BACKGROUND: Smoking, alcohol use, performing regular physical exercise, dietary habits, and anxiety level may cause platelet activation. We aimed to evaluate the anxiety levels, smoking status, alcohol intake, and sportive habits of donors, and determine their impact on the quality of apheresis-platelets.METHODS: State and Transient Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to determine the level of donors' anxiety. STAI has two subscales: S-anxiety scale (STAI-I) and T-anxiety scale (STAI-II), each comprising 20 questions rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Data on smoking, alcohol consumption, and performing regular physical exercise were obtained from a questionnaire filled out before donation. Flow cytometric analysis was used to quantify activated platelets.RESULTS: The STAI-I level of 86 participants was normal, while that of 12 was higher. No significant difference was found in the active platelet absolute count [1.8×10¹¹ (2.7) and 1.4×10¹¹ (1.3), respectively; P=0.665] between donors with normal STAI-I levels and those with higher STAI-I levels. Of 98 donors, 42 had normal STAI-II levels, while 56 had higher STAI-II levels. No significant difference was found in the active platelet absolute count [2.3×10¹¹ (3.1) and 1.5×10¹¹ (2.3), respectively; P=0.224] between donors with normal STAI-II levels and those with higher STAI-II levels. Platelet counts of individuals who perform regular physical exercise were significantly higher than those of individuals who did not perform regular physical exercise (6.3±1.4×10¹¹ vs. 5.5±1.4×10¹¹).CONCLUSION: The quality of apheresis platelets is not affected by anxiety levels and lifestyle characteristics of blood donors. There is no need to organize apheresis blood donor pool considering with these subjects.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anxiety ; Blood Component Removal ; Blood Donors ; Blood Platelets ; Exercise ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Life Style ; Platelet Activation ; Platelet Count ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: This study examined the food purchases from e-commerce and its relation to eating behaviors or habits in adult women in Incheon and Gyeonggi. METHODS: A total of 410 subjects participated in the questionnaire survey. Food purchases in e-commerce and food habits were compared according to age, marital status, and food purchase status in e-commerce of the subjects. RESULTS: Approximately 88% of the subjects had experience of buying foods by e-commerce; more than 40% of the subjects spent less than 100,000 Won buying foods by e-commerce in the past 6 months. The major purchases were coffee and tea, instant food and frozen food, and water and beverages. The reasons for buying foods in e-commerce were cheaper price, convenience of delivery, and variety of food choices. The main factors considered for purchasing foods in e-commerce were price and quality followed by rapid and accurate delivery, and food label and information. Approximately 70% of the subjects were very satisfied or satisfied with their food purchase in e-commerce, and 96% answered that they were willing to buy food in e-commerce again. The perception on the advantages of food purchases in e-commerce was 3.6 points out of 5 and significantly lower in the over 50s and married group. The subjects with experience and high cost of food purchase in e-commerce showed significantly low scores of dietary behaviors and eating habits, which is undesirable. CONCLUSION: A high percentage of people purchased foods by e-commerce, and they showed undesirable eating habits, especially when the cost of purchasing foods by e-commerce is high. These results showed that purchasing foods in e-commerce may be related to consumers' food habits. Therefore, continuous attention and nutrition guidance for e-commerce consumers are needed.
Adult ; Beverages ; Coffee ; Eating ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Food Habits ; Frozen Foods ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Incheon ; Marital Status ; Tea ; Water

