Factor affecting the physical growth and eating habits of children at daycare centers located in South Korea

Purpose: To compare the physical growth of children living in Yangyang-gun in Gangwon Province, South Korea with children across the nation, and to investigate factors affecting their eating habits.

Methods: A total of 340 children at the age of two or older registered at five daycare centers who were selected by a probability sampling procedure from a total of nine daycare centers located in the region were surveyed. The subjects of the final analysis were a collection of a total of 246 children, who's responded to the survey questionnaires and the measurements of their physical growth. The knowledge of nutrition and eating habits of their mothers were measures using a scale verified for its reliability by the Korean Nutrition Society; and a multivariate regression analysis was conducted in order to control the effects of other variables.

Results: According to the multivariate regression analysis, children with working mothers earned lower scores on their eating habits than others who had stay-at-home mothers. Furthermore, the scores were positively related to the children's age, body mass index (BMI), and their mothers' knowledge of nutrition.

Conclusion: The knowledge of nutrition is positively related to the eating habits when other variables are controlled. It indicates the importance of offering nutrition education to children is evident. In addition of providing education on nutrition to working mothers, it is necessary to emplace measures to allow sufficient time and proper environment in which working mothers can improve on the eating habits of their children.