Objectives : The purpose of this study is to examine the biochemical characteristics and dietary intake status of adolescents according to their household income levels.

Methods : Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2013-2015) were used for the study. The study examined adolescents'' general characteristics(residence region, frequency of skip or not-skip in breakfast/lunch/dinner, eating-out frequency), physical characteristics(height, weight, obesity), biochemical characteristics (fasting plasma glucose(FPG), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatine, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, hemoglobin, hematocrit), and nutrition status using Korean dietary reference intakes(KDRI), index of nutrition quality(INQ), nutrition adequacy ratio(NAR), mean adequacy ratio(MAR) and daily food consumption of food groups by 4 groups according to household income levels.

Result : In general characteristics, there were significant difference in eating breakfast/lunch/ dinner among 4 groups. In Boys, there were differences in distribution of hemoglobin, KDRI(protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus), NAR(protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, iron) and MAR among 4 groups. In Girls, there were differences in distribution of fasting plasma glucose(FPG), hemoglobin, average of hemoglobin, hematocrit, KDRI (protein, niacin, natrium), INQ(phosphorus), NAR(protein, vitamin A, niacin, phosphorus, iron), MAR and daily food consumption of food groups(eggs) among 4 groups.

Conclusions : Overall dietary intakes were found to be insufficient as the level of household income decreases. Also, the biochemical characteristics were mostly within the normal range regardless of the group, but the higher the household income, the higher the ratio. It shows that the dietary intake status of the low-income households is being formed in an incorrect direction. Therefore, nutrition education needs to be done with results from the investigation into the level of nutrient by income level and the causes of the nutrition unbalance.