This study was conducted to determine parents' recognition of the Center for children's foodservice management (CCFSM) and to compare preschoolers' satisfaction for meals served by childcare centers and some aspects regarding the vegetable intake according to the parents' recognition of CCFSM. The subjects were 255 parents, whose children were 2~5 year old and attended a childcare center, were grouped according to the recognition of CCFSM (high recognition, HR, 27.5%; medium recognition, MR, 47.4%; low recognition, LR, 25.1%). Information was obtained by a self-administered questionnaire and data were analyzed by SPSS 25.0. Only 58.6% of HR and 10.7% of MR answered the they had participated education/event held by the CCFSM. More parents in the HR group (88.6%) acknowledged the helpfulness of CCFSM on the children's food habits compared to those in the MR group (63.6%) (P<0.001). Compared to the MR and LR groups, more parents in the HR group answered not only that they were ‘satisfied’/‘very satisfied’ with the meals served by childcare centers (P<0.05), but also they tended to think that their children were also satisfied (P=0.061). Up to 31.2% of parents in the LR group answered that there was no need for education to increase the vegetable intake of their child compared to 14.3% and 17.4% in the HR and MR groups, respectively (P<0.05). Moreover, up to 26.6% of parents answered that school cook planned menus compared to 5.7% and 13.2% in the HR and MR group, respectively (P<0.001). In conclusion, the results provided the association between parents' high recognition of CCFSM and preschoolers' satisfaction for meals from childcare centers as well as a better chance for a desirable food life regarding vegetable intake.
Child ; Education ; Food Habits ; Food Services ; Humans ; Meals ; Parents ; Vegetables

OBJECTIVES: The rapidly changing dietary environment requires a study that addresses the status of middle and high school students regarding their consumption of convenience food sold at convenience stores. METHODS: This study examined adolescents' lifestyle patterns, dietary habits, and status of consuming convenience food at convenience stores. A total of 659 students (329 middle school students and 330 high school students) in Incheon participated in this questionnaire survey. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 13.7 years for the middle school students, and 16.6 years for the high school students. The gender and grade distributions in the middle and high school students were similar. The middle school students reported that they spent more time using electronic devices (p<0.001) or watching TV (p<0.001) than high school students. More than 60% of middle and high school students consumed convenience food at convenience stores without statistical difference between the two groups. The main reason for consuming convenience food from convenience stores was its convenience followed by taste in both groups. Despite the high frequency of consuming convenience food, the students rarely checked the nutrition labels at the time of purchase. On the other hand, they were still most concerned about the nutritional value of the convenience foods when they consumed convenience foods. The most frequently consumed convenience food was ramyon in both groups. Significant positive correlations were observed between the frequency of consuming convenience food at convenience stores and lifestyle factors for the middle school students, including monthly allowance, time for using electronic devices, and number of private lessons. For the high school students, however, the only monthly allowance had a significant positive correlation with the consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents are increasingly exposed to convenience foods and relevant nutritional issues are a concern. Therefore, a dietary environment that is adequately formed for the healthy development of youth as well as systematic nutrient education that is appropriately designed for both middle and high school students is required.
Adolescent ; Education ; Fast Foods ; Food Habits ; Hand ; Humans ; Incheon ; Life Style ; Nutritive Value

OBJECTIVES: The rapidly changing dietary environment requires a study that addresses the status of middle and high school students regarding their consumption of convenience food sold at convenience stores. METHODS: This study examined adolescents' lifestyle patterns, dietary habits, and status of consuming convenience food at convenience stores. A total of 659 students (329 middle school students and 330 high school students) in Incheon participated in this questionnaire survey. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 13.7 years for the middle school students, and 16.6 years for the high school students. The gender and grade distributions in the middle and high school students were similar. The middle school students reported that they spent more time using electronic devices (p<0.001) or watching TV (p<0.001) than high school students. More than 60% of middle and high school students consumed convenience food at convenience stores without statistical difference between the two groups. The main reason for consuming convenience food from convenience stores was its convenience followed by taste in both groups. Despite the high frequency of consuming convenience food, the students rarely checked the nutrition labels at the time of purchase. On the other hand, they were still most concerned about the nutritional value of the convenience foods when they consumed convenience foods. The most frequently consumed convenience food was ramyon in both groups. Significant positive correlations were observed between the frequency of consuming convenience food at convenience stores and lifestyle factors for the middle school students, including monthly allowance, time for using electronic devices, and number of private lessons. For the high school students, however, the only monthly allowance had a significant positive correlation with the consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents are increasingly exposed to convenience foods and relevant nutritional issues are a concern. Therefore, a dietary environment that is adequately formed for the healthy development of youth as well as systematic nutrient education that is appropriately designed for both middle and high school students is required.
Adolescent ; Education ; Fast Foods ; Food Habits ; Hand ; Humans ; Incheon ; Life Style ; Nutritive Value

