BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Living alone has a bearing on unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as skipping meals, unbalanced diets, smoking, and drinking, raising concerns about health problems. This study aimed to examine the dietary habits, competencies, and cooking skills of adults living alone and their relationship with the nutritional quotient (NQ). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted an online survey spanning April 20–26, 2023 that was administered to 500 adults aged 35–64 yrs who were living alone in Korea. The questionnaire included questions regarding general information, eating habits, cooking environment, dietary competencies, cooking skills, and NQ. The results were stratified according to sex and age. RESULTS: Middle-aged adults who were living alone responded that the main reason they skipped meals when eating alone was “because meal preparation is a hassle.” Middle-aged adults living alone consumed fewer vegetables, fruits, and milk than the recommended levels. The dietary competencies of the participants were 3.14 out of 5.0, and their cooking skills were 3.77 out of 5.0. Female had significantly higher scores for most items than male (P < 0.05). In addition, after adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of a high NQ score in the group with high dietary competencies was 3.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15–6.55; P for trend < 0.001), and the odds of a high NQ score for participants with higher cooking skills were 3.99 (95% CI, 2.27–7.02). CONCLUSION These findings provide fundamental data for developing tailored nutrition education programs for adults aged 35–64 yrs living alone, considering age and sex differences.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Living alone has a bearing on unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as skipping meals, unbalanced diets, smoking, and drinking, raising concerns about health problems. This study aimed to examine the dietary habits, competencies, and cooking skills of adults living alone and their relationship with the nutritional quotient (NQ). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted an online survey spanning April 20–26, 2023 that was administered to 500 adults aged 35–64 yrs who were living alone in Korea. The questionnaire included questions regarding general information, eating habits, cooking environment, dietary competencies, cooking skills, and NQ. The results were stratified according to sex and age. RESULTS: Middle-aged adults who were living alone responded that the main reason they skipped meals when eating alone was “because meal preparation is a hassle.” Middle-aged adults living alone consumed fewer vegetables, fruits, and milk than the recommended levels. The dietary competencies of the participants were 3.14 out of 5.0, and their cooking skills were 3.77 out of 5.0. Female had significantly higher scores for most items than male (P < 0.05). In addition, after adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of a high NQ score in the group with high dietary competencies was 3.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15–6.55; P for trend < 0.001), and the odds of a high NQ score for participants with higher cooking skills were 3.99 (95% CI, 2.27–7.02). CONCLUSION These findings provide fundamental data for developing tailored nutrition education programs for adults aged 35–64 yrs living alone, considering age and sex differences.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Living alone has a bearing on unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as skipping meals, unbalanced diets, smoking, and drinking, raising concerns about health problems. This study aimed to examine the dietary habits, competencies, and cooking skills of adults living alone and their relationship with the nutritional quotient (NQ). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted an online survey spanning April 20–26, 2023 that was administered to 500 adults aged 35–64 yrs who were living alone in Korea. The questionnaire included questions regarding general information, eating habits, cooking environment, dietary competencies, cooking skills, and NQ. The results were stratified according to sex and age. RESULTS: Middle-aged adults who were living alone responded that the main reason they skipped meals when eating alone was “because meal preparation is a hassle.” Middle-aged adults living alone consumed fewer vegetables, fruits, and milk than the recommended levels. The dietary competencies of the participants were 3.14 out of 5.0, and their cooking skills were 3.77 out of 5.0. Female had significantly higher scores for most items than male (P < 0.05). In addition, after adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of a high NQ score in the group with high dietary competencies was 3.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15–6.55; P for trend < 0.001), and the odds of a high NQ score for participants with higher cooking skills were 3.99 (95% CI, 2.27–7.02). CONCLUSION These findings provide fundamental data for developing tailored nutrition education programs for adults aged 35–64 yrs living alone, considering age and sex differences.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Living alone has a bearing on unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as skipping meals, unbalanced diets, smoking, and drinking, raising concerns about health problems. This study aimed to examine the dietary habits, competencies, and cooking skills of adults living alone and their relationship with the nutritional quotient (NQ). