Effects of Nutrition Education for Chinese College Students in Korea - Focused on Personalized Daily Energy Requirement and Food Exchange Units -

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrition education on nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude and dietary intake of Chinese college students in Korea. The subjects were 64 Chinese college students in Korea (educated group, 32 students vs. non-educated group, 32 students). Educated group was lessoned as group and/or individual. Nutrition education program consisted of four lessons (40 min / lesson), ‘6 major nutrients & function (group lesson)’, ‘6 food group and sources (group lesson)’, ‘personalized daily needed energy and food exchange units using Food Exchange System (individual lesson)’, and ‘smart choice of snacks and eating-out foods (group lesson)’. We examined the differences between educated group and non-educated group in nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes and nutrients intake. After education, there were positive improvements on nutrition knowledge: ‘function and foods of 6 nutrients', on dietary attitudes: ‘type of breakfast’ in educated group. In the evaluation of nutrient intakes according to Dietary Reference Intakes for Korean (KDRI), there were positive improvements on intake levels of riboflavin, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, Ca and K in the educated group. In the index of nutrition quality (INQ), nutrition adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean nutrition adequacy ratio (MAR) were significantly increased in the educated group. In conclusion, it is possible to improve nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude and dietary intake of Chinese college students in Korea through the nutrition education focused on personalized daily needed energy and food exchange units. (Korean J Community Nutr 18(6) : 565~576, 2013)