Fast Food Consumption Patterns and Eating Habits of 6th Grade Elementary School Children in Seoul

서울 시내 3개 지역별 초등학교 6학년의 패스트푸드 섭취 실태와 식습관에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of fast food intake in residential areas and its relation to eating habits among 551 6th grade students (286 male students and 265 female students) from elementary schools located in Gangnam-gu, Dongjak-gu and Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The results of this study were as follows. 1) There were significant differences in the preference for fast food among districts (p<0.05) and children from Seongbuk-gu showed a greater preference for fast food than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. In terms of preferences for particular types of fast food, children from Seongbuk-gu liked hamburgers more than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu so that there were significant differences among districts (p<0.05). With regards to the frequency of intake of the various types of fast food, there were differences in hamburger, pizza and chicken among three districts (p<0.05) and children from Seongbuk-gu ate fast food 1 to significant 2 times more often than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. 2) There were significant differences in the regularity of mealtimes between districts (p<0.05), with children from Seongbuk-gu showing more irregularity in their mealtimes than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. There were significant differences in the frequency of snack intake (p<0.05), and children from Seongbuk-gu tended to take a snack 1 to 2 times more often than those from Gangnam-gu and Dongjak-gu. 3) In the frequency of fast food intake in accordance with obesity, there were significant differences between the obesity index (p<0.05). In particular, children who were underweight had a tendency to eat more fast food. There were significant differences between the frequency of fast food intake depending on children's pocket money (p<0.05), and children who took fast food more than twice a week tended to have more pocket money. According to these results, we report there are partly different trends in the consumption of fast food and food habits among the districts in Seoul. Therefore we suggest that different interventions be implemented within the different districts to reduce reliance on fast food restaurants and to address the perceptions of healthy eating as well as time and convenience barriers.