Background: Mukbang, a popular digital content genre where hosts consume large quantities and diverse foods on screen, has gained widespread popularity worldwide. Despite its influence, the association of mukbang viewing with dietary quality and behaviors in Korean adults remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between mukbang viewing frequency and dietary quality and behaviors in Korean adults. Methods: The cross-sectional study examined data from a National Cancer Center survey involving 1210 Korean adults aged 20–64 years. Participants were categorized by mukbang viewing frequency and assessed using the revision of Nutrition Quotient for Korean Adults (NQ-2021), which includes three domains: Balance, Moderation, and Practice. Additionally, self-reported changes in eating behaviors, such as dining out, delivery, or instant food consumption, and impulsive eating, were investigated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze these associations, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Results: Compared with non-viewing, more frequent mukbang viewing was significantly associated with higher odds of being in a better grade in the Balance domain (≥5 times/week: OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.57–5.30), albeit with lower odds of being in the Moderation domain (≥5 times/week: OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.12–0.38). No significant differences were found in the Practice domain total score. Additionally, more frequent viewers also exhibited higher odds of increased dining out, delivery, or instant food consumption (≥5 times/week: OR = 3.24; 95% CI: 1.72–6.08), and impulsive/binge eating (≥5 times/week: OR = 2.80; 95% CI: 1.55–5.06). Interestingly, the “3–4 times/week viewing” group generated the highest odds of decreased dining out, delivery, or instant food consumption (3–4 times/week: OR = 3.55; 95% CI: 1.42–8.90). Conclusions: Mukbang viewing frequency is associated with both beneficial and detrimental dietary behaviors among adults. This study’s findings highlight mukbangs’ influence and the need for further research and public health strategies to maximize its potential benefits.
Yun et al. (Wed,) studied this question.