• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between watching mukbang (eating broadcasts) and dietary and health behavior in adults who watch mukbang. Methods: The questionnaire was administered on a self-written basis through online and offline formats to 800 adults (400 men and 400 women). The contents of the survey consisted of general characteristics, mukbang viewing time per week, breakfast intake frequency, preference for menus when viewing mukbang, delivery food intake frequency per week, late meal intake frequency per week, and health behavior. The subjects were divided into three groups according to mukbang viewing time. Results: The body weight of viewers was significantly higher when mukbang viewing time was over 14 hours for both men and women. In particular, based on the BMI (body mass index), those who watched mukbang for more than 14 hours were found to be overweight. People with more than 14 hours of mukbang viewing time per week were found to prefer mostly carbohydrate-rich food and meat, while those with less than 7 hours of mukbang viewing time per week showed a higher preference for vegetables and fruits. An analysis of the frequency of breakfast eaten showed that the rate of skipping breakfast was the highest for those who watched mukbang for more than 14 hours per week, and the rate of eating breakfast daily was the highest in the case of fewer than 7 hours of viewing. In the case of high mukbang viewing time per week, the frequency of food delivery and night eating was high. When mukbang viewing time was high, the viewer's interest in health was low and the frequency of exercising too was low. Conclusions: Viewers with high mukbang viewing time showed undesirable health and eating behavior. Thus, it is believed that proper nutrition education on improving eating habits and raising the awareness of correct eating habits is necessary for such viewers.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2022

Mukbang, which has established itself as a popular content, is now enjoying a sensational popularity not only in Korea but also around the world. This study investigated the effects of mukbang on consumers' vicarious satisfaction and desire increase in different emotional aspects. In addition, we analyzed how the positive and negative emotions of consumers affect the vicarious satisfaction and desire increase of mukbang. According to this purpose, 120 participants in their 20s and 30s who had experienced watching mukbang were encouraged to watch mukbang videos after inducing positive, negative, and neutral emotions, and the effects of vicarious satisfaction and increased desire depending on emotions were examined. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that vicarious satisfaction through mukbang was high in positive emotional states, and desire through mukbang was high in negative emotional states. This study has a theoretical contribution that empirically investigates the different effects of mukbang according to positive and negative emotions, and is expected to help derive marketing measures using consumer emotional states that have not been received enough attention in using mukbang as a marketing tool.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.192-203
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• 2024

