Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture (한국식생활문화학회지)

Korean Society of Food Culture (한국식생활문화학회)
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Dietary Changes among Adults Living Alone during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Republic of Korea

코로나19 팬데믹 기간의 1인 가구 식생활 변화

  • Jungmi Kim (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University) ;
  • Youngmin Nam (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University) ;
  • Sung Ok Kwon (Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Cho-il Kim (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jihyun Yoon (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2023.07.31
  • Accepted : 2023.12.31
  • Published : 2023.12.31
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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the dietary changes among adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Korea. An online survey was conducted to examine dietary changes before (in 2019) and during (in 2021) the pandemic. The data from 337 adults living alone who responded to the survey were used for analysis. The proportion of the respondents reporting frequent food consumption at convenience stores (≥3 times/week) increased during the pandemic (p=0.024), and the proportion of those frequently eating ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food (≥3 times/week) was more than doubled (p<0.001). Additionally, the proportion of those frequently consuming delivered food (≥3 times/week) increased by 2.5 times (p<0.001). In conclusion, the dietary habits of adults living alone changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have a negative impact on their health. Therefore, the development of customized nutrition management programs to improve the dietary habits of adults living alone during emergencies like a pandemic is deemed necessary. This study can serve as a foundation for understanding the dietary changes of adults living alone in prolonged crisis.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 2022년도 식품의약품안전처 연구개발비(22192 기획식093)로 수행되었습니다.

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