KOREASCHOLAR

The objectives of the present study were to assess the early nutrition-related knowledge, eating behaviors of preschool children, the types of messages that their mothers give to them about nutrition and to analysis the interrelationships among these variables. The children of this study showed the uncooperative eating behaviors most frequently when they had breakfast and vegetables. In these cases the most frequent mother's messages given to the children was encourage eating some of each food. Children's eating problems as perceived by mothers were mainly low dietary intake and an unbalanced diet. The most frequent messages given to the children in the presentation of new foods were telling the child taste them and general nutrition about the new food. General topics in nutrition the mothers had discussed with their children were about nutrients, food groups, food transformations and food origins. Children whom mothers provided more information about these topics scored significantly higher on the concepts of food transformation, food origins and the total nutrition knowledge score. It is clear from this study that preschool children begin to learn about nutrition through these parental messages. Both parents and caretakers of young children should recognize the potential importance of these early interaction patterns.

• 임희진 | Lim, Hee-Jin
• 안홍석 | Ahn, Hong-Seok