There has been an increase in the viewing of YouTube content among children and adolescents. This, coupled with the popularity of live-streamed video content such as mukbang, where viewers watch the host eat, has raised concerns about media addiction and the indiscriminate imitation of eating behavior. Therefore, there is a need for guidance on the appropriate behavior for viewing YouTube food content to promote healthy eating habits among children. In this study, we aimed to compare the patterns of the main caregivers and their children while viewing media and investigate the impact of viewing YouTube food content on the physical and mental health of the children. The findings suggest that active YouTube food content viewing by the main caregivers may reduce imitative behaviors due to passive media consumption by their children. This study provides valuable insights by comparing and analyzing the YouTube content viewing of the main caregivers and their children. The results can be used as a basis for the development of lifestyle-centered guidelines for children. However, it is important to note that this study was conducted during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when there was a significant increase in the use of media, which is limitation of the study.

This study sought to investigate the association between the food literacy (FL) of children and mothers, and the maternal feeding style. Study subjects were mothers (n=400) with children in the 4th to 6th grades of elementary school and who were the primary caregivers for their children (n=400). The responses to the Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) were obtained from mothers. Both mothers and children completed the questionnaire for socio-demographics, dietary habits, health status, and food literacy. The high demanding/high responsive feeding style was associated with increased meal frequency for both mothers and children. The low demanding/low responsive feeding style was significantly associated with a lower mother’s FL after accounting for confounding factors. The low demanding feeding styles were associated with the child’s lower FL after adjustments for the age, sex, weight status of the child and the age, household income, and education of the mother. However, this association was not seen after making an additional adjustment for the mother’s FL. These results suggest that the caregiver’s feeding style may affect the dietary habits and FL of both mother and child.