J Korean Diet Assoc.  2025 May;31(2):114-127. 10.14373/JKDA.2025.31.2.114.

A Study on Eating Habits and Dietary Quality according to Smartphone Overdependence of University Students

• Yeon JY

• KMID: 2568301
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14373/JKDA.2025.31.2.114

Abstract

This study investigated the association between overdependence on smartphones and the dietary quality of university students. A total of 586 university students (212 men and 374 women) residing in Chungbuk participated in this questionnaire survey in December 2019. The men and women were divided into two groups, ‘normal’ (170 men and 258 women) and ‘danger’ (42 men and 116 women) according to the level of smartphone dependence. Eating habits and dietary quality were assessed using a nutrition quotient for adults (NQ-A). For men, a lower intake of vegetable dishes was significantly associated with a higher dependence on smartphones. For men, a higher frequency of consumption of sweet and greasy baked products, night snacks, and checking of nutrition labels was significantly associated with higher smartphone dependence. In both men and women with higher smartphone dependence, the NQ-A score was significantly lower, suggestive of low dietary quality. In summary, overdependence on smartphones among university students may be associated with lower dietary quality. These study results suggest that nutrition education programs and guidelines should be provided to university students who exhibit an overdependence on smartphones.

Keyword

smartphone overdependence; eating habits; dietary quality; nutrition quotient for adults (NQ-A); university students