• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.483-496
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• 2020

This study examined the effects of eating alone, meal type, and dietary lifestyles on healthy eating capability of one-person households. We analyzed the mediation effects of weekly frequencies of each meal type taken by one-person households between eating habits such as eating alone and dietary lifestyles of one-person households and healthy eating capability. We also analyzed data from the 2019 Food Consumption Behavior Survey using a sample of 688 one-person households. Factor analysis, latent profile analysis, structural equation model analysis was conducted; direct and indirect effects of independent variables were tested using bootstrap method. The major results were as follows. Frequency of eating alone was about 10 times a week on average; one-person households had home-made meals about 12 times a week, for restaurant meals, 4 times, for delivered/take-out food, 0.39 times, and for other types, 0.44 times. Weekly frequencies of eating alone and meal types taken by one-person households were significantly different among the different socio-demographic groups. Dietary lifestyle was classified into four classes: traditional, health ignorant, food lifestyle ignorant, and balanced. Eating alone and dietary lifestyle had a significant effect on weekly frequency of each meal type. Frequencies of eating alone, balanced dietary lifestyle, and taking home-made meals had a positive direct effect on healthy eating capability, and frequency of taking delivered or take-out food and food consumption ignorant lifestyle had a negative direct effect. Eating alone, balanced and traditional dietary lifestyles had a positive indirect effect through the meal type; however, watching Mug-bang had a negative indirect effect.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.280-287
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• 2003

To investigate effects of the shared living on nutrient intakes,250 college male students who were living alone (104 men) or sharing accommodation with friends (134 men) were participated. Their average age was 22.6 years, their average height was 171.8 cm, their average weight was 65.6 kg and their average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 22.2. The caloric intakes of the men living alone or sharing accommodation were 55.9% and 72.5% of the Korean Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), respectively. The decreased caloric level of the group living alone seemed to be due to their decreased protein and fat consumption as compared to that of the group sharing accommodation. The group living alone consumed increased amounts of fiber for breakfast and half the carbohydrates, but more fat (p < 0.05) in snacks than the group sharing accommodation. The daily carbohydrate : protein : fat (C : P : F) ratio averaged 58.6 14.1 27.3, which is a lower carbohydrate and a higher fat ratio than the Korean recommended ratio. However, the group living alone was closer to the Korean recommended ratio than the group sharing accommodation. The food intake habits were evaluated as being poorer in the group living alone as compared to the group sharing accommodation, less frequent consumption of fried / pan-fried dishes, and fruits / juices, but more frequent consumption of instant / processed foods. In comparing the eating patterns of the two groups, the group living alone showed better eating habits, such as more“breakfast eating”and less“snacking in the morning, afternoon or late at night”whereas the group sharing accommodation showed better eating habits such as less“picky eaters”and less “eating out”. In the group living alone, their lower caloric intake was assumably due to their fewer side dishes, however they showed higher eating frequencies of instant i processed foods. Since the lifestyle of living alone seems to grow gradually among young men, we strongly recommend dietary education for them.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.280-289
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• 2012

