Elementary school children's perceptions of traditional Korean foods, based on the health belief model

Abstract

This study investigated the eating habits of elementary school children and their perceptions related to traditional Korean foods, based on the health belief model. The subjects were fifth grade elementary school children (274 boys and 274 girls) in eight Korean cities. The results were as follows: The children ate almost three meals per day and were grateful for their meals. However, they irregularly consumed meals and snacks. They tended to eat heartily and did not eat foods that they had not yet eaten. Their meals were based on rice and they have eaten kimchi and vegetables at almost every meal. However, they had undesirable habits in eating other foods, such as fruits, fish, soybeans, and sweet foods. They did not sensitively or seriously perceive their eating habits in relation to their health. They perceived that it was very good for their nutrition, health, and tastes to eat traditional Korean foods, and they had pride in traditional Korean foods and eating style. Although they expressed some difficulty regarding availability and preparation of traditional Korean foods, they hardly felt difficulty in eating them. They had high dietary self-efficacy with regard to eating these foods, except for two items of self-regulation. Their eating habits showed positive correlation with dietary self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefit. In conclusion, eating habits of elementary school children in relation to traditional Korean foods are not desirable, but not serious. They did not sensitively or seriously perceive their eating habits in relation to their health. However, they perceived that it was very good for their nutrition and health to eat traditional Korean foods, did not have a high level of difficulty in eating them, and had high dietary self-efficacy with regard to eating them. Therefore, we suggest that children should be exposed to various traditional Korean foods, along with education about them, in order to enhance their concern and motivation to eat them. (

Analysis of the factors that influence preschool children eating behavior by applying the health belief model: Seoul and Gyeonggi Province

“…This result aligns with those of previous studies that have shown that self-efficacy has the biggest influence on eating behavior, and highlights the importance of this HBM component for the field [ 22 27 40 41 ]. As self-efficacy strongly influences changes to an individual’s behavior in the long term [ 21 42 ], it is necessary to strengthen parents’ self-efficacy to improve children’s healthy eating behavior.…”

“…The questionnaires were developed with reference to research tools used in previous studies [ 2 18 20 23 24 25 26 27 ], and the questions were determined through preliminary research. The questionnaire gathered general information on parents and children, including residential area, sex, age, education background, family type, monthly income, frequency of eating out, and meal decision-makers.…”

“…Parents’ health beliefs were measured using the constructs of the HBM, namely, “perceived severity,” “perceived benefit,” “perceived barrier,” and “self-efficacy” [ 18 20 23 24 25 26 27 ]. It was constructed based on the items used in the study, and each item was rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).…”

“…A number of studies have applied the health belief model (HBM) to explain people’s preventive health behaviors, identify factors affecting healthy eating behavior, and evaluate the development and effectiveness of nutrition education [ 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 ]. The HBM was introduced by Hochbaum [ 28 ] in 1958 to explain the psychological intention of individuals to engage in health behaviors, and has been subsequently expanded by various researchers [ 29 30 31 ].…”

Comparison of Maternal Feeding Practices and Child Weight Status in Children from Three Countries

“…Results from the present study suggest that children in South Korea experience lower risk for overweight than do children from Brazil and the U.S. One interpretation of these patterns would be that the traditional Korean food contains less fat and more dietary fibers [56] than that found in the environments of Brazilian and U.S. children with its emphasis on vegetables and its typical cooking methods of boiling, steaming, and grilling [57].…”