The digital environment has become an integral part of human lives today. This study aimed to investigate Mukbang watching status and its association with eating behaviors, eating habits, and the nutritional status of children. We conducted a survey of the actual status of Mukbang watching, and nutrition quotient of children (NQ-C) among 222 students in elementary schools in Daejeon. The prevalence of viewing Mukbang content was 68.9%, the most common frequency of viewing was 1~2 times per month (36.5%), and the duration of watching a single episode was less than 10 minutes (54.9%). Overall, 31.4% of students responded that they ate while watching a Mukbang and, 66.0% said they felt hungry after watching a Mukbang. YouTube (82.4%) was the most common source of viewing Mukbang. The most common reason for watching Mukbang was because all the students found the content entertaining. The NQ-C score of all the subjects surveyed was 58.95, which is a moderate grade. The scores of NQ-C, balance, and practice factors were significantly higher in boys than in girls. In addition, the scores of NQ-C, and balance and moderation were significantly higher in Mukbang non-viewers than viewers for all subjects and more specifically boys. These results suggest that watching Mukbang is associated with poor nutritional status in elementary school children. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the Mukbang watching status when providing nutrition guidance to instill healthy eating habits in children.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.523-533
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Given that adolescents watch Mukbang (eating broadcast) more frequently than other age groups, interest in the potential health effects of watching Mukbang and Cookbang (cooking broadcast) is growing. This study aimed to determine the status of watching Mukbang and Cookbang among Korean adolescents and its relationship with their dietary behaviors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used data from the 18th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted in 2022 (n = 51,850). The study included the frequency of watching Mukbang and Cookbang and the self-rated impact of watching them. Dietary behaviors included consumption of the following items: fruits (≥ once a day), vegetables (≥ 3 times a day), fast foods (≥ 3 times a week), late-night snacks (≥ 3 times a week), caffeinated drinks (≥ 3 times a week), and sweet-flavored drinks (≥ 3 times a week). Furthermore, obesity, weight loss attempts during the past 30 days, body image distortion, and inappropriate methods to control weight were also included. RESULTS: Among adolescents, 70.6% watched Mukbang and Cookbang, and 13.2% watched them more than 5 times a week. Approximately 27.6% of the adolescents responded that they were influenced by watching Mukbang and Cookbang. Adolescents who frequently watched Mukbang and Cookbang consumed less vegetable and fruit; however, the likelihood of consuming fast food, late-night snacks, sugary drinks, and caffeinated drinks increased. In addition, they were more likely to attempt inappropriate weight-loss methods and become obese. Adolescents who responded that their eating habits were influenced by watching Mukbang and Cookbang were more likely to have unhealthy eating behavior compared to the group who responded that their habits were not influenced by these shows. CONCLUSION: Watching Mukbang and Cookbang is common among Korean adolescents and is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors. Prospective studies, including broadcasting content, should evaluate the impact of Mukbang and Cookbang on health.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.276-285
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As watching food-related programs has become very popular among the young generation in Korea, this study sought to compare the Mukbang- and Cookbang-watching status of university students with their dietary life. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The participants were 380 students who were not majoring in food and nutrition at a university in Gyeonggi, Korea. Based on self- reports, the participants were grouped according to their frequency of watching Mukbang or Cookbang: frequent-watching (FW) 21.1% and 5.3%, respectively; moderate-watching (MW) 43.9% and 27.9%, respectively; and not-watching (NW) 35.0% and 66.8% respectively. RESULTS: In the FW group, up to 88.8% and 70.0% of participants reported watching Mukbang and Cookbang, respectively, ≥ 3 days/week. Almost all participants in the FW and MW groups reported intention to keep watching these shows. The most frequent watching route was "YouTube" and the most important criterion to select a program was "food". In the case of Mukbang, but not Cookbang, the participants in the FW group scored their diet significantly worse than those in the NW group (P < 0.05). A greater proportion of participants felt that watching Cookbang improved their diets rather than worsened them (14.3% vs. 0.8%, respectively), while more participants said that watching Mukbang worsened their diets rather than improved them (8.1% vs. 2.4%, respectively). In both cases, greater differences were shown in the FW groups compared to the MW groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 for Cookbang and Mukbang, respectively). Moreover, the participants answered that Mukbang-watching prompted them to eat more of less desirable food, such as through eating out and purchasing convenient and delivered foods, whereas Cookbang-watching made them want to cook more of their own food. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that Korean university students who frequently watch Mukbang, but not Cookbang, may be a nutritionally vulnerable group that needs attention.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.68-85
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• 2020

Mukbang, which appeared through the new media platform in the early 2000s, reflected the life of the young generation who had to eat alone in the face of deteriorating socio-economic conditions. Many young people were able to watch Mukbang together, and gain comfort by establishing a virtual community of everyday life with those who suffered similar difficulties. Since then, Mukbang has evolved into various forms, reflecting the society and also accommodating the needs of viewers, and now it has become a global phenomenon, not just in Korea. Early research focuses on the phenomenon as a bizarre side that appears in the early stages rather than the growth and change of Mukbang, and deals with it in a limited way. This article critically examines these limitations, and examines how the growth and development of Mukbang interacted with the social change process, and how the uniqueness of Mukbang could emerge in the characteristics of the new media. Through this, we will be able to look at the context of the growth of Mukbang as a global phenomenon and the impact on the legacy media.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.674-686
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Mukbang, a trend originating in South Korea and gaining global popularity, could influence children's food choices and eating habits. This study analyzed the correlation between Mukbang viewing time in children and adolescents, their meal consumption frequency, nutrition quotient (NQ), and frequency of food intake. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From July to August 2022, this cross-sectional study investigated upper elementary students (ages 9-11 yrs) and adolescents (aged 12-18 yrs) using an online survey. The survey items included key demographic factors, Mukbang viewing frequency and duration, frequency of main meal consumption, commonly consumed foods, and the validated NQ, which was used to assess food intake quality. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the link between Mukbang viewing and nutritional habits. RESULTS: Weekly Mukbang viewing time was significantly correlated with eating habits after adjusting for gender, age, physical activity frequency past week, household income, and primary caregiver's level of education. Increased Mukbang viewing time correlated with reduced frequency of breakfast (P for trend < 0.001) and dinner (P for trend = 0.012), while the frequency of eating out (P for trend < 0.001) and late-night snacking (P for trend = 0.008) increased. Higher Mukbang viewing time notably decreased scores in the moderation domain (P for trend < 0.001), in the practice domain (P for trend = 0.031), and overall NQ (P for trend < 0.001). It also significantly elevated intake of sweets (P for trend = 0.001), Korean-style street food, Western-style fast food, instant noodles, sweetened beverages, caffeinated beverages, and fruit and vegetable juices (P for trend < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study identifies a negative correlation between Mukbang viewing and eating habits among Korean children and adolescents. The results indicate the importance of incorporating children and adolescents' media usage and environmental factors on dietary education and the development of policy programs.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.104-115
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• 2021

