Analysis of the Dietary Life of Adolescents by Household Types in Korea using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

This study sought to investigate the dietary life of adolescents according to their household types and factors that could affect their health status using the raw data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). 160 adolescents aged 13-18 in single parent households (SPH) and parents households (PH) respectively were analyzed. The ratio of SPH to the income quartile ‘high’ was 55%, but only 18.1% of SPH in ‘low’ and ‘middle-low’ was 59.4%. It was found that there was a difference between the subjective body type recognition and the actual body type. There was a significant difference in the rate of missing breakfast, 20.0% in SPH, as compared to 8.8% in PH. According to an analysis of the ratio of actual intake to the recommended nutrient intake, all subjects were found to have less than 100 percent recommended intake of energy, vitamin A, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, dietary fiber, and potassium. An analysis of the effect of food intake on health indicators showed that grain and condiment intake affected fasting plasma glucose, HDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure, grain and processed food intake affected waist circumference, grain and alcohol intake affected triglycerides, and grain and beverage intake affected systolic blood pressure. In SPH, grain and processed foods were found to affect waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure. Also, grain and beverage intake affected triglyceride levels.