Nutr Res Pract.  2008 Sep;2(3):171-177.

Korean adolescents' perceptions of nutrition and health towards fast foods in Busan area

• Yoon JY
• Lyu ES
• Lee KA

Abstract

Adolescents in Busan area were asked in a survey about their perception and attitudes towards fast food. Most respondents answered that they consume fast food once a month because it is fast, easily accessible and tasty. Although they perceived fast food as unhealthy and less nutritious, they were less aware of its effect on their health and nutritional status. The more knowledgeable respondents were about nutrition and health the less likely they were to choose fast food over other meals. However, respondents who had little or no knowledge about the nutritional factors of fast food accounted for 43.1%. As to their source of dietary information, students relied on themselves (31.0%), parents (20.5%) and friends (19.9%). The medium through which students got the most nutrition and health information was television (66.8%), followed by the Internet (36.7%) and magazines (29.7%). This study will enable educators to plan more effective strategies for improving the dietary knowledge of the adolescent population.

Keyword

Fast foods; adolescents; perception; attitude; Korean

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Surveys and Questionnaires
Fast Foods
Friends
Humans
Internet
Meals
Nutritional Status
Parents
Periodicals as Topic
Television

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