Objective: This study was aimed at clarifying the actual situation of nutrient intake by elementary school children based on the meal pattern and elucidating the meal patterns providing appropriate nutrient intakes.

Methods: From October to November 2013, we enrolled 185 5^th grade students from the K prefecture and surveyed their 4-day meal records. Further, we recorded their weights and obtained photographs. We identified meal patterns based on the contents of staple food, main dish, side dish, compound dish, soup, etc. Finally, we evaluated the adequacy of nutrient intake in all meal patterns using the one-third daily value of the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2020 version) as the threshold.

Results: We identified 13 meal patterns, with varying nutrient intakes. The meal patterns that combined multiple dishes had higher nutrient intakes. The meal pattern with the highest nutrient intake for boys was "compound dish + main dish + side dish" at 7.5, followed by "staple food + main dish + side dish" at 7.0, and for girls was "compound dish + main dish + side dish" at 7.0, followed by "compound dish + side dish" at 6.0 and "staple food + main dish + side dish" and "compound dish + main dish" at 5.0.

Conclusions: The meal pattern with the highest nutrient intake was "staple food + main dish + side dish." "Compound dish" and combinations of main and side dishes also showed adequate nutrient intakes.

Objective: Determine the extent to which humans perceive mixed odors of food. Additionally, investigate the correlation between food odor perception and the emotions that induce food aversion.

Method: Participants were familiarized with the odors of individual samples in advance and the emotions induced by each odor (pleasantness/unpleasantness) were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Afterwards, identification tests were conducted for mixed odors of two samples; the emotions induced by the mixed odors (pleasantness/unpleasantness) were also evaluated using VAS and compared with those of the individual samples.

Results: Odors of bananas (accuracy rate, 85.3%), boiled fish broth (accuracy rate, 82.4%), and grapefruit juice (accuracy rate, 70.6%) were easy to identify even when mixed with another food odor. However, the odor indices and accuracy rates were higher for the unpleasant-smelling bananas and boiled fish broth than for the pleasant-smelling grapefruit juice. Additionally, when the unpleasant-smelling boiled fish broth (VAS, 37.5 points) was mixed with the pleasant-smelling grapefruit juice (VAS, 80.0 points), the unpleasantness was even stronger (VAS of mixture, 15.5 points).

Conclusion: Even when two types of food odors were mixed, each odor could be easily identified. This suggests that the ability to perceive food odors is deeply related not only to the strength and quality of the odors, but also to the emotions they induce, particularly unpleasantness.

Objective: This study was aimed at elucidating the actual state of nutrition management in childcare centers based on whether they qualify to receive nutrition subsidies.

Methods: Questionnaires were distributed by mail to 1,538 childcare centers in eight cities in Japan, and responses were received from 979 facilities in 2019. Of these centers surveyed, 684 responded that they were privately managed and responded to whether they qualified to receive nutrition subsidies. The survey included 12 items regarding the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for food provision and eight items about providing information to parents on nutrition and eating habits in the form of nutrition education.

Results: Regarding the qualification to receive nutrition subsidies, 484 and 200 facilities did and did not qualify, respectively. Compared with the group that did not qualify for nutrition management subsidies, the group that qualified had an odds ratio of 2.36 (95% CI: 1.46~3.82) for the calculation of supplied nutrition among the items applicable to the Plan step of the PDCA cycle for food provision.

Conclusion: The results of the survey indicated that compared with the group that did not qualify for nutrition management subsidies, the group that did more often used the PDCA cycle for food provision to set supplied nutrition target values and calculate supplied nutrition in the Plan step and to revise these supplied nutrition target values in the Act step. The results demonstrated that facilities that qualified for nutrition management subsidies had better nutrition management than those that did not.

Objective: Buzen City is developing a home-visit dental-care project for the elderly. In this study, we surveyed and analyzed oral health before and after oral care with an aim to clarify the relationship between and changes in nutrition, nutrient intake, diversity of food intake, oral health, and general health conditions.

Activity Content: In all, 207 residents of Buzen City aged 65 years or higher participated in our study. The baseline assessment included the determination of oral, physical, and nutritional status and dietary intake along with blood tests. Dentists, dental hygienists, and registered dietitians provided oral care and nutritional guidance to the participants, after which the participants were re-evaluated.

Results: The participants' skeletal muscle index and mass after receiving oral care were significantly higher than the corresponding values at baseline. Furthermore, following oral care, the percentage of participants with good nutritional status increased. Therefore, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) during the re-assessment. Consequently, we found that the baseline SMI and dietary variety score (DVS) were significantly associated with malnutrition.

Future Tasks: This study is a practical and significant approach, since improvement in oral, nutritional, and general health conditions. Home-visit dental treatment and oral care provide an advantage in terms of understanding the eating habits and living conditions of individuals. However, there are few cases of collaboration between dentists and registered dietitians. In the future, we aim to develop a model system of oral nutrition collaboration.