Gwanak-gu Strives to Improve Healthy Eating and Nutrition for Pregnant Women and Infants

Up to 1 Year of Nutrition Education and Home Visit Counseling, Food Packages Provided by Target Group... Systematic Management for Nutritionally At-Risk Pregnant Women and Infants

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) is conducting the ‘2020 Second Half Nutrition Plus Project’ to promote healthy eating habits and nutritional improvement for pregnant women and infants, who are nutritionally vulnerable groups.

The ‘Nutrition Plus Project’ is a health management support service that provides nutrition education and supplementary foods for a certain period to pregnant women, nursing mothers, and infants with nutritional risk factors (anemia, stunting, underweight, dietary imbalance) to help the smooth development and growth of mothers and children.

The district completed recruitment for the second half participants from April 27 to May 22, and is conducting eligibility evaluations for 218 new applicants until the 18th. It is also re-evaluating the eligibility of 70 existing participants selected in January this year.

The evaluation is conducted at the health centers during the applicant’s pre-booked time between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, including anemia tests, physical measurements, and nutritional intake surveys to determine the presence of nutritional risk factors, combined with household size-based income criteria (below 80% of median income).

During the health center visit evaluations, 1:1 individual sessions are held to minimize contact per participant, maintaining a one-hour interval between sessions, disinfecting before and after visits, providing hand sanitizers, and ventilating at least twice daily, strictly following COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

Selected new participants will receive nutrition counseling related to meal intake for a minimum of six months up to one year starting in July, monthly nutrition education, and food packages provided one to two times per month tailored to participant characteristics.

Additionally, periodic assessments such as height and weight measurements, anemia diagnosis, and nutritional intake surveys are conducted to monitor nutritional status, along with customized nutrition management and education through home visits.

Through the Nutrition Plus Project, a total of 423 pregnant women and infants received health management services last year, with professional management leading to improved health and high satisfaction among residents.

Mayor Park Junhee stated, “I hope pregnant women and infants, who may neglect nutrition management, receive substantial support through the Nutrition Plus Project to improve their nutritional status and dietary management skills. We will continue to implement various projects to support the healthy daily lives of residents exhausted by COVID-19.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.