임산부 및 영·유아의 영양교육 및 보충 영양 개선 효과 - 전남 함평군을 중심으로

Abstract

This study assesses the effects of customized local nutritional support programs for pregnant or nursing women, infants, and children in health centers located in Hampyeong area, Jeonnam, Korea, in order to implement a nutritional support program for women, infants, and children (WIC program). Data were collected over a five-month period between December 1st, 2011 and April 30th, 2012. were comprised of responses to surveys conducted by a WIC program. There were 68 respondents, including 42 children and infants and 26 expecting mothers. Expecting mothers gave a score of 9.15 and children gave a score of 9.04 for satisfaction with the WIC program. These results show that the participants were highly satisfied with the WIC program before and after participating in it. Our results show that the program helped improve the recipients’ knowledge of nutrition and diet, in addition to lowering the rate of anemia in children from low-income families. Nutritional education, in addition to food supplements, has been shown to positively affect the nutritional status of children from low-income families. However, since low-income people do not have extensive economic resources, support programs led by the national and provincial governments should continue to be expanded. We hope for an environment where practical help is provided to improve nutritional states resulting from unstable lives or limited economic means (Woo 1985; Lee 2001). To improve the nutrition status of children with nutritional imbalance from low-income families, there is an urgent need for continuous development of materials for nutrition education as well as legal and regulatory structures to promote the effects of supplemental nutrition management programs for women and children. Our findings on the satisfaction levels of the recipients of WIC programs can serve as a basis on which many more programs as sad can be devised.