The object of this study was to investigate the relationship between the eating habits of high(4th, 5th, 6th) grade elementary school students and parental behavior characteristics(affection, rational guidance, overprotect and neglect). The parenting behavior scale and demographic variables, eating habits and food frequency were administered to the subjects. In this investigation, the subjects were 396 boys and 337 girls in Chunju city in Korea, 50.1% of the mothers was in the age from 35 to 39 years and 57.8% of the mother had an occupation. Data were analyzed by using a SPSS PS package. Significant differences and correlation among variables were determined by the frequency, 2-test and pearson's correlation coefficient. Eating habits was significantly influenced by mother's employment status, but was not affected by the levels of mother's education and income. Parental behavior characteristics was significantly related to the children's snacks habits(p〈0.05, p〈0.01), but have no connection with dietary habits and the eating out. The survey revealed higher percentage of the children who had taken affectionate, reasonable and positively reinforced child care, answered they enjoy meals and the other groups answered they did not. Also frequency of having soup, green vegetables, fruits, dairy products had positive relationship with affective, reasonable rearing attitude, but negative relationship with neglective rearing attitude. And the survey showed children who were reared in overprotect had chocolate, candy and the like in large quantities.

• 남상명 | Nam, Sang-Myoung