Abstract
BackgroundLike several Southeast Asian countries, Singapore has a complex eating-out environment and a rising eating-out prevalence. However the determinants and drivers of eating-out in urban Asian environments are poorly understood.MethodsWe examined the socio-demographic characteristics of persons who frequently ate away from home in local eateries called hawker centres and Western fast-food restaurants, using data from 1647 Singaporean adults participating in the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2010. We also assessed the underlying drivers of eating out and evaluated if these were different for eating at local eateries compared to Western fast-food restaurants using 18 focus group discussions of women (130 women).ResultsParticipants reported a high eating-out frequency with 77.3% usually eating either breakfast, lunch or dinner at eateries. Main venues for eating-out included hawker centres (61.1% usually ate at least 1 of 3 daily meals at this venue) and school/workplace canteens (20.4%). A minority of participants (1.9%) reported usually eating at Western fast-food restaurants. Younger participants and those of Chinese and Malay ethnicity compared to Indians were more likely to eat at Western fast-food restaurants. Chinese and employed persons were more likely to eat at hawker centres. The ready availability of a large variety of affordable and appealing foods appeared to be a primary driver of eating out, particularly at hawker centres.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the growing importance of eating-out in an urban Asian population where local eating venues play a more dominant role compared with Western fast-food chains. Interventions focusing on improving the food quality at venues for eating out are important to improve the diet of urban Asian populations.
Highlights
Like several Southeast Asian countries, Singapore has a complex eating-out environment and a rising eating-out prevalence
We used qualitative data to understand women’s perceptions of eating at these venues. Both data sources were analyzed separately and results were integrated at the stage of interpretation to understand the determinants of eating out frequently at Western fast-foods and hawker centres in this population with a high eating out prevalence
Using data from the nationally representative Singapore National Nutrition Survey 2010 and focus group discussions of 130 Singaporean women, we explored participants’ perceptions of eating out at Western and traditional Asian venues to provide insights into reasons why people eat at these venues
Summary
Like several Southeast Asian countries, Singapore has a complex eating-out environment and a rising eating-out prevalence. People who eat out frequently are more likely to gain This emergent culture of eating-out has been attributed to broader socioeconomic changes including rising affluence, increased participation of women in the workforce [9], urbanization and changes in economic policies allowing for market penetration of transnational food companies and chain restaurants [10]. There are more than 100 hawker centres island-wide with each typically housing between 30 and 50 food stalls that provide Singaporeans with a variety of traditional ethnic dishes. These include mixed rice dishes such as fried rice, coconut-rice (“nasi lemak”) and biryani, noodle dishes, stir-fried vegetables, legumes, soy, poultry, meat and fish dishes
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