Comparison of dietary habits, perception and consumption frequency of fast foods between youths working part-time at fast food restaurants and other food-related services

Mi Yang Jo; Taisun Hyun

doi:10.4163/jnh.2014.47.3.206

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Jo and Hyun: Comparison of dietary habits, perception and consumption frequency of fast foods between youths working part-time at fast food restaurants and other food-related services

Research Article

Journal of Nutrition and Health 2014; 47(3): 206-213.

Published online: 30 June 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2014.47.3.206

Comparison of dietary habits, perception and consumption frequency of fast foods between youths working part-time at fast food restaurants and other food-related services

Mi Yang Jo¹, Taisun Hyun²

¹Major of Nutrition Education, The Graduate School of Education, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.

²Department of Food and Nutrition, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.

To whom correspondence should be addressed. tel: +82-43-261-2790, taisun@chungbuk.ac.kr

Received 25 April 2014 Revised 8 May 2014 Accepted 22 June 2014

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to compare dietary habits, perception, and consumption frequency of fast foods between part-time working youths at fast food restaurants and those at other food-related services.

Methods

The study subjects were part-time working youths in 13 fast food restaurants (n = 118) and in 25 other places including bakeries, cafes, convenience stores, and other restaurants (n = 115) in Cheongju. Demographic characteristics, dietary habits, perception regarding fast foods, and consumption frequencies of food groups and fast foods were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

Female youths working at fast food restaurants had unhealthier dietary habits, such as meal skipping and night snacking compared to those working at other places. Consumption frequencies of fruits in males and beans/bean products in females working at fast food restaurants were significantly lower than those working at other places. Perception score on fast foods was significantly lower in males working at fast food restaurants than in males working at other places. However, the consumption frequencies of hamburgers, pizzas, and a total of six fast foods among both males and females working at fast food restaurants were significantly higher than those working at other places after adjusting for confounding variables including age, status, type of residence, allowance, alcohol, smoking, working hours, and hourly pay.

Conclusion

Part-time working youths at fast food restaurants had worse dietary habits, such as meal skipping and night snacking, and consumed fast foods more frequently than those working at other places. Interventions for part-time working youths at fast food restaurants may be needed in order to reduce fast food consumption and increase the intake of fruits and vegetables.

Keywords: fast food consumption, fast food restaurants, part-time working youths, perception

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Selected characteristics of the subjects by gender and worksite

1) N (%)

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001 Significantly different by χ²-test

Table 2

Frequencies of meals and snack by gender and worksite

1) N (%)

^*: p < 0.05 Significantly different by χ²-test

Table 3

Consumption frequency of food groups by gender and worksite

1) Mean ± SD

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01 Significantly different by t-test

Table 4

Perception score¹⁾ of fast foods by gender and worksite

1) Higher score means more positive perception.

(1: Strongly disagree, 2: Disagree, 3: So-so, 4: Agree, 5: Strongly agree for merits 1: Strongly agree, 2: Agree, 3: So-so, 4: Disagree, 5: Strongly disagree for demerits)

2) Mean ± SD

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001 Significantly different by t-test

Table 5

Consumption frequency of fast foods by gender and worksite

1) Adjusted for the variables in Table 1 (gender, status, type of residence, allowance, alcohol, smoking, working hours, hourly pay)

2) Mean ± SD (frequency/week)

Notes

This work was supported by the research grant of the Chungbuk National University.

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