The purpose of this study was to provide basic information on the development of nutrition education programs to improve the mealtime behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by investigating the mealtime behavior and food preferences of children with ASD through the perception of special education teachers. Surveys were given to 108 special education teachers in special education schools in Korea regarding the demographic characteristics, nutrition education support needs, mealtime behavior, and food preferences of children with ASD. Most of the special education teachers responded that nutrition education in special schools had not been conducted properly and nutrition education for ASD children is necessary. Mealtime behavior analysis classified the behavior into three clusters: cluster 1, ‘less problematic mealtime behavior’; cluster 2, ‘general feature of autism’; cluster 3, ‘difficulty in self-directed diet’. The age, eating habits, and food preferences were different according to each mealtime behavior cluster. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop a nutrition education program based on the characteristics of mealtime behavior.

This study was to investigate the influence of parent attachment, perception and attitudes about family mealtime on the smart phone addiction in adolescents. Study variables were attachment to father, attachment to mother, and perception and attitudes about family mealtimes. Middle school student in Seoul and Kyounggi province participated and total 596 questionnaire were analysed. SPSS WIN 18.0 were used in data analysis. As study results, significant factors influence on smart phone addiction were attachment to father, perception and attitudes about family mealtimes, frequence of family mealtimes, gender, grade, and use of SNS. These variables explained adolescents' smart phone addiction for 28.9% and perception and attitudes about family mealtimes were the variable which show the highest explanation. Smart phone addiction was higher as lower an attachment to father, as lower perception and attitudes about family mealtimes, as lower the frequency of family mealtimes, female student, 3rd grade, and as more use of SNS. It is suggested to develop programs and strategies to increase attachment to father, frequency of family mealtime and perception and attitudes about family mealtimes.

This study was performed to describe the perceptions of the family mealtime environment in preadolescents， and to determine the frequency of family meals and whether the mealtime environment is associated with nutrient intake. Surveys and 24-hour dietary recalls were completed by 197 children, ages 11 to 12, in elementary schools in the Incheon area. We assessed family meal frequency and the perceptions of the family meal environment with respect to priority, atmosphere, and family mealtime structure. The subject response frequencies and correlations among perceptions of the family mealtime environment, as well as the frequency of family meals and nutrient intake, were analyzed. Having a greater priority for family meals was associated with an increased frequency of family mealtimes. An enjoyable family meal environment was positively correlated with increases in nutrient intake. From the results of this study, we suggest consideration be placed on opportunities to design nutrition promotion strategies that target families and their children, with respect to promoting family mealtimes and overcoming the barriers to having family meals.