Jung Hyein, Yun Ahyoung, Kim Byungmi, Choi Yoonjoo
Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Department of Public Health & AI, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 11;25(1):696. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07064-z.
Mukbang is an online content genre where hosts eat large amounts of food while interacting with viewers. While earlier studies have suggested an association between mukbang viewing to obesity and disordered eating, its association with depressive symptoms remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between mukbang-watching frequency and depression prevalence among Korean adults.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1,210 Korean adults aged 20–64 years (mean age = 43.5) between July 4 and 23, 2024. Participants were categorized by mukbang-watching frequency: never, < 1 time/week, 1–2 times/week, and ≥ 3 times/week. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with a score > 10 indicating the presence of depression. Severity levels were classified as minimal (0–4), mild (5–9), moderate (10–19), and severe (20–27). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for depression.
Among participants, 47.5% reported watching mukbang. The overall prevalence of depression was 18.4%. Participants who watched mukbang ≥ 3 times per week had significantly higher odds of depression (OR = 2.848, 95% CI: 1.826–4.441) and severe depressive symptoms (OR = 2.855, 95% CI: 1.054–7.737) compared to non-viewers.
Frequent mukbang viewing was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that mukbang consumption may reflect underlying emotional distress and warrant further investigation. Future research should examine the causal mechanisms and consider content type and viewing motivations to better understand the psychological effects of mukbang.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-025-07064-z.
吃播是一种网络内容形式，主播在与观众互动的同时大量进食。虽然早期研究表明观看吃播与肥胖和饮食失调之间存在关联，但其与抑郁症状的关联仍不明确。本研究调查了韩国成年人中吃播观看频率与抑郁症患病率之间的关系。
于2024年7月4日至23日对1210名年龄在20 - 64岁（平均年龄 = 43.5岁）的韩国成年人进行了一项横断面在线调查。参与者按吃播观看频率分类：从不观看、每周少于1次、每周1 - 2次以及每周≥3次。使用患者健康问卷 - 9（PHQ - 9）评估抑郁情况，得分>10表明存在抑郁。严重程度分为轻微（0 - 4）、轻度（5 - 9）、中度（10 - 19）和重度（20 - 27）。采用多元逻辑回归来估计抑郁症的调整优势比（OR）和95%置信区间（CI）。
在参与者中，47.5%的人报告观看过吃播。抑郁症的总体患病率为18.4%。与不观看吃播的人相比，每周观看吃播≥3次的参与者患抑郁症的几率显著更高（OR = 2.848，95% CI：1.826 - 4.441），且有严重抑郁症状的几率也更高（OR = 2.855，95% CI：1.054 - 7.737）。
频繁观看吃播与抑郁症状患病率增加显著相关。这些发现表明观看吃播可能反映了潜在的情绪困扰，值得进一步研究。未来的研究应探讨因果机制，并考虑内容类型和观看动机，以更好地理解吃播的心理影响。
在线版本包含可在10.1186/s12888 - 025 - 07064 - z获取的补充材料。
