Abstract

Perception and knowledge on the diet among 651 women living in Inchon were surveyed by questionnaires in March through May, 1998. Respondents consisted of middle school girls(12.3%), high school girls(16.4%), and women in twenties(16.4%), thirties(18.9%), forties(15.7%) and fifties and over(20.3%). Ratio of high school graduates was the highest(37.0%) among respondents, and there was a tendency of less education with ages. Seventy-six percent of women practised the diet for the self-satisfaction of a nice figure, 20% for healing diseases, and 3.4% for attracting boy friends' or husbands' attention. The purpose of the diet was significantly different with ages(p<0.01). The diet methods which the respondents perceived effective and wanted to practise were exercise and food therapy. Average score of the knowledge on the diet was 8.27 out of 10, and significantly different with ages and education(p<0.05). Twenties showed the highest score and high school girls, thirties, middle school girls, forties and fifties and over were followed in decreasing order. Also the score was in decreasing order of graduates of college, high, elementary and middle school.

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