Does Frequent Eating Out Cause Undesirable Food Choices? Association of Food Away from Home with Food Consumption Frequencies and Obesity among Korean Housewives

Abstract

This study examined the relationship among socioeconomic factors, frequency of food away from home (FAFH) and food-consumption patterns of 1,070 housewives, and the association of those factors with obesity, using data from the third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Although lower intakes of fruits, meats, and fast foods were associated with seldom eating out, no consistent pattern was observed regarding the relationship between the frequency of FAFH and food consumption for all groups of housewives. Further analysis indicated that obesity rates were lower among housewives aged 20-49 years with 7-12 years of education and moderate eating-out frequency, compared to older, less educated women. It appeared that reducing the frequency of FAFH does not always entail desirable food intakes among full-time housewives in Korea. Our findings suggest that choosing healthy meals away from home is more important for housewives than refraining from eating out.

Differences in meal patterns and timing with regard to central obesity in the ANIBES (‘Anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain’) Study

“…This result contrasts with other studies, which found overweight and obesity to be associated with the frequency of eating away from home ( 45 , 46 ) . Nevertheless, a study carried among 1070 housewives from Korea found that choosing healthy meals away from home was more important for housewives than refraining from eating out ( 47 ) . Similarly, a recent study using Brazilian data indicated that eating out was associated with overweight and obesity only among men, whereas among women, eating sit-down meals outside the home did not cause obesity, suggesting that women make healthier food choices when they eat outside the home ( 48 ) .…”

Consumption Frequency of Foods Away from Home Linked with Higher Body Mass Index and Lower Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Befort and colleagues found that, for Black adolescents, fruit intake was positively associated with sit-down, menu-based restaurant use, but this was not the case for White adolescents or for fast food restaurant use [ 62 ]. A study of Korean housewives found that, in the middle income class, frequency of fruit consumption was significantly higher with more frequent eating out, but there were no associations in the lower or upper classes [ 63 ]. Another Korean study reported that people who ate out more frequently consumed more fruit; the authors noted that this could be explained by Korean restaurants serving fresh fruit as dessert [ 64 ].…”

Energy intake from commercially-prepared meals by food source in Korean adults: Analysis of the 2001 and 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

“…According to current research on the status of under- and over-nutrition in the overall Korean population, the prevalence of nutritional deficiency was found to be higher in females in their 20s [53]. A few studies have focused on females to investigate an association of their eating-out frequency and health risk factors [5455]. However, studies on dietary intake from commercially-prepared meals among Korean females are limited, and thus this specific demographic subgroup should be emphasized in future studies.…”