Relationship between the Frequency of Both Cooking and Intake of a Japanese Well-Balanced Diet among Those Living Alone

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the relationship between cooking frequency and frequency of intake of a Japanese well-balanced diet among those living alone and to explore whether cooking frequency is good for Japanese well-balanced diet.

Methods: We used data from 1,076 people living alone which were obtained from an online survey, conducted in November 2020, on 6,000 men and women aged 20~64 from around the country. The demographics, the frequency of intake of a Japanese well-balanced diet, number of vegetable dishes per day, and the frequency of meals prepared away from home (e.g., eating at restaurant, ready-made meals) were compared by five groups according to cooking frequency using χ² test. Then, we examined the relationship between cooking frequency and the frequency of intake of a Japanese well-balanced diet using logistic regression analysis.

Results: A total of 1,074 people (647 males and 427 females) were analyzed, excluding two people whose weight responses were incomplete. The group that cooked every day had significantly higher frequency of daily intake of a Japanese well-balanced diet than the group that cooked rarely, even after adjustment for the demographics and frequency of meals prepared away from home [odds ratio 2.55 (95% confidence interval (1.63~3.98)].

Conclusion: Among those living alone who cooked every day had higher frequency of intake of a Japanese well-balanced diet. To explore cooking frequency for a Japanese well-balanced diet, it is necessary to examine the characteristics of those who consume a Japanese well-balanced diet even if their cooking frequency is not daily.