Comparison of Dietary Habit and Food Consumption among Elementary School Students with or without Rhinitis and Sinusitis

Abstract

Rhinitis and sinusitis are among the most common medical conditions in Korea, as well as Western societies. Environmental factors may influence both rhinitis and sinusitis; however, the role of dietary factors in rhinitis and sinusitis is not clear. The present study aims to compare the dietary habit, food consumption frequency, and food preference of elementary school students with or without rhinitis and sinusitis. The demand of their parents for an education program for the dietary prevention against rhinitis and sinusitis was also examined.The survey was conducted with a total of 200 subjects recruited from two elementary schools located in Gyeonggi area of Korea. The subjects consisted of 101 students with rhinitis and/or sinusitis (RS group) and 99 without rhinitis and sinusitis (control group). The students of the RS group were more likely to have habits of eating-out and street food use, to consume bean, peanut, walnut, almond, yogurt, egg, snack, and French fries frequently, and to prefer the types of foods prepared by stir-frying and deep-frying than the control group. The parents who recognized 'school nutrition teachers or food/nutrition-majored specialists' as the most appropriate educator for the dietary education program in the RS group (48.5% of their parents) were less than those in the control group (67.7% of their parents). The present study suggest that students with rhinitis and/or sinusitis may be different from those without the disease(s) in their dietary habit, frequently consumed foods, and preferred type of foods. More epidemiological, intervention, and laboratory studies are needed in order to elucidate the role of dietary factors in the development and prevention of rhinitis and sinusitis, which will have a significant implication to public health.