The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary behavior and nutritional knowledge related to sodium intake in high school students. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 400 high school students (200 boys) in Incheon, Korea. Survey data were analyzed according to gender and degree of obesity. The distribution of the degree of obesity was the highest in 231 normal weight individuals (57.8%), followed by 89 underweight (22.3%), 41 overweight (10.3%), and 39 obese (9.8%). The sodium-related undesirable dietary behavior score was 2.9 points out of 5 points. The detailed dietary behavior scores of ‘I eat kimchi when I eat instant noodles or noodles’ and ‘I like dried fish with salt’ were significantly higher in boys than in girls (p<0.05). It was found that boys consumed more frequently high sodium foods, such as pizza, hamburger, and hotdog than girls. According to the degree of obesity, the underweight group consumed more kimchi fried rice and potato chips frequently than the other groups (p<0.05). Preference for salty taste was not significantly different among the groups by gender and degree of obesity. Sodium-related nutritional knowledge score was 5.3 points out of 10 and which was significantly higher in girls or normal weight group than in boys or obesity group. These results suggest that nutritional education on sodium intake is needed because the nutritional knowledge of adolescents is relatively low. Moreover, intensive nutritional guidance is required, especially in boys or adolescents with undesirable degree of obesity.

The objective of this study is to analyze characteristics of high sodium intaker and factors affecting sodium intake using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). For this study we used two statistical methods, the cluster analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Cluster analysis was used to classify groups of sodium intake. For the analysis of the factors affecting sodium intake, we applied the ANOVA. The average daily intake for Korean is about 3,783 mg sodium per day; this amount is high than recommendation of the WTO. The demographic characteristics of people with higher sodium intake were found to be men more so women, and younger men with a higher education. Height, weight and size of a person’s waistline were also characteristics of those with higher sodium intake. Also worker, smoker, those without a hypertension diagnosis, as well as those with a higher the drinking rate and higher eating out frequency tended to have a higher intake of sodium. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) had established a plan to reduce sodium intake to 3,500 mg per day to 2020. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to educate people about high sodium intake, particularly those at higher risk, according to the results of this study. Through these efforts, the social costs of high sodium intake could be reduced, improving national health.

고염식식습관은 다양한 질병을 일으키고 공중보건을 위협할 수 있다. 그 동안 고염식식습관을 통제하기 위한 다양한 시도가 이루어져 왔으나 건강커뮤니케이션을 통해 고염식식습관을 변화시킬 수 있는지에 대한 연구는 아직 이루어지지 못하였다. 본 연구는 고염식의위험성과 식습관의 통제가능성에 대한 인식이 고염식식습관을 얼마나 예측하는지를 검토함으로써 식습관 개선 교육을 위한 시 사점을 찾고자 하였다. 이러한 연구목적을 달성하기 위해 보호동기 이론의 하위요인인심각성, 취약성, 효율성, 효능 및 행동 경향을 측정하기 위한 설문지를 개발하였으며 설 문지를 충남소재 대학의 대학생들과 그들의 가족을 대상 으로 배포하였다. 설문결과를 SPSS프로그램으로 분석한 결과를 보면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 청년층은 장년층보다 나 트륨섭취가 더 많았다. 둘째, 상관관계분석에서 장년층은 고염식으로 인한 위험에 취약하다는 것을 알고 있지만 고 염식을 억제할 수 있다고 확신할 때 까지는 식습관을 바꾸지 않는다. 셋째, 구조모델분석에 따르면 대처지각이 높을수록 고염식식습관의 경향성이 낮아지는 경향을 보인다. 이 결과는 고염식식습관을 줄이기 위해서는 실행 가능한 정보를 제공하고 저염식을 하였을 때 어떤 변화가 발생하는지를 인식 시킴으로써 대처지각을 높이는 방안이 더 효과적임을 시사한다.