Survey on the Intake and Consumption Patterns of Milk and Dairy Products by Elementary School Students

Abstract

We conducted a study to investigate milk and dairy products consumption among elementary school students to identify ways to increase their intake of milk and dairy products. We asked 518 students in Seoul to fill out questionnaire. Only 55.6% of the subjects consumed milk daily, and 43.7% of them drank at least 1 cup per day. The frequency and quantity of milk consumption were higher in male students than female students. The majority of the subjects consumed whole milk, and most students(59.5%) preferred flavored milk to whole milk. The reasons given for drinking milk included 'wanting to be tall'(66.1%) and 'for good health'(47.1%), while the main reason given for not drinking milk was stomach pain (68.4%). Records of having an unpleasant experience and upset stomach after drinking milk occurred at a higher rate for those who did not drink milk(84.2%) than for those who did(53.3%). Of the students questioned, 36.9% consumed dairy products other than milk 3～4 times per week, and liquid-type yoghurt(43.8%) and ice cream(35.4%) were the preferred dairy products among students. The reasons given for consuming dairy products were 'good taste'(56.6%), 'good to eat'(46.6%), 'wanting to be tall'(32.4%), and 'for good health'(25.4%). Among those students who did not consumed dairy products, the major reason given was 'family does not eat at home'(33.3%). After consuming the dairy products, 71.4% of participants thought that dairy products did not result in physical improvement. Most students had experienced purchasing milk and dairy products by themselves. When they bought milk or dairy products, the reasons given for making a particular selection were 'shelf-life'(61.6%) for milk, and 'favorite dairy products'(54.1%) for dairy products. According to participants, the factors that need to be considered for milk and dairy product consumption among elementary school students are 'higher nutrition' (60.8%), 'better sanitation'(57.3%), and 'better quality and taste'(55.2%).