Evaluating Association between Fast Food Consumption and Use of Internet and Mobile Phone: A Cross Sectional Study by Use of Internet

Abstract

BackgroundIncreased fast food consumption has been linked to obesity and overweight. Some studies reported that reasons for fast food use were associated with taste, cost, convenience, energy density, and variety. Use of internet and mobile phone has become very popular, and that might change people's lifestyle including dietary habit. Objective of this study is to evaluate if frequency of use of fast food is associated with increased hours of use of internet and mobile phone.MethodThis study is a cross sectional by use of internet. In December, 2012, a questionnaire was disseminated to women who were living in 47 prefectures in Japan. For analyses in this study 3,192 mothers who had a child or more were included. The subjects had been registered for other panel studies before they participated in this study. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate association between fast food use and hours to use internet and mobile phone. Results are statistically significant if a p‐value was less than 0.05. All p‐values are two tailed.ResultsMajority (95%) of the subjects were married while the rest were unmarried or divorced. Ten percent of the subjects lived in Tokyo followed by Osaka (8.5%) and Kanagawa (8.2%). Among the reasons for use of fast food, 28% of mothers chose “because my child likes them” as the primary reason followed by “price is cheaper than other food” (18%). Frequency of fast food use was positively correlated with hours of internet and mobile phone use, and hours of TV watching. It is also positively correlated with the income levels up to the average level and negatively correlated as the levels decrease. Multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted by use of frequency of fast food use as a dependent variable, and hours to use internet and mobile phone, hours of TV watching, income level and age as independent variables. The results showed that age (p<0.000) and hours to use of internet and mobile phone (p<0.019) were statistically significant while hours of TV watching (p<0.827) and income levels (p<0.934) were not important factors.ConclusionFast food use among mothers is associated with increased hours of internet and mobile phone use after adjustment of age, income levels and TV watching: however, further analyses are needed.Support or Funding Information2012 Sugiyamajogakuen University Gakuen Research Grant C