The objective of this research was to explore the influences of 'having a meal with someone' on individuals' eating pattern. Eating is not a simple matter of energy intake but also serves to anchor daily routines being cultivated by people and society. This study was conducted using a cross-sectional eating behavior survey of university students (N = 893, 380 men, 513 women) aged 20 to 24 years. Results were analyzed and presented as frequencies, means and ${\chi}^2$-test with SPSS 14.0. Differences in dietary habits by commensality and solo-eating were observed; Students who ate alone, spent 15 min for a meal and ate convenience food items when they didn't feel hungry. Compared to students who ate alone, those who ate together with someone spent 30 min for a meal and ate more amount of food. Eighty percent of respondents ate more various menus in commensality than solo-eating. They felt lonely when they ate alone and preferred to eat together. In conclusion, university students start to decide and select their own meals by themselves after junior and high school food services which are fixed with regard to menu and the amount. Dietary habits of Koreans rapidly changed concomitant with social changes over the past half century. Governments and health experts recognize that unbalanced meals cause lifestyle-related diseases, in particular obesity. Our research findings will contribute to more comprehensive efficient nutrition education programs in order to prevent obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases in early stages of adulthood.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.142-155
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to construct and test a structural equation model for the risk factors of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. The structural equation model hypothesizes that eating alone and feeling depressed is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. The data of this study were obtained from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which was cross-sectional data from the representative national survey. A total of 4,013 subjects replied to the survey item of lifestyle and completed the physical examinations among adults aged 19 years or older in South Korea was in 2015. The structural model in this study was composed of four latent variables: eating alone, depression, negative health behavior, and metabolic syndrome. Two variables, the rate of eating alone and depression, were exogenous variables. Negative health behavior was both a mediating variable and endogenous variable, and metabolic syndrome was the final endogenous variable. The data were analyzed using the Maximum Likelihood method and bootstrapping. The structural model was appropriate for the data based on the model fit indices. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: Eating alone is a direct risk factor of metabolic syndrome in Korean women. Depression can mediate metabolic syndrome through negative health behaviors. Negative health behavior had a direct impact on metabolic syndrome in both men and women. This study may be a guideline for interventions and strategies to reduce the incidence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-71
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• 2015

This study assessed gender differences of 'solo eating' perceptions and dietary behaviors among college students residing in Seoul and Kyongki province. Two types of questionnaires were used to analyze perception and dietary behaviors of subjects: a cross-sectional survey (N=893) and AGA (Associative Group Analysis; N=50). Women ate significantly more and intook a greater variety of foods when eating together (P<0.05). Men, on the other hand, showed no difference in these variables. Women, compared to men, spent more time eating both alone and together (P<0.001). In the associative group analysis (AGA), women showed a different semantic value for 'solo eating' compared to men. Women also tended to feel lonely when they ate alone and had positive images of eating together. Students began to decide their own dietary behaviors after junior and high school. Dietary lives of Koreans have rapidly changed along with social changes over the past half century. These research findings will contribute to more comprehensive and efficient nutrition education programs for preventing lifestyle-related diseases in the early stage of adulthood.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.657-689
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to develop a substantive theory on 'eating alone'(honbob)and the process of maintaining the lifestyle of eating alone for the need of a non-judgmental understanding on the new 'honbob' lifestyle. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 10 male and female workers in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, who voluntarily eat alone over 70% of their meals per week with the minimum duration of 5 years. Data analysis was performed using grounded theory proposed by Strauss & Corbin (1998) in the qualitative research method. As a result, a paradigm model on the process of maintaining 'honbob' was derived. Based on categorical analysis, the causal condition was 'not trying to tune' and the central phenomenon was 'following the desire to set efficiency as the top priority. Contextual conditions were 'the atmosphere of fierce competition', 'weakening of organizational culture', 'diffusion of individualistic culture'. The intervening conditions were 'personal trait and emotional experience', 'job characteristics of less organization culture'. The action/interaction strategies were 'accepting internal conflicts', 'acting in autonomy', 'finding relationship through media', and 'distancing from superficial relationship'. The consequences were 'enjoying time for self-exploration', 'valuing self-care', 'becoming a epicurean conventionalist', and 'becoming aware of the need for balance'. The core category has been shown as 'self-oriented in accordance to priority of efficiency and being able to appreciate the importance of social group'. The Such phenomenon passes through four different stages - first, the stage of weighing time efficiency while beginning hon-bob; second, the stage of conflict when one feels nervous and not free from others' view; third, the stage of adjustment to justify his/her 'hon-bob'; and the final stage of balance to perceive the importance of social group while going on 'honbob'. The study had the aim of increasing the understanding and acceptance of the new 'honbob' lifestyle through an in-depth exploration of office worker's 'honbob' experience and the process of maintaining 'honbob' so the society can better accept it and, further, to embrace co-existence of various cultures.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.573-588
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to examine social networking service (SNS) use and recommended information utilization (SURU) according to the food-related lifestyles (FRLs) of consumers and analyze how the interaction between the FRL and SURU affects the practice of eating alone and visiting restaurants. Methods: Data on 4,624 adults in their 20s to 50s were collected from the 2021 Consumer Behavior Survey for Food. Statistical methods included factor analysis, K-means cluster analysis, the complex samples general linear model, the complex samples Rao-Scott χ² test, and the general linear model. Results: The following three factors were extracted from the FRL data: Convenience pursuit, rational consumption pursuit, and gastronomy pursuit, and the subjects were classified into three groups, namely the rational consumption, convenient gastronomy, and smart gourmet groups. An examination of the difference in SURU according to the FRL showed that the smart gourmet group had the highest score. The result of analyzing the effects of the FRL and SURU on eating alone revealed that both the main effect and the interaction effect were significant (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). The higher the SURU, the higher the frequency of eating alone in the convenience pursuit, and gastronomy pursuit groups. The main and interaction effects of the FRL and SURU on the frequency of eating out were also significant (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). In all the FRL groups, the higher the SURU level, the higher the frequency of visiting restaurants. Specifically, the two groups with convenience and gastronomic tendencies showed a steeper increase. Conclusion: This study provides important basic data for research on consumer behavior related to food SNS, market segmentation of restaurant consumers, and development of marketing strategies using SNS in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.227-246
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• 2022

