Korean office workersˈ recognition and use of health functional foods

Abstract

In order to provide proper guideline for Korean office workers’ use of health functional foods, this cross‐sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire. The subjects of this study were 624 office workers (male 291, female 333) in the Gyeonggi‐Incheon district, Korea. Data were analyzed with SPSS 12.0 program. Office workers aged over 40 years(p<0.05), married(p<0.001), with higher educational background(p<0.05), with higher interest in health(p<0.05) or who were obesity(p<0.01) showed significantly more interest in health functional foods. Office workers with higher educational background(p<0.01), with higher interest in health(p<0.05), who were obesity(p<0.001) or who were residents of apartment or single house(p<0.05) recognized significantly effect of health functional foods. Also 65.6% of the subjects answered that nutrition education on health functional foods is necessary and office workers with higher educational background(p<0.01) significantly more answered the necessity of that education. As for use of health functional foods, 42.4% of the subject had the experience using them and 40.7% of the subject used them now. Office workers aged over 40 years(p<0.001), married(p<0.001), with higher income(p<0.001), or who were residents of apartment or single house(p<0.01) used significantly more health functional foods. As for the reason for using health functional foods, fatigue‐recovery(34.1%), fitness(30.1%) and prevention from disease(22.1%) were most answered and there were significant differences in gender(0.05), age(0.001), marital status(0.001) or job type(0.05). As for satisfaction in health functional foods, ‘convinience’ was the highest and ‘price’ was the lowest. Therefore, proper guideline based on social‐demographic variables is necessary for Korean office workers’ use of health functional foods.