Study on the Satisfaction for School Food Service and Dietary Habits of Middle School Students in Sejong Special Self-Governing City

The aim of this study is to provide the fundamental information on satisfaction for school food service and dietary habits of middle school students in Sejong Special Self-Governing City. Generally, the subjects had a high satisfaction level for school food service. The boys had comparatively more satisfactory days for school food service than the girls. The most dissatisfactory factors of school food service were the taste and variety of menu for the girls, and the time and place for lunch and the service of employee for the boys. The intersexual differences existed with a significant difference in the irregular intake of meals, the reasons to skip meals, and the eating speed. For the boys, the main reason to skip meals was due to lack of appetite, and for the girls, it was the weight-control. The boys finished each meal within 5~10 min and ate more than the amount the girls eat in general. The main components of breakfast for the subjects were a cooked rice, soup, and side dish in 65.9%, and the frequency of skipping breakfast was high with 32.8%, which was once per week. The favorite snacks for the middle school students were cookies and beverages in 29.4%, instant foods in 24.3%, and hamburger and pizza in 21.4%. The intake frequency of snacks was once or twice per week in 46.5% of the subjects. In addition, the subjects had a very high intake frequency of fastfoods with once or twice per week in 72.7%, and the most favorite fastfood was ramen in 57.7%. The subjects in 45.3% took dairy food every day. In conclusion, the middle school students need nutrition education to improve their eating habit and to increase the frequency of breakfast.