Night Eating Habits of Middle School Students in Gyeonggi

The purpose of this study was to investigate the night eating habits of middle schoolers. A total of 705 middle school students residing in Gyeonggi were surveyed about their dietary habits related to night eating. Among the total subjects, 59.9% (n=422) had night eating more than once a week and were classified into a night eating group (NEG). The main reason for night eating was hunger (79.1% of NEG) and the highest proportion of night eating was related to food purchased by family (39.3% of NEG). Most of the NEG had night eating in their home with family members, and the time with highest frequency of night eating was between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.. About 33% of the NEG went to bed within an hour after night eating and 69.2% of the NEG did not report any change after night eating. The most common factors considered when choosing a night eating menu, in order of frequency, were taste, hygiene, and amount. The favorite items on the night eating menu were frozen desserts, fresh fruits, chicken, fruit juice, Ramen, pizza, and Jajangmyeon. The most frequent menu choices were fresh fruits, frozen desserts, Ramen, chicken, yogurt, and fruit juice. The NEG had higher scores for picky eating (P0.01), overeating (P0.01), salty eating (P0.01), and irregular meal times (P0.001) compared to the non-NEG. Consequently, the NEG had more dietary problems than the non-NEG and their night eating behaviors were related to family habits. Night eating was mainly dominated by a diet of carbohydrates and fats, and the intake frequency and preference for foods with low nutritional value were high; thus, a practical and systematical nutrition education is required. Seasonal and comparative studies on night eating status according to various times and amounts of night eating are also required.