PURPOSE: This study examined the prevalence of food allergies and allergenic factors in a selected sample of children living in Seoul, Korea, along with their dietary habits, environmental factors, and diseases as risk factors for food allergy. The results of this study will provide basic data for addressing food allergies.METHODS: We selected 3,004 pre-school and school-age children, aged 0 ~ 12, in the 25 districts of Seoul as the study sample. Structured self-report questionnaires were administered over a two-month period in July-August 2018, and the children's parents recorded the answers on their children's behalf. The research tools in this study included the Korean version of the questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC).RESULTS: The physician-diagnosed prevalence rate of food allergies was 14.2%, while 20.4% of the children experienced allergic symptoms at least once and 17.4% reported symptoms within the previous 12 months. The children's symptoms included skin problems (88.1%), gastrointestinal issues (19.2%), oral issues (16.7%), respiratory issues (12.7%), and systemic issues (1.3%). The causes of allergies included eggs, peaches, milk, peanuts, and shrimps. The factors influencing the experience of food allergies were the consumption of cereal (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.09 ~ 2.10; p = 0.013), potatoes (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.33 ~ 2.65; p < 0.001), and fast food (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.10 ~ 2.72; p = 0.017). Having food allergy symptoms was associated with a higher risk of experiencing asthma (aOR, 4.22 95% CI, 3.10 ~ 5.76; p < 0.001), allergic rhinitis (aOR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.03 ~ 3.15; p < 0.001), and atopic dermatitis symptoms (aOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.88 ~ 4.40; p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Episodes of food allergies warrant examining regular food consumption and placing dietary restrictions through early diagnosis as these episodes may imply the presence of other allergies. Our findings offer basic insights into the patterns, prevalence and symptoms of children's food allergies in Seoul, and our findings will contribute to identifying effective interventions for food allergies.
Arachis ; Asthma ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Early Diagnosis ; Edible Grain ; Eggs ; Fast Foods ; Food Habits ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Milk ; Ovum ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Prunus persica ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Skin ; Solanum tuberosum

OBJECTIVES: The rise of one-person households may have consequences for food consumption patterns, and eating habits. This study investigated the home meal replacement (HMR) use and eating habits among adults in their 20s-30s living in one-person households.METHODS: A total of 247 adults aged 26–39 years participated in this study. The subjects were divided into three group according to the household type; one-person households (n=80), two-person households (n=49), and multi-family (three and more members) households (n=118). Their use of HMRs (classified as ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook, and fresh convenience foods) and their eating habits were all compared.RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 30.5 years, 47.8% were male, and there was no significant difference in age, gender, occupation, and monthly income according to the type of household. The intake frequency of total HMR and ready-to-eat foods was significantly higher in one-person households among the three groups. People in one-person households consumed more HMRs alone, and spent more money to buy HMRs. Undesirable dietary habit scores like unbalanced eating (p<0.05) and eating salty foods (p<0.05) were significantly higher in the one-person households. Among the total subjects, the unbalanced eating scores showed a significant positive correlation with the intake frequency of ready-toeat foods, while the unbalanced eating scores showed negative correlation with the preference of fresh convenience foods. The scores for eating salty foods showed a significant positive correlation with the intake frequency and preference of ready-to-eat foods and ready-to-cook foods, while there was negative correlation with the intake frequency and preference of fresh convenience foods.CONCLUSIONS: Adults in their 20s–30s in one-person households consumed more ready-to-eat foods than those in multi-family households. In addition, people with one-person households had more unbalanced diets and ate more salty foods, and these undesirable eating habits showed a significant positive correlation with the use of ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook foods. These results should be addressed for producing healthier ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook foods and implementing nutrition education for making healthy food choices of one-person households, which are steadily increasing.
Adult ; Diet ; Eating ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Fast Foods ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Male ; Meals ; Occupations