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted an online survey spanning April 20–26, 2023 that was administered to 500 adults aged 35–64 yrs who were living alone in Korea. The questionnaire included questions regarding general information, eating habits, cooking environment, dietary competencies, cooking skills, and NQ. The results were stratified according to sex and age. RESULTS: Middle-aged adults who were living alone responded that the main reason they skipped meals when eating alone was “because meal preparation is a hassle.” Middle-aged adults living alone consumed fewer vegetables, fruits, and milk than the recommended levels. The dietary competencies of the participants were 3.14 out of 5.0, and their cooking skills were 3.77 out of 5.0. Female had significantly higher scores for most items than male (P < 0.05). In addition, after adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of a high NQ score in the group with high dietary competencies was 3.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15–6.55; P for trend < 0.001), and the odds of a high NQ score for participants with higher cooking skills were 3.99 (95% CI, 2.27–7.02). CONCLUSION These findings provide fundamental data for developing tailored nutrition education programs for adults aged 35–64 yrs living alone, considering age and sex differences.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Living alone has a bearing on unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as skipping meals, unbalanced diets, smoking, and drinking, raising concerns about health problems. This study aimed to examine the dietary habits, competencies, and cooking skills of adults living alone and their relationship with the nutritional quotient (NQ). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted an online survey spanning April 20–26, 2023 that was administered to 500 adults aged 35–64 yrs who were living alone in Korea. The questionnaire included questions regarding general information, eating habits, cooking environment, dietary competencies, cooking skills, and NQ. The results were stratified according to sex and age. RESULTS: Middle-aged adults who were living alone responded that the main reason they skipped meals when eating alone was “because meal preparation is a hassle.” Middle-aged adults living alone consumed fewer vegetables, fruits, and milk than the recommended levels. The dietary competencies of the participants were 3.14 out of 5.0, and their cooking skills were 3.77 out of 5.0. Female had significantly higher scores for most items than male (P < 0.05). In addition, after adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of a high NQ score in the group with high dietary competencies was 3.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15–6.55; P for trend < 0.001), and the odds of a high NQ score for participants with higher cooking skills were 3.99 (95% CI, 2.27–7.02). CONCLUSION These findings provide fundamental data for developing tailored nutrition education programs for adults aged 35–64 yrs living alone, considering age and sex differences.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of anogenital warts (AGW) caused by human papillomavirus in men and the characteristics and changes of the disease in Korea. Materials and Methods: From 2007 to 2018, male AGW corresponding to the International Classification of Disease-10 A63.0 were targeted. Through a big data analysis of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, data of patients diagnosed with AGW as either the main or secondary diagnosis were extracted. The overall prevalence and prevalence by age were calculated through the population by year and the population by 5-year-old unit of the National Statistical Office. Additionally, the amount accrued through the disease code was confirmed and compared as AGW-related medical expenses. Results: The annual number of patients increased by 3.5 times from 32,709 in 2007 to 114,734 in 2018. Additionally, the annual prevalence increased by 3.34 times from 132.83 per 100,000 to 443.57. The age-specific prevalence was the highest among the 25-to 29-year age group. The highest prevalence was observed in the 25- to 29-year age group in 2018 (1,492.15 per 100,000), and the lowest was noted in the 10- to 14-year age group in 2014 (7.28 per 100,000). AGW-related medical expenses increased by approximately 9.76 times from US$ 2,789,215.1 in 2007 to US$ 27,227,254.9 in 2018. Conclusions In Korea, cases of male AGW are increasing yearly, with the 25- to 29-year age group having the highest prevalence.Medical costs related to AGW are also increasing tenfold. For male AGW, further studies and national interventions are needed.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the perceptions held by practicing dietitians of the importance of their tasks performed in current work environments, the frequency at which those tasks are performed, and predictions about the importance of those tasks in future work environments. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. An online survey was administered to 350 practicing dietitians. They were asked to assess the importance, performance frequency, and predicted changes in the importance of 27 tasks using a 5-point scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and the means of the variables were compared across categorized work environments using analysis of variance. Results: The importance scores of all surveyed tasks were higher than 3.0, except for the marketing management task. Self-development, nutrition education/counseling, menu planning, food safety management, and documentation/data management were all rated higher than 4.0. The highest performance frequency score was related to documentation/data management. The importance scores of all duties, except for professional development, differed significantly by workplace. As for predictions about the future importance of the tasks surveyed, dietitians responded that the importance of all 27 tasks would either remain at current levels or increase in the future. Conclusion Twenty-seven tasks were confirmed to represent dietitians’ job functions in various workplaces. These tasks can be used to improve the test specifications of the Korean Dietitian Licensing Examination and the curriculum of dietetic education programs.