A standardized evaluation framework was developed for contract food service operations to analyze the priority of evaluation factors from the perspectives of contracting organizations (CO) and food service providers (FP). The Delphi technique and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used to identify and prioritize evaluation factors reflecting both perspectives. A three-round Delphi survey with 22 experts from academia and industry yielded seven evaluation areas and 46 indicators. Subsequently, an AHP survey was conducted with 40 experts (20 from CO and 20 from FP). The composite weights showed that “quality of menu and food” was rated highest by both parties (CO: 0.0699, FP: 0.0572), followed by “safe hygiene management” (CO: 0.0622, FP: 0.0366). Although CO prioritized “comfort and cleanliness of dining environment” (0.0344) and “meal distribution efficiency” (0.0341), FP emphasized “customer communication and satisfaction” (0.0316) and “food service operation management” (0.0302). By contrast, the lowest-ranked indicators included “carbon emissions management” (CO: 0.0120, FP: 0.0087), “ethical supply chain management” (CO: 0.0110, FP:0.0092), and “use of eco-friendly food materials” (CO: 0.0114, FP: 0.0101). Therefore, although traditional indicators remain dominant, sustainability and digitalization are still emerging in the evaluation framework. This study offers practical insights for enhancing objectivity and transparency in contract food service evaluation.The proposed framework integrates both perspectives, promoting mutual understanding and supporting the development of sustainable and efficient contract food service systems. Policy-level implications include aligning with public-sector evaluation models and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) mandates.

This study developed and validated a standardized scale to assess the adaptation of novice nutrition teachers to the teaching profession. A comprehensive literature review and a Delphi survey were conducted to identify the key adaptation factors, followed by a survey of 200 novice nutrition teachers across South Korea.Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the scale. The final scale consisted of five factors: personal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy factors, having 56 items. Reliability analysis indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α≥0.7 for all factors), and EFA confirmed that all items met the factor loading threshold (≥ 0.3). The CFA results revealed good model fit indices (CFI, TLI≥0.9, RMSEA≤0.1), confirming the structural validity of the scale. The socioecological scale developed in this study is an objective and practical tool for evaluating the adaptation levels of novice nutrition teachers and can be used as foundational data for developing support programs and policy development. Unlike previous studies that focused on individual teacher characteristics, this study applied a socioecological approach, incorporating organizational, social, and policy-related factors in addition to personal adaptation. Future research should extend the empirical application of this scale to diverse educational settings that verify its effectiveness, and develop comprehensive support strategies.

A standardized evaluation framework was developed for contract food service operations to analyze the priority of evaluation factors from the perspectives of contracting organizations (CO) and food service providers (FP). The Delphi technique and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used to identify and prioritize evaluation factors reflecting both perspectives. A three-round Delphi survey with 22 experts from academia and industry yielded seven evaluation areas and 46 indicators. Subsequently, an AHP survey was conducted with 40 experts (20 from CO and 20 from FP). The composite weights showed that “quality of menu and food” was rated highest by both parties (CO: 0.0699, FP: 0.0572), followed by “safe hygiene management” (CO: 0.0622, FP: 0.0366). Although CO prioritized “comfort and cleanliness of dining environment” (0.0344) and “meal distribution efficiency” (0.0341), FP emphasized “customer communication and satisfaction” (0.0316) and “food service operation management” (0.0302). By contrast, the lowest-ranked indicators included “carbon emissions management” (CO: 0.0120, FP: 0.0087), “ethical supply chain management” (CO: 0.0110, FP:0.0092), and “use of eco-friendly food materials” (CO: 0.0114, FP: 0.0101). Therefore, although traditional indicators remain dominant, sustainability and digitalization are still emerging in the evaluation framework. This study offers practical insights for enhancing objectivity and transparency in contract food service evaluation.The proposed framework integrates both perspectives, promoting mutual understanding and supporting the development of sustainable and efficient contract food service systems. Policy-level implications include aligning with public-sector evaluation models and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) mandates.

