A Study on Sodium-related Dietary Attitude and Behaviors According to Sodium-related Nutrition Knowledge of University Students

Article information

Korean J Community Nutr. 2015;20(5):327-337

Publication date (electronic) : 2015 October 31

doi : https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2015.20.5.327

Mi-Hyun Kim ¹, Jee-Young Yeon ², Jong Wook Kim ³, Jae-Eon Byun ⁴, So-Young Bu ⁵, Mi-Kyeong Choi ⁶, Yun-Jung Bae ⁷

¹Department of Food and Nutrition, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong, Korea.

²Department of Food and Nutrition, Seowon University, Cheongju, Korea.

³International Cooperation Office, Director General for Planning and Coordination, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Cheongju, Korea.

⁴Imported Food Analysis Division, Gwangju Regional Food and Drug Administration, Gwangju, Korea.

⁵Department of Food and Nutrition, Daegu University, Daegu, Korea.

⁶Division of Food Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Korea.

⁷Division of Food Science and Culinary Arts, Shinhan University, Uijeongbu, Korea.

Corresponding author: Yun-Jung Bae. Shinhan University, 95, Hoam-ro, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi 480-701, Korea. Tel: (031) 870-3572, Fax: (031) 870-3519, byj@shinhan.ac.kr

Received 2015 August 23; Revised 2015 October 13; Accepted 2015 October 23.

Abstract

Objectives

Dietary life is closely associated with dietary attitude and diet-related knowledge. Particularly, dietary habit such as sodium intake can be affected by various dietary behaviors such as food choices, dietary attitude toward salty food and a preference for salty taste. The purpose of this study was to assess sodium-related nutrition knowledge and to identify sodium-related attitude and behaviors according to the level of sodium-related knowledge of university students.

Methods

Anthropometric measurements were provided by 408 students who participated in this study. The study participants answered questionnaires to provide information on general dietary behaviors, sodium-related dietary attitude and other behavioral factors. A total score of nutrition knowledge was used to categorize study participants in to two groups, namely, low level in sodium-related knowledge (LNaK) or high level in sodium-related knowledge (HNaK) and the attitude and the behaviors of students toward sodium intake were compared between these two groups.

Results

The ratio of female students in HNaK group was higher than that in the LNaK group. HNaK group had a higher score in checking nutrition label of processed food than the LNaK group. Total score of sodium-related attitude and behaviors of HNaK group were 34.81 and 32.75, respectively and these scores were significantly higher than that of the LNaK group whose scores were 32.57 and 30.57, respectively. Total energy intake was not different between two groups but the intakes of calcium, vitamin B₂ and folate were higher in HNaK group than in the LNaK group. Correlation analysis adjusted for age and gender revealed that total score of sodium-related nutrition knowledge was positively correlated with total score of sodium-related attitude and behaviors.

Conclusions

In conclusion, students who had high level of sodium-related nutrition knowledge had desirable attitude and behaviors toward sodium intake and these results can be considered in nutrition education for university students.

Keywords: Sodium; Dietary Attitude; Dietary Behaviors; Nutrition Knowledge; University Students

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Table 1

General characteristics of the subjects

1) Mean±SD

2) Body mass index

3) %

Table 2

Sodium-related nutritional knowledge by the gender of the subjects

A correct answer for each question got scored 1 point, wrong or non-answer scored 0 point.

1) Mean±SD

Table 3

General characteristics of the subjects according to the level of sodium-related nutrition knowledge

LK; a group of low level in sodium-related knowledge, HK; a group of high level in sodium-related knowledge

1) Mean±SD

2) Body mass index

3) %

4) Distribution of BMI within a group were compared between LK and HK by chi-square test

Table 4

Dietary habits of the subjects according to the level of sodium-related nutrition knowledge

LK; a group of low level in sodium-related knowledge

HK; a group of high level in sodium-related knowledge

1) Mean±SD

2) %

Table 5

Sodium-related dietary attitude of the subjects according to the level of sodium-related nutrition knowledge

LK; a group of low level in sodium-related knowledge, HK; a group of high level in sodium-related knowledge

Scoring scale: 5(very disagree)~1(very agree) ^* Reverse recording: 1(very disagree)~5(very agree)

1) Mean±SD

Table 6

Sodium-related dietary behavior of the subjects according to the level of sodium-related nutrition knowledge

LK; a group of low level in sodium-related knowledge, HK; a group of high level in sodium-related knowledge

Score scale 5 (very disagree)~1(very agree) ^* Reverse recording: 1 (very disagree)~5 (very agree)

1) Mean±SD

Table 7

Mean daily energy and nutrient intakes of the subjects according to the level of sodium-related nutrition knowledge

LK; a group of low level in sodium-related knowledge, HK; a group of high level in sodium-related knowledge

1) Mean±SD

Table 8

Correlation coefficient of sodium-related nutritional knowledge score with the blood pressure, sodium-related attitude, and behavior score in the subjects

^**: P < 0.01, ^***: P < 0.001