title: Association between Awareness of Nutrition Labels and Menstrual Cycle Irregularity in Korean Women: The Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010~2012).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between awareness of nutrition labeling and menstrual cycle irregularity in women from a nationally representative sample of the Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis was performed using hierarchical multivariable logistic regression analysis models. A total of 4,324 women aged 19~54 years from the 2010~2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participated in the study. The participants were classified into three groups based on self-report responses to a questionnaire about their awareness of nutrition labels: Reading, Not-Reading, and Not-Knowing Groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Reading, Not-Reading, and Not-Knowing Groups comprised 46.4%, 44.9%, and 8.7% of the participants, respectively, and 53.6% of the participants had never used nutrition labels. In the Not-Knowing Group, irregular menstrual cycles for more than 3 months were significantly more common than women with irregular menstrual cycles for up to 3 months and women with regular menstrual cycles. Women in the Not-Knowing Group were more likely to exhibit menstrual cycle irregularity (adjusted odds ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.10~2.41) compared to women in the Reading Group after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, exercise regularity, stress, depression, suicidal ideation, metabolic syndrome, age at menarche, parity, and use of oral contraceptives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No awareness of nutrition labeling appears to be associated with a higher prevalence of menstrual cycle irregularity in a nationally representative group of Korean women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea. go2ryu@cau.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Eunjung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Catholic University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung do
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001364:Awareness; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Food labeling; Health literacy; Menstrual cycle