| A survey was conducted to examine food intake and food attitudes of 285 Korean female students attending a high school in Seoul. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency based on the Korean Food Tower consisting of five food groups, i.e., grain products, vegetables and fruits, meat, milk, and fats and sweets. The food attitude scale consisted of 22 items that were categorized into five factors with items about conscious choice of food, health concerns, economics and time influence, interest in foods, and foods that energize in regard to each of the five food groups.;An analysis of the food frequency indicated that the participants ate rice, cabbage kimchi, radish, and soybean or red pepper paste most frequently along with milk, ice cream, tea, and seasonal fruits such as citrus fruit, apple, watermelon, and grapes. The mean serving frequency for each food group was 10 to 77% above what is recommended by the Korean Nutrition Society, except in the case of fats and sweets where it was 12.5% below.;Attitudes about the foods indicated that most of the participants did not consider economics, time, or other external influences as a limiting factor in their food consumption. Their food attitudes may be characterized by a favorable evaluation for vegetables and fruits on all of the five factors considered in this study, and an unfavorable evaluation of the meat, and fats and sweets groups in health concerns.;In examining the relationships between food intake and food attitudes, some of them were positively correlated with each other (p < .01). In addition, the effect of income on the intake of the meat and fats and sweets groups was found to be most noticeable (p < .01). Other factors that had a significant influence included grade, age, father's education, mother's education, health status, and dental status (p < .05 or p < .01). |
