This study examined dietary habits and mental health according to generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) and caffeine consumption in adolescents. The data were collected from the 18th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey with a sample of 51,850 students. The proportion of students in the GAD High-Risk · Caffeine consumption group (GHRCC) who consumed sweet drinks (p< .001), fast food (p< .001), and midnight meals (p< .001) every day was 15.6, 21.9, and 22.4%, respectively. These proportions were higher than those of students who consumed sweet drinks, fast food, and midnight meals 1-2 times a week, 3-4 times a week, or not at all. In addition, the proportions of GHRCC among students who responded “yes” to experiencing sadness and despair (p< .001), suicidal thoughts (p< .001), suicide plans (p< .001), suicide attempts (p< .001), and loneliness (p< .001) were higher than students who responded “no.” The GAD High-Risk group (GHR) had higher odds with the consumption of midnight meals (OR: 2.51, 95% CI: 2.10-2.99), caffeine consumption (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 2.21-2.74), and fast food (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.75-2.55) than GAD Low-Risk group. Based on the above results, the risk of GHR was higher among students who consumed midnight meals, caffeine, and fast food daily than those who did not.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between household economic changes by COVID-19 and dietary habits in Korean adolescents. The study analyzed data from the 17th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2021. A total of 54,848 middle and high school students, 28,401 males and 26,447 females, participated in this study. COVID-19 lead to deterioration of household economy in the lower level of household economic status (p<0.001). The deterioration of household economic status by COVID-19 was associated with dietary habits such as lower breakfast intake, and higher fast food, soda drinks, and sweet drinks consumption (p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that deterioration of household economic status was significantly decreased in frequency of breakfast intake (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.67~0.80). The deterioration of household economic status by COVID-19 was also significantly associated with increased frequency of fast food (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.16~1.41), soda drinks (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.30~1.56) and sweet drinks (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.24~1.46) consumption (p<0.001). In conclusion, it was confirmed that the change in household economy caused by COVID-19 was associated with dietary habits in adolescents. As the household economy deteriorated, there was an increase in undesirable dietary habits including skipping breakfast and fast food consumption.

본 연구의 목적은 청소년들의 스마트폰 과의존과 피로회복 간의 관계에서 불안의 매개효과를 검증하여, 청소년의 스마트폰 과의존 중재의 근거자료를 확보하는 것이다. 연구 대상자는 ‘제16차 청소년 건강행태 온라인조사’를 이용한 청소년 54,948명이다. 연구변수 간의 관계는 상관분석, 요인분석, 매개효과 분석을 실시하였다. 연구 결과 청소년의 스마트폰 과의존은 피로회복에 영향을 미치는 직접효과와, 불안을 경유하여 피로회복에 영향을 주는 간접효과가 나타났다. 청소년의 스마트폰 과의존이 매개변인인 불안에 유의한 영향을 주었고, 피로회복에 유의한 영향을 주었다. 또한 또한 불안은 스마트폰 과의존과 피로회복 간의 관계에서 매개효과가 있는 것으로 확인되었다. 따라서 스마트폰 과의존 청소년을 대상으로 피로회복 을 향상하기 위해 불안을 관리할 필요가 있다.

This study was undertaken to examine body image distortion among female adolescents and identify related factors. Raw data from the 14th Korean Youth Health Behavior Survey were used. The proportion of participants exhibiting body image distortion was 39.5%, with the ratio being higher among female students of normal weight as compared to underweight female students. Logistic regression revealed that the risk of having a distorted body image was higher among high school females than in middle school females having lower subjective academic performance and household economic status. In addition, the risk of having a distorted body image was higher for students who drank alcohol when compared to students who did not drink, for the group engaging vigorously in physical activity (exercise) more than three times per week as opposed to the group exercising less than three times per week, and for the group consuming less than one serving of fruit per day as compared to the group consuming more than one serving of fruit per day. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that continuous nutrition education needs to be provided so that adolescents can correctly perceive their body images and form desirable eating habits.

The purpose of study was to examine the factors influencing fast food consumption in Korean adolescents. The analysis was conducted using cross sectional study data from the 16th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey in 2020. A total 54,948 middle and high school students participated in this study. The subjects in the analysis were 28,353 males and 26,595 females, 28,961 middle school and 25,987 high school students. In total, 56.6% Korean adolescents consumed fast food once or twice weekly and 25.4% consumed fast food more than three times weekly. Logistic regression analysis revealed that fast food consumption was significantly associated with dietary behavior such as lower breakfast intake (OR: 0.930, 95%CI: 0.891~0.970, p<0.001), higher soda drinks consumption (OR: 2.563, 95%CI: 2.452~2.678, p<0.001), and higher sweet drinks consumption (OR: 1.898, 95%CI: 1.818~1.982, p<0.001). For psychological and health behavior factors, fast food consumption was also significantly associated with higher perceived stress (OR: 1.239, 95%CI: 1.163-1.321, p<0.001), higher smoking (OR: 1.300, 95%CI: 1.164~1.453, p<0.001), higher drinking (OR: 1.193, 95%CI: 1.112~1.280, p<0.001), higher depression experience, higher loneliness experience, and lower subjective health, In conclusion, fast food consumption in Korean adolescents was associated with undesirable dietary habits and psychological and health behavior, suggesting that appropriate education programs are necessary to reduce such behavior.

This study was performed to investigate the eating habit, body image, and weight control behavior by BMI in Korean female high school students. Data on the 16, 574 subjects was obtained from the sixth Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2010). Only 52.2% of the subjects had regular breakfast. The rate of skipping breakfast was higher in the underweight group than in the obese group, but the rate of skipping dinner was on the contrary to this. Underweight students had a higher intake frequency of fruits, fast food, instant noodle, and snacks than the obese groups. 3.5% of underweight students considered themselves to be overweight or obese. 53.4% of obese students considered themselves to be overweight. The experience of weight control increased according to BMI, but underweight students considered weight control as an effort to be slimmer. Meal restriction was used more frequently to control weight. The perceived stress level was higher in obese student, especially due to appearance. Therefore, an appropriate, integrated and personalized high school nutrition program should be established for proper body image perception and to develop the self-esteem of female high school students.