Perceptions and practices of commensality and solo-eating among Korean and Japanese university students: A cross-cultural analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESCommensality, eating together with others, is a major representation of human sociality. In recent time, environments around commensality have changed significantly due to rapid social changes, and the decline of commensality is perceived as a serious concern in many modern societies. This study employs a cross-cultural analysis of university students in two East Asian countries, and examines cross-cultural variations of perceptions and actual practices of commensality and solo-eating.SUBJECTS/METHODSThe analysis was drawn from a free-list survey and a self-administrative questionnaires of university students in urban Korea and Japan. The free-listing survey was conducted with a small cohort to explore common images and meanings of commensality and solo-eating. The self-administrative questionnaire was developed based on the result of the free-list survey, and conducted with a larger cohort to examine reasons and problems of practices and associated behaviors and food intake.RESULTSWe found that Korean subjects tended to show stronger associations between solo-eating and negative emotions while the Japanese subjects expressed mixed emotions towards the practice of solo-eating. In the questionnaire, more Korean students reported they prefer commensality and tend to eat more quantities when they eat commensally. In contrast, more Japanese reported that they do not have preference on commensality and there is no notable difference in food quantities when they eat commensally and alone. Compared to the general Korean cohort finding, more proportion of overweight and obese groups of Korean subjects reported that they tend to eat more when they are alone than normal and underweight groups. This difference was not found in the overweight Japanese subjects.CONCLUSIONOur study revealed cross-cultural variations of perceptions and practices of commensality and solo-eating in a non-western setting.

Solo dining in Chinese restaurants: A mixed-method study in Macao

“…The survey continued with items on behavioural patterns from Grant (2015) and Takeda and Melby (2017) as well as the interview results. Items measuring emotions were adapted from Cho et al (2015) and the interviews. This study used two sets of questions to measure emotions associated with solo dining, including “feelings associated with seeing a person eating alone” adapted from Cho et al (2015) and how the respondents feel when they dine alone.…”

“…Items measuring emotions were adapted from Cho et al (2015) and the interviews. This study used two sets of questions to measure emotions associated with solo dining, including “feelings associated with seeing a person eating alone” adapted from Cho et al (2015) and how the respondents feel when they dine alone. The first set of questions elicited common images and emotions, while the second set examined the self-reported emotions.…”

“…The social stigma was reported to amplify in collectivist cultures ( Yang et al, 2019 ). However, prior research also has suggested that the shifting of living arrangements towards solo dwelling, even in collectivist cultures, may influence the acceptance of eating alone ( Cho et al, 2015 ). This is especially relevant in Asia and, in particular, the Chinese context as the Chinese dining environment has traditionally catered to communal dining instead of solo dining.…”

The popularity of eating broadcast: Content analysis of “mukbang” YouTube videos, media coverage, and the health impact of “mukbang” on public

“…When Koreans eat, they not only share a table, but also the same dishes. 8,9 As the number of the single-person households increases and the generational landscape changes in Korea, fewer people are eating with their families. In this generation, watching mukbang via online broadcasting is an alternative way to satisfy the yearning for communal eating.…”

Eating Alone is Differentially Associated with the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Men and Women

“…Korea is experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of single-person households [ 4 ]. Previous research focused on the impact of the total frequency of eating alone occasions on health outcomes, such as weight status [ 8 , 20 ], MetS [ 21 ], and depressive symptoms [ 12 ] or depression [ 10 , 22 ]. However, to the best of our knowledge, the impact of different combinations of eating alone patterns in terms of breakfast, lunch, or dinner on the risk of MetS in a representative sample of Korean adults has not yet been fully explored.…”