Associations between dietary patterns and screen time among Korean adolescents

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Limited data exist on the relationship between dietary patterns and screen time in Korean adolescents.
• Screen time is a growing concern among adolescents globally.
• Understanding these associations can inform targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct dietary patterns among Korean adolescents.
• To analyze the association between these dietary patterns and overall screen time.
• To investigate the link between dietary patterns and excessive screen time (≥2 hours/day).

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 691 Korean adolescents (aged 13-18) from the Third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III).
• Employed factor analysis on food frequency questionnaire data to derive dietary patterns.
• Conducted multiple linear and logistic regression analyses to assess associations with screen time and excessive screen time, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

• Identified two primary dietary patterns: 'Korean healthy dietary pattern' and 'Western diet and fast foods pattern'.
• The 'Korean healthy dietary pattern' showed an inverse association with screen time (P < 0.01).
• The 'Western diet and fast foods pattern' showed a positive association with screen time (P < 0.01).
• Adolescents with the highest adherence to the healthy pattern had significantly lower odds of excessive screen time (OR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.25-0.75).

Conclusions:

• Dietary patterns are significantly associated with screen time duration in Korean adolescents.
• Promoting a healthy, traditional Korean diet may be a strategy to reduce screen time.
• Interventions encouraging healthier eating habits could help mitigate excessive screen time in adolescents.