general snacks in boys and the money spent on purchasing general snacks in girls. The main reasons for eating PS were 'health' followed by 'taste'. The frequencies of general snack eating and those of PS use in mothers were highly associated with the frequencies of eating PS in children. Further, the perceptions on PS in mothers were significantly correlated with the frequencies of PS eating both in boys and in girls, although correlation coefficients were somewhat weak. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that mother's snack eating behavior and perceptions can affect their children's PS uses. Our findings suggest that the education toward the mother's eating behavior and nutrition knowledge are important in improving child's eating behavior including reasonable and healthy snack choices.
Child* ; Eating ; Education ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Mothers* ; Snacks* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the consumption frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages including soda and sweet drinks and sleep duration and quality among Korean adolescents. Methods: Data on 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls of students in middle and high school were obtained from the 2014-2017 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, a national-wide cross-sectional school-based survey. Respondents self-reported soda and sweet drinks consumption, sleep hours, and sleep quality. The associations between these variables were analyzed by complex sampling multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: 76.4% and 84.7% of respondents consumed soda and sweet drinks at least one time per week. Sleep deprivation (<8 hours/day) was associated with higher soda and sweet drinks consumption (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 95% confidence interval [CI]) for 5 times a week for soda 1.44 (1.33-1.59) in boys and 1.25 (1.12-1.40) in girls: and sweet drinks 1.54 (1.43-1.66) in boys and 1.41 (1.28-1.55) in girls. Similarly, unsatisfactory sleep quality was also associated with higher soda and sweet drinks consumption (aOR, 95% CI) for 5 times a week for soda 1.19 (1.13-1.26) in boys and 1.27 (1.19-1.35) in girls: and sweet drinks 1.36 (1.29-1.44) in boys and 1.34 (1.28-1.41) in girls. Conclusions Both sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality was associated with higher consumption of soda and sweet drinks among Korean adolescents.

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the effects of Cirsium setidens ethanolic extract (CS) on the development of alcoholic fatty liver and associated injury. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed either Lieber-DeCarli control (C) or ethanol (35.5% of total calories) liquid diet with 0 (E), 100 mg/kgBW CS (E+LCS), or 500 mg/kgBW CS (E+HCS) for 8 weeks. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities as well as TG and cholesterol concentrations in the serum and liver tissues were measured by colorimetric assays. Liver histopathology was examined by Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the fixed liver tissues. Protein levels of phosphorylated-AMP activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), phosphorylated-acetyl CoA carboxylase (p-ACC), phosphorylated-nuclear factor kappa B (p-NFκB), and TNFα were measured by Western blot analyses. RESULTS: Both doses of CS markedly suppressed alcohol-induced lipid droplets accumulation in the liver tissues and significantly inhibited alcohol-induced increases in activities of serum ALT and serum AST. Similarly, CS significantly reduced hepatic and serum TG concentrations. Compared to groups fed alcohol only, CS supplementation strongly increased hepatic levels of p-AMPK and p-ACC. Further, CS significantly inhibited alcohol-induced phosphorylation of NFκB, which was associated with reduced hepatic protein levels of TNFα. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that CS has a protective effect against alcoholic liver injury, which was associated with activation of AMPK and inhibition of NFκB.
Alanine Transaminase ; Alcoholics* ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blotting, Western ; Cholesterol ; Cirsium* ; Diet ; Ethanol* ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic* ; Humans ; Lipid Droplets ; Liver ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinases ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Hepcidin, a peptide hormone synthesized mainly by the liver, has been implicated as a key regulator of iron homeostasis. Results from studies with experimental animal models suggested that hepcidin levels are related with body iron status, but little data is available in human subjects. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between serum pro-hepcidin levels, blood indexes of anemia, and dietary iron intake in female college students. Serum pro-hepcidin concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in eighty-two women with 22.1 +/- 0.2 years old. Dietary intake data were collected by using the 24-hour recall method for 3 days. Mean concentrations of serum prohepcidin were 85.1 ng/ml +/- 6.1 (s.d.) with the range of 13.6 - 295.7 ng/ml. The median value of serum pro-hepcidin in the study subjects was 70.3 ng/ml. Serum pro-hepcidin concentrations were positively correlated with hemoglobin concentrations(r = 0.273, p = 0.013), and also with hematocrit (r = 0.291, p = 0.008). To examine whether the level of dietary iron intake affects serum pro-hepcidin levels, study subjects were divided into two groups according to the amounts of daily iron intake. Serum pro-hepcidin concentrations were 22% lower in groups with low iron intake (< or = 10.1 mg/day), compared to high-iron intake group (> 10.1 mg/day). In conclusion, these data, as in agreement with findings in mice, suggest that hepcidin plays an important role in regulating iron metabolism in the human body.
Anemia ; Animals ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female* ; Hematocrit ; Hepcidins* ; Homeostasis ; Human Body ; Humans ; Iron* ; Iron, Dietary ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Models, Animal