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the dietary habit problems related to sleep duration by analyzing health behaviors and dietary habits in Korean adults.METHODS: Adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included in the study. Subjects were classified into the insufficient, appropriate, and excessive sleep groups. Subsequently, patient characteristics, health status, obesity and metabolic syndrome, dietary habits, and nutrient intake were analyzed.RESULTS: The subjective health status was worse in the insufficient and excessive sleep groups than that in the appropriate sleep group. Body mass index and obesity and abdominal obesity rates were higher in the insufficient and excessive sleep groups than in the appropriate sleep group. The insufficient and excessive sleep groups had an irregular diet, and the excessive sleep group had significantly lower vitamin and mineral intake than insufficient and excessive sleep groups.CONCLUSIONS: Subjects in the insufficient and excessive sleep groups were less healthier than those in the appropriate sleep group. Further, subjects in the excessive sleep group had an unbalanced diet and nutritional status.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Diet ; Food Habits ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Miners ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Vitamins

BACKGROUND: Dietary patterns have a significant impact on prognosis, recurrence, and survival in patients with cancer. This study investigated dietary patterns using the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) in cancer survivors compared to those in the general population without cancer.METHODS: Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI data, cancer survivors were defined as those diagnosed with cancer more than 1 year before the survey. The associations between possible predictors and the DQI-I score were examined using t-tests and analysis of variance. Adjusted multiple linear regression analysis was performed to compare the differences in DQI-I scores between cancer survivors and controls.RESULTS: In univariate analysis of 9,351 subjects (433 cancer survivors and 8,918 controls), age, sex, body mass index, marital status, education level, income, residential area, smoking status, and alcohol consumption were associated with the DQI-I score (each P-value < 0.05). After adjustment, cancer survivors showed higher DQI-I scores than the controls (67.40±8.90 vs. 65.50±9.40, P-value=0.007). In subgroup analysis, cancer survivors within 5 years after cancer diagnosis showed higher DQI-I scores than the controls (68.70±8.30 vs. 65.50±9.40, P-value=0.034), whereas those who survived beyond 5 years post-diagnosis did not show significant differences from the controls (66.70±9.20 vs. 65.50±9.40, P-value=0.063).CONCLUSION: Cancer survivors within 5 years of cancer diagnosis showed better dietary patterns than those in the general population. However, the differences were not observed after 5 years post-diagnosis. To reduce the risks of second primary cancer and mortality, targeted inventions for dietary habits are necessary for long-term survivors of cancer.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Education ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Inventions ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Mortality ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Survivors

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical characteristics of pediatric nontraumaitc chylothorax and to suggest appropriate therapeutic managements. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 22 patients with nontraumatic chylothorax from January 2005 to December 2018 in the Children's Hospital of Seoul National University. We analyze their etiology, treatment, complications and outcome. RESULTS: Of the 22 patients, 16 were diagnosed before 1 year old and 6 after 1 year old. The causes of chylothorax under 1-year-old children were related to congenital factors (n=9), unknown causes (n=5), and high central venous pressure (n=2). The causes of chylothorax over 1-year-old children were related to congenital factors (n=3), unknown causes (n=1), high venous pressure (n=1), and lymphoma (n=1). All patients had dietary modification. Eight of them were cured by dietary modification, but there was no improvement in over 1-year-old children. Medication was added to patients refractory to dietary modification. Four patients with medication were improved and 5 were improved by surgical management. Nutritional, immunological and other complications occurred in many patients. Five death cases were reported. Four patients were under 1 year old and 1 was over 1 year old. The causes of nontraumatic chylothorax in dead patients were high central venous pressure (n=3), congenital (n=1), and unknown (n=1). CONCLUSION: Nontraumatic chylothorax more frequently occurs in under 1-year-old children. The most common cause is congenital factors. Stepwise management is effective in many patients, but specific treatment is needed in some cases. The prognosis is related to the onset of age and underlying diseases.
Central Venous Pressure ; Child ; Chylothorax ; Diet ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Medical Records ; Pediatrics ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Venous Pressure