title: Relationship between adhering to dietary guidelines and the risk of obesity in Korean children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dietary guidelines for Korean children were released in 2009. The goal of the present study was to examine diet quality in terms of adherence to these dietary guidelines as well as explore the association between guideline adherence and risk of obesity in Korean children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 5-11 years (mean age = 8.9 years old, n = 191, 80.6% girls) were recruited from a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. Adherence to dietary guidelines for Korean children was calculated using the Likert scale (1-5), and children were then categorized into low, moderate, and high groups based on adherence scores. Obesity or being overweight was determined based on an age- and gender- specific percentile for body mass index (BMI) of the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Diet quality was evaluated from 3 days of dietary intake data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in the high adherence group were characterized by significantly lower BMI percentiles and paternal BMIs as well as higher percentages of fathers with a high level of education and higher household incomes compared to those in the low or moderate group. Children in the high adherence group consumed significantly higher amounts of milk and dairy products, were less likely to consume lower than the EAR of phosphorus and iron, and had higher NARs for calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and MAR than those in low groups. The ORs for obesity (BMI ≥ 95(th) percentile) or being overweight including obesity (BMI ≥ 85(th) percentile) were significantly lower in the high adherence group compared to the low adherence group (OR: 0.33, 95% CI = 0.13-0.82, P for trend = 0.019; OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.61 P for trend = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Korean children who adhered to dietary guidelines displayed better diet quality and a reduced risk of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Major of Food and Nutrition, School of Human Ecology, the Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi 420-743, Korea.
authors.forename: YoonJu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 1342 Dongil-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Mijung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 1342 Dongil-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
authors.forename: Sangah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea. ; Department of Public Health Nutrition, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyojee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joung
keywords: Children; Korean; adherence; dietary guidelines; obesity