Association Between Dietary Behavior and Mental Health in Adolescents from Multicultural and Non-Multicultural Families in Korea

Background/Objectives: The growing population of multicultural adolescents (MCAs) has become a vital focus for national health policy. Despite their increasing numbers, MCAs often encounter unique socioeconomic challenges and dietary issues that may heighten mental health vulnerabilities. This study aimed to assess the dietary behaviors of MCA and non-MCA and to explore the association between these behaviors and mental health outcomes, specifically generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and severity of suicidal behavior. Methods: Using data from the 2024 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, we analyzed the dietary behaviors of 44,796 adolescents, focusing on five key areas: breakfast consumption, fruit intake, caffeine drinks, sweetened beverages, and fast food. We also calculated a composite dietary behavior score and assessed mental health using the GAD-7 and a three-component suicidal behavior scale (including ideation, planning, and attempts). Results: MCAs experienced significant disparities in socioeconomic status and had a notably higher prevalence of suicide attempts compared to non-MCAs (p = 0.0107). In both groups, poorer dietary behaviors were linked to an increased likelihood of GAD and greater severity of suicidal behavior (ptrend < 0.05). This association with suicidal behavior severity was particularly pronounced in MCA (pinteraction = 0.0358). Conclusions: Dietary behavior is significantly associated with mental health issues among Korean adolescents. Given the vulnerabilities faced by MCA, it is essential to implement multifaceted policy support and targeted dietary interventions to improve outcomes for this population.