This study developed and validated a standardized scale to assess the adaptation of novice nutrition teachers to the teaching profession. A comprehensive literature review and a Delphi survey were conducted to identify the key adaptation factors, followed by a survey of 200 novice nutrition teachers across South Korea.Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the scale. The final scale consisted of five factors: personal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy factors, having 56 items. Reliability analysis indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α≥0.7 for all factors), and EFA confirmed that all items met the factor loading threshold (≥ 0.3). The CFA results revealed good model fit indices (CFI, TLI≥0.9, RMSEA≤0.1), confirming the structural validity of the scale. The socioecological scale developed in this study is an objective and practical tool for evaluating the adaptation levels of novice nutrition teachers and can be used as foundational data for developing support programs and policy development. Unlike previous studies that focused on individual teacher characteristics, this study applied a socioecological approach, incorporating organizational, social, and policy-related factors in addition to personal adaptation. Future research should extend the empirical application of this scale to diverse educational settings that verify its effectiveness, and develop comprehensive support strategies.

A standardized evaluation framework was developed for contract food service operations to analyze the priority of evaluation factors from the perspectives of contracting organizations (CO) and food service providers (FP). The Delphi technique and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used to identify and prioritize evaluation factors reflecting both perspectives. A three-round Delphi survey with 22 experts from academia and industry yielded seven evaluation areas and 46 indicators. Subsequently, an AHP survey was conducted with 40 experts (20 from CO and 20 from FP). The composite weights showed that “quality of menu and food” was rated highest by both parties (CO: 0.0699, FP: 0.0572), followed by “safe hygiene management” (CO: 0.0622, FP: 0.0366). Although CO prioritized “comfort and cleanliness of dining environment” (0.0344) and “meal distribution efficiency” (0.0341), FP emphasized “customer communication and satisfaction” (0.0316) and “food service operation management” (0.0302). By contrast, the lowest-ranked indicators included “carbon emissions management” (CO: 0.0120, FP: 0.0087), “ethical supply chain management” (CO: 0.0110, FP:0.0092), and “use of eco-friendly food materials” (CO: 0.0114, FP: 0.0101). Therefore, although traditional indicators remain dominant, sustainability and digitalization are still emerging in the evaluation framework. This study offers practical insights for enhancing objectivity and transparency in contract food service evaluation.The proposed framework integrates both perspectives, promoting mutual understanding and supporting the development of sustainable and efficient contract food service systems. Policy-level implications include aligning with public-sector evaluation models and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) mandates.

This study developed and validated a standardized scale to assess the adaptation of novice nutrition teachers to the teaching profession. A comprehensive literature review and a Delphi survey were conducted to identify the key adaptation factors, followed by a survey of 200 novice nutrition teachers across South Korea.Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the scale. The final scale consisted of five factors: personal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy factors, having 56 items. Reliability analysis indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α≥0.7 for all factors), and EFA confirmed that all items met the factor loading threshold (≥ 0.3). The CFA results revealed good model fit indices (CFI, TLI≥0.9, RMSEA≤0.1), confirming the structural validity of the scale. The socioecological scale developed in this study is an objective and practical tool for evaluating the adaptation levels of novice nutrition teachers and can be used as foundational data for developing support programs and policy development. Unlike previous studies that focused on individual teacher characteristics, this study applied a socioecological approach, incorporating organizational, social, and policy-related factors in addition to personal adaptation. Future research should extend the empirical application of this scale to diverse educational settings that verify its effectiveness, and develop comprehensive support strategies.

Objectives: This study examines the foodservice status of kindergartens attached to elementary schools in Seoul. We further determine the perception of elementary school principals and kindergarten assistant principals on the foodservice management for kindergartens. Methods: This survey was conducted from July 17 to 23, 2019, enrolling 207 kindergartens attached to elementary schools in Seoul. Questionnaires were sent to principals of elementary schools and assistant principals of kindergartens, and the data obtained from 89 kindergartens were included in the analysis. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: general information on subjects, foodservice management status, foodservice management status during elementary school vacations, and the perception of principals of elementary schools and assistant principals of kindergartens on foodservice management. Data are presented as frequency and percentage or mean and standard deviation. Statistical comparison between principals of elementary schools and assistant principals of kindergartens was conducted by paired t-test, chi-square test, and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: A separate menu (10.1%) or recipe (20.2%) that considers preschooler characteristics was rarely used for foodservice at kindergartens attached to elementary schools. Most kindergartens did not have a separate dining space (3.4%) or a dedicated cook (93.3%). Although most kindergartens (92.1%) had operational foodservice during elementary school vacations, non-professional staff and non-nutrition teacher were mainly in charge of organizing the menu and purchasing ingredients (34.1% and 41.5%, respectively). The rate of using a contract catering company (28.0%, 23.2%) was also high. Both elementary school principals and assistant principals of kindergartens showed a high perception of the necessity for providing responsibility allowances for nutrition teachers and improving the cooking environment for kindergartens during elementary school vacations. Conclusions There is a need for policies and administrative support measures to improve the quality of foodservices for kindergartens attached to elementary schools.

