Dietary Life Status According to Smart Device Use of University Students in Korea

대학생의 스마트기기 사용수준에 따른 식생활 실태

The purpose of this study is to investigate the dietary life status according to smart device use among university students. In 2015, data was collected during a 3 month survey of the eating behaviors, lifestyles, eating habits, and use of smart devices of 550 university students, as well as their dependency on smartphones. Ultimately, 520 subjects (94.5% analysis rate) were divided into three groups based on their daily use time of smart device: low-use group (<4.7 hours, n=173), medium-use group (${\geq}4.7hours$ and <6.4 hours, n=174), and high-use group (${\geq}6.4hours$, n=173). The more frequent use groups showed a higher level of dependency on the smartphone. Breakfast was found to be the most commonly skipped meal; and the high-use group showed a higher response of irregular meals than low-use group. In assessment of eating habits, the subjects with less smart device usage ate more regularly and at fixed times, did not overeat, drank milk everyday, and did not consume processed food as often. To sum up, more irregularity of meal and undesirable eating habits were found among university students with higher use of smart devices. These results suggest that a control of smart device usage would lead to a more desirable dietary life in university students.