Purpose: The zinc transporter ZIP7 is known to regulate glucose metabolism in skeletal muscles, and skeletal muscles are known to play a critical role in glycemic control. The present study examines the effects of dietary zinc supplementation on the blood glucose concentration and expression of ZIP7 in skeletal muscle obtained from obese mice fed a highfat diet (HF). Methods: C57BL/6J male mice were divided into three groups and were administered either a HF (60% of total calories from fat), HF supplemented with zinc (HF+Zn, 60% calories from fat + 300 mg zinc/kg diet), or low-fat diet (CON, 10% calories from fat), for 15 weeks. Results: Compared to CON group mice, the final body weights and adipose tissue weights were significantly increased, while the skeletal muscle weights were significantly decreased in mice belonging to the HF and HF+Zn groups. The HF+Zn group had significantly lower levels of fasting blood glucose concentrations than the HF group. Similarly, zinc supplementation significantly decreased the HF-elevated area under the curve values obtained from the oral glucose tolerance test. Skeletal muscle protein levels of ZIP7 in samples obtained from the HF group were significantly decreased as compared to the CON group. Conversely, the skeletal ZIP7 protein levels in the HF+Zn group were significantly increased as compared to the HF group. Moreover, the protein levels of phosphorylated-AKT and glucose transporter 4 in the skeletal muscle were significantly increased subsequent to zinc supplementation. Conclusion Our data demonstrates that zinc supplementation up-regulates the skeletal muscle ZIP7 expression, which is associated with improved glucose tolerance in the obesity.

Background: The objective of this study was to examine the association between the nutritional status and the risk of metabolic syndrome according to the frequency of eating with others in elderly men and women. Methods: This study included 4,562 subjects (≥65 years) from the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Survey logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the frequency of eating with others per day (0, 1-2, 3 times/day) and nutrient intake and metabolic syndrome, adjusted for the related confounding variables. Results: In elderly men, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of vitamin C, phosphorus, and iron. Additionally, elderly men who ate with others 0 time/day had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.43-6.62) for overall nutrient intake insufficiency as compared to elderly men who ate with others 3 times/day. In elderly women, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of energy. However, no association was found between the frequency of eating with others and risk of metabolic syndrome in either sex. Conclusions Our study findings suggest that frequently eating with others may improve the nutritional status in both elderly men and women.

BACKGROUND: Energy drinks (EDs), functional beverages with high concentrations of caffeine, can cause health risks. This study examined the frequency of ED consumption and related factors in Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data from the 10th-13th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used, and a total of 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls were included in the final analyses. Differences in ED consumption and associated factors were analyzed using the Rao-Scott chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression analysis, reflecting of the complex sample design. RESULTS: In total, 17.3% boys and 12.9% girls consumed EDs more than once a week (P<0.001). In particular, 24.2% of all high-school students in the 12th grade consumed more than three EDs a week. After adjusting for confounding factors, a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that higher ED consumption was significantly associated with a higher soda, sweet-drink, and fast food intake; skipping breakfast; a lower vegetable intake; depression; suicidal thoughts; sleep deprivation; and increased smoking and alcohol drinking. CONCLUSIONS: ED consumption is associated with undesirable dietary-, lifestyle-, and mental health-related behaviors, suggesting the need for appropriate nutrition education in adolescents.
Adolescent ; Alcohol Drinking ; Beverages ; Breakfast ; Caffeine ; Depression ; Education ; Energy Drinks ; Fast Foods ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Risk-Taking ; Sleep Deprivation ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vegetables

Background: The objective of this study was to examine the association between the nutritional status and the risk of metabolic syndrome according to the frequency of eating with others in elderly men and women. Methods: This study included 4,562 subjects (≥65 years) from the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Survey logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the frequency of eating with others per day (0, 1-2, 3 times/day) and nutrient intake and metabolic syndrome, adjusted for the related confounding variables. Results: In elderly men, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of vitamin C, phosphorus, and iron. Additionally, elderly men who ate with others 0 time/day had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.43-6.62) for overall nutrient intake insufficiency as compared to elderly men who ate with others 3 times/day. In elderly women, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of energy. However, no association was found between the frequency of eating with others and risk of metabolic syndrome in either sex. Conclusions Our study findings suggest that frequently eating with others may improve the nutritional status in both elderly men and women.

BACKGROUND: Energy drinks (EDs), functional beverages with high concentrations of caffeine, can cause health risks. This study examined the frequency of ED consumption and related factors in Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data from the 10th-13th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used, and a total of 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls were included in the final analyses. Differences in ED consumption and associated factors were analyzed using the Rao-Scott chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression analysis, reflecting of the complex sample design. RESULTS: In total, 17.3% boys and 12.9% girls consumed EDs more than once a week (P<0.001). In particular, 24.2% of all high-school students in the 12th grade consumed more than three EDs a week. After adjusting for confounding factors, a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that higher ED consumption was significantly associated with a higher soda, sweet-drink, and fast food intake; skipping breakfast; a lower vegetable intake; depression; suicidal thoughts; sleep deprivation; and increased smoking and alcohol drinking. CONCLUSIONS ED consumption is associated with undesirable dietary-, lifestyle-, and mental health-related behaviors, suggesting the need for appropriate nutrition education in adolescents.