Convenience food consumption of Korean adolescents: Results of the 2017 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Kim Jihee, Yun Sungha, Oh Kyungwon
Division of Health and Nutrition Survey, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, KCDC

The study aimed to examine the dietary habits of Korean adolescents focusing on convenience food consumption. Data were gathered from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2017. Of the sample, 23.8% among of boys and 28.4% among girls consumed convenience foods instead of meals more than three times during the seven-days before the survey. The percentages of convenient food items that were consumed more than once during seven-days before survey by adolescents were as follows: noddles (64.5%), gimbap (58.0%), beverages (42.2%), sandwiches (25.3%), and snacks (24.1%). Adolescents tended to choose convenience foods as their meal because those are convenient (26.5%). Adolescents who consumed convenience foods more than three times a week tended to show unhealthy dietary behavior more frequently compared with those who consumed convenience foods under three times a week.

Keywords: Food consumption, Korean adolescents, Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Dietary habits