This study was conducted on the nutritional status of 1,805 patients with allergic diseases (atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma) aged 19 to 64 years according to their state of depression, based on the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to diagnose depression. Subjects with a score of 10 or more were categorized into the depression group (n=152) and the rest into the non-depression group (n=1,653). The results of this study were as follows: The proportion of women (75.7%) was higher than that of men (24.3%) in the depressed group (P<0.01). In terms of energy intake per 1,000 kcal, both men and women in the depressed group showed a lower energy intake than the non-depressed group and this intake was less than the estimated energy requirement (EER). The nutrient intakes of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and vitamin C were below the estimated average requirement (EAR). Also, the intakes of fiber and potassium were less than the adequate intake (AI) (P<0.001). In the lifestyle parameters, the ratio of eating alone at lunch was 54.1%:33.1%, indicating that more than half of the depression group ate alone. In conclusion, it was observed that the nutritional status of allergic disease patients was imbalanced. The nutritional imbalance was due to insufficient energy intake and inadequate intake of nutrients, which was below the average requirements of vitamins and minerals and this was more evident in the depression group than in the non-depression group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.383-393
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• 2017

This study was conducted to analyze the dietary lifestyle of local Chinese consumers and to classify dietary characteristics according to their dietary lifestyle factors and dietary behaviors. This investigation was conducted for 1 month from 1 January 2017 targeting 300 adult males and females living in China using the online survey company surveymonkey. Four factors relating to dietary lifestyle were identified, gourmet factor, healthy factor, convenience factor and economic factor, and these were grouped into 4 clusters according to their dietary lifestyle factor scores. Group 1, the gourmet economy group, showed a high percentage of living alone and a high frequency of eating out, but a relatively low percentage of three regular meals per day. Their dietary lifestyle was sensitive to gourmet factors and economic factors, but less sensitive to health and convenience factors. Group 2, the wide interest group, contained a high percentage of individuals in their 30s, as well as more highly educated individuals and a higher income than other groups. Because their dietary lifestyle scores tended to be higher than those of other groups, they sought a variety of new foods and gourmet meals for enjoyment of dining and life, as well as well-being food materials and foods related to health. Group 3, the health economic group, constituted a family-type consumer group with lower income level than the other groups. Members of this group were seeking health food and natural food in their dietary lifestyle and tended to pursue a high economic profit ratio when purchasing food. Finally, group 4 showed a relatively higher percentage of women over 30 and individuals with a college level or higher education than the other groups. This group was more interested in health and taste than price and convenience, and showed the highest LOHAS orientation among middle aged Chinese women. Moreover, members of this group directly utilized their knowledge regarding nutrition in real life.