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Night eating status according to body mass index of Korean adolescents

Mi-Kyeong Choi (Division of Food Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Korea)
Yu-Jin Cho (Graduate School of Education, Kongju National University, Yesan, Korea)
Myung-Hee Kim (Division of Food Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Korea)
Yun Jung Bae (Division of Food Science and Culinary Arts, Shinhan University, Uijeongbu, Korea)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 13 February 2017

241

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in night eating status according to adolescents’ body mass index (BMI).

Design/methodology/approach

This was a cross-sectional study that included a total of 688 middle-school students. The subjects were categorized as underweight, normal weight and overweight according to their BMI, and their night eating intake patterns, night eating menu preference and intake frequency were compared and analyzed.

Findings

With regard to their night eating frequency, 39.8 per cent replied almost never, while 24.3 per cent replied once a week and less and 22.5 per cent replied two to three times a week. Among 11 night eating menus, the preference for fast foods, confectioneries, street foods and noodles was significantly higher in the underweight group than in the overweight group. The intake frequency of night eating menus such as fast foods, confectioneries and breads increased in the following order: overweight, normal and underweight group. The underweight group had a higher frequency of night eating, and they preferred to eat snacks more frequently from their night eating menu.

Originality/value

In conclusion, it is necessary to form positive dietary habits including nighttime eating for proper dietary management of adolescents.

Keywords

Citation

Choi, M.-K., Cho, Y.-J., Kim, M.-H. and Bae, Y.J. (2017), "Night eating status according to body mass index of Korean adolescents", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 47 No. 1, pp. 89-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-04-2016-0043

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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