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To encourage schools to transform school meal programs to be more educational, it is necessary to evaluate the related environment using a whole school approach. We developed a school food culture evaluation tool to quantitatively evaluate school food culture in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Based on a literature review, a school food culture evaluation system consisting of areas, subareas, indicators, and questions (scored on a 5-point scale) was constructed. The validity of the tool was reviewed using focus group interviews, the Delphi technique, and a preliminary survey. Subsequently, evaluation tool was applied to elementary, middle, and high schools in Gyeonggi Province. Data from 115 schools were used for the final analysis. This included 64 elementary schools, 29 middle schools, and 22 high schools. At least one respondent from each group—school administrators, teachers, and nutrition teachers (or dietitians)—participated. The results were compared at the school level. RESULTS: The evaluation tool consisted of 66 questions in 5 areas (institutional environment, physical environment, educational environment, educational governance, and school meal quality). The total average score for school food culture was 3.83 points (elementary school 3.89 points, middle school 3.76 points, and high school 3.76 points) and did not differ significantly among school levels. Among the 5 evaluation areas, scores were highest for institutional environment (4.43 points) and lowest for physical environment (3.07 points).Scores for educational environment, educational governance, and school meal quality were 3.86, 3.85, and 3.97 points, respectively. CONCLUSION It is necessary to improve the physical environment to create a desirable school food culture in Gyeonggi Province. To effectively promote healthy eating, ongoing investment and interventions by local authorities at improving school food culture are needed, with an emphasis on particular factors, such as the eating environment and staff training.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the importance and performance level of sodium reduction practices in school meal service by school nutrition teachers and dietitians, and compared them according to school level and placement of the school nutrition teacher. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online survey was conducted with 608 nutrition teachers and dietitians in schools in the Republic of Korea from September 28 to November 12, 2021 (response rate: 57%). The questionnaire comprised 11 items related to sodium reduction practices (purchasing, food preparation and serving, and education). The importance and performance level of each item was rated on a 5-point scale. The mean differences were analyzed using t-tests or one-way analyses of variance and Duncan’s post-hoc tests. An importance-performance analysis was performed on sodium reduction practices. RESULTS: Participating in sodium reduction education, sodium reduction education for cooks, and sodium reduction education for students were assessed to have high importance but low performance. Overall, the higher the school level, the lower was the importance level of sodium reduction practices. The performance in kindergartens and elementary schools was higher than that in middle and high schools. The importance in the purchasing category perceived by dietitians was lower as compared to nutrition teachers. In addition, the performance in the purchasing, food preparation and serving, and education categories perceived by dietitians was lower than those of nutrition teachers. CONCLUSION Sodium reduction education for nutrition teachers and dietitians, cooks, and students should prioritize practicing sodium reduction in school meal service. Specific guidelines for managing sodium reduction at all stages—purchasing, food preparation, and serving—should also be developed. The results could be used as basic data to reduce the sodium content in school meals.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections affecting both males and females but there is an apparent lack of knowledge and apprehension towards male HPV vaccination South Korea. The purpose of the present study was to examine the associations between knowledge and perceptions of male HPV vaccination and vaccination intent among Korean mothers of adolescent sons. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a nationwide online survey. The independent variables were mothers’ sociodemographic characteristics, history of HPV diagnosis, general HPV knowledge, HPV vaccine knowledge, and attitudes and beliefs towards male HPV vaccination. The outcome variable was mothers’ intent to vaccinate their sons, which was classified into three categories: non-intent, undecided and intend to vaccinate. We performed univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 906 eligible mothers completed the survey. Mothers received low scores on the HPV-related knowledge scales with low ratings on the scale measuring perceived risk of HPV. Approximately 10% of the mothers intended to vaccinate their sons against HPV, 61.0% were undecided and 1.5% already had their sons vaccinated. According to the multinominal logistic regression analysis, having a daughter in the family, mothers’ previous diagnosis with HPV, general HPV knowledge, influence, harm, and risk were significantly associated with being undecided and having intentions to vaccinate their sons (p<0.05). Conclusions Our study revealed that Korean mothers are generally less aware of male HPV vaccination, have low perceived risk of HPV, and remain highly hesitant on vaccinating their sons against HPV. It is therefore important to raise public awareness about male HPV vaccination and alleviate vaccine hesitancy. Such efforts will contribute to improving parents’ vaccination intent, increasing vaccine uptake among male adolescents and prevention of HPV-associated diseases.