Purpose: With increased time spent at home due to prolonged online classes, this study sought to determine how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the mukbang- and cookbang-watching patterns and dietary life of college students. Methods: All students majoring in food and nutrition (FN) at a college in Gyeonggi, Korea, participated in the survey in April 2019 (M/F = 36/106) and June 2020 (M/F -37/130) and data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Results: Compared to students responding in 2019, those in 2020 reported more frequently eating alone (p < 0.01) and cooking (p < 0.01), and evaluated their diets better regarding pleasant mealtimes atmosphere (p < 0.05), moderation in drinking (p < 0.05), and not consuming excessively delivery foods (p < 0.001), processed foods (p < 0.01), foods with animal fat (p < 0.01), salty foods (p < 0.01), and sweets (p < 0.01). Although the proportion of respondents who answered that they watched mukbang and cookbang at least occasionally did not change, greater proportions of respondents reported watching both genres frequently (p < 0.001, respectively) and spending less time/day in watching mukbang (p < 0.05) in 2020 vs. 2019. While they evaluated the effect of mukbang- and cookbang-watching on overall diet similarly, the proportion of respondents that reported feeling as though mukbang-watching prompted them to eat more of less-desirable foods decreased from 54.3% to 41.5% (p < 0.05). Diet improvement of participants due to COVID-19 resulted in that the association between frequent mukbang-watching and unhealthier dietary habits in 2019 was not shown in 2020. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the prolonged at-home stays due to COVID-19 might have improved many aspects of diet and decreased undesirable effect of frequent mukbang-watching in case of college students majoring in FN.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.470-479
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• 2022

Mukbang is a type of foodcasting where a host records or streams their eating rituals for audience consumption in live format. With origins in South Korea via the online broadcast genre found on Afreeca TV in the mid-2000s, the phenomenon has since found global popularity. Its development as a full-fledged genre is based on a communication culture that invites people to a meal rather than to talk to one another; viewers watch in silence as a host consumes a copious number of dishes from Korean gastronomy to fast food to other ethnic cuisine on display. An invitation to eat means the beginning of a public relationship that quickly turns to a private shared experience. This study analyzes several Mukbang video postings and makes use of Linden's culture approach model to provide a view toward a number of cross-cultural connections by Koreans and non-Korean audiences. Prior to the study, 10 Korean eating shows were selected and used as standard models. Korean Mukbang mainly consists of eating behavior and ASMR, with very few storytelling or narrative devices utilized by its creators. For this reason, eating shows make a very private connection. In other ways, this paper shows how 28 Mukbang-related YouTube contents selected by Ranker were evolving and examined through notions of acculturation and reception theory.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

Purpose: This study examines the impact of YouTube mukbang content characteristics on viewer satisfaction and word-of-mouth behavior. Drawing from theories in media psychology, consumer behavior, and communication studies, we investigate five key content characteristics: credibility, entertainment value, informativeness, visual appeal, and auditory quality. Research design, data and methodology: Using structural equation modeling with data from 206 mukbang viewers, we test hypothesized relationships between these characteristics, viewer satisfaction, and word-of-mouth behavior. Results: Research reveal that credibility and informativeness significantly and positively influence viewer satisfaction, while entertainment value, visual appeal, and auditory quality show no significant effect. Viewer satisfaction positively impacts word-of-mouth behavior. These findings challenge conventional assumptions about video content consumption and highlight the unique nature of mukbang viewing. Conclusions: The study contributes to digital content consumption literature by providing empirical evidence of factors influencing viewer engagement in the mukbang context. It offers practical insights for content creators, marketers, and platform developers, emphasizing the importance of informative and credible content in driving viewer satisfaction and promoting positive word-of-mouth. By extending established media theories to this emerging form of digital entertainment, our research paves the way for future studies. The study's limitations, including its cross-sectional nature and specific cultural context, suggest directions for future research.