This study aimed to evaluate the perception of nutrition teachers about emergency meals in all schools affiliated with the Seoul Office of Education. The purpose of this study was to suggest the need for emergency meals and provide directions for future development, thereby assisting meal service sites. An online survey was conducted from May 26 to 31, 2021, analyzing 130 collected samples. The summary of the results is as follows: First, the nutrition teachers recognized the need for school meal services for the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases and considered the variance among school meal consumers. Also, they generally thought of emergency meals due to the need for social distancing and the decrease in the distribution of food. Secondly, in terms of the differences in the perception about emergency meals, nutrition teachers (45.4%) who have provided emergency meals (t=2.584, P＜0.05) were more aware of the need for emergency meals than nutrition teachers (54.6%) who had not provided emergency meals. Nutrition teachers conceived emergency meals to minimize the contact between people (45.6%) and to rectify the imbalance in nutrition (37.5). Next, emergency meal attributes were observed to be ranked in the order of convenience (3.49), safety (3.15), and satisfaction (2.88). Fourthly, although there were no meaningful differences in emergency meal attributes, there were statistically significant differences in the safety of the cooking process, menu familiarity, the low unit price compared to regular meals and the excellent satisfaction with nutrition provided (t=2.603, P＜0.05), (t=2.039, P＜0.05), (t=2.154, P＜0.05), (t=2.477, P＜0.05) respectively.

This study was undertaken to assess levels of job stress, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job involvement as perceived by school dietitiansutrition teachers during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the effects of these three factors. An online survey was sent from May 18 to May 26, 2021, to school dietitiansutrition teachers in Seoul with experience of foodservice operations during 2020; 250 responses were used for this analysis. Job demands contributed most to job stress, whereas human relations contributed most to job satisfaction. Job stress caused by COVID-19 had a negative impact on self-efficacy (P＜0.01) and job satisfaction (P＜0.01), but a positive impact on job involvement (P＜0.05). Self-efficacy positively impacted job involvement (P＜0.01) but did not significantly influence job satisfaction. However, job satisfaction during early COVID-19 positively impacted job involvement (P＜0.05). In conclusion, job stress associated with job requirements was greater during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic guidelines are needed that enable school dietitiansutrition teachers to better cope with the job pressures generated by infectious diseases.

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an explosive increase in restaurant meal delivery or takeout. The purpose of this study was to analyze the consumer perception of food safety and its influence on the purchase of delivery or takeout food from restaurants. This study, the 2020 Consumer Behavior Survey for Food (CBSF), was conducted from June 10 to August 21 2020. A total of 6,355 responses were used for the analysis. The results were as follows: First, the differences in consumer perception about food safety were analyzed according to whether they used delivery or takeout. Concern about food safety, satisfaction with dietary habits, and the ability to maintain safe dietary habits were higher in the non-user group. Except for food at home, the perception about food safety at other locations was higher in the user group. Food hazards such as antibiotics were perceived to be safer in the user group. Second, the perception of food safety affecting use of delivery or takeout was analyzed. It was found that the usage of delivery or takeout increased when the perception of the safety of home meal replacement (HMR), delivery or takeout food, and the ability to be informed about the harmful factors of agricultural products increased. The findings of this study may offer the basis for the food and food service industry to consider safety issues seriously and develop strategies to lead to feasible practices. Further, this study also supports the direction of the government toward strengthening the safety of new segments which have shown explosive growth in the COVID-19 era.