Does frequent eating out cause undesirable food choices? Association of food away from home with food consumption frequencies and obesity among Korean housewives.

摘要

The relationship among socioeconomic factors, frequency of food away from home (FAFH) and food-consumption patterns of 1070 housewives, and the association of those factors with obesity was examined, using data from the 3rd 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 frequency of FAFH and food consumption for all groups of housewives. Further analysis indicated that obesity rates were lower among housewives aged 20-49 yr with 7-12 yr 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. Findings suggested that choosing healthy meals away from home is more important for housewives than refraining from eating out.