Body Image and Eating Behaviour in Adolescents Loving Korean Wave Culture

Abstract

The Korean wave has developed into a popular culture in the global community, especially adolescents in the last two decades. Cultural programs that include idols/bands, movies, dramas, variety shows, and webtoons are in great demand. The image of Korean women can influence adolescents' perceptions of ideal body shapes and eating behaviors. This study aims to analyze correlations between Korean culture viewing habits with body image and eating behavior among adolescents in West Java. This research is a cross-sectional study, conducted in West Java during April 2023 using the online structured questionnaire. The total subjects of this research were 467 adolescents. The results of the study stated that the subjects in this study were women (81.2%), college students (66.6%), Korean show enthusiasts (66.6%), Kpop enthusiasts (68.3%), Kdrama enthusiasts (77.5%), and webtoon enthusiasts (50.3%). Most of them thought that Korean idols were attractive (96.4%), and sometimes they want theirs body shape as their idols (46.5%). There were differences in body image and eating behavior among K-show (p=0.046 & p=0.039), Kpop (p=0.048, p=0.027, p=0.024, & p=0,000), and Kdrama enthusiasts (p=0.026) but there were no differences between enthusiasts of webtoon. Our findings show the Korean wave culture is one of the causes of adolescents experiencing body dissatisfaction, which is an important predictor of eating problems. Awareness of the importance of positive body image and healthy weight control behavior concepts is necessary.