Abstract
This survey was conducted to assess dining-out behaviors and menu preferences of university students in the Seoul area. The results were as follows: 1. 65.2% ate out rarely for breakfast and 73.1% ate out frequently for lunch, whereas 20.9% occasionally ate out for lunch. The frequency of dining out for breakfast was influenced by age, gender, and major but the frequency of dining out for lunch was significantly correlated with age(P < 0.01). 79.2% of females dined out frequently, but 62.3% of males reported doing so(P < 0.001). 65.2% ate out frequently for dinner and 31.6% did so occasionally. 34.2% dined out frequently for snacks, and 53.5% did so occasionally. 2. Factors to consider in dining out were as follows: taste > preference > price > persuasion > nutrition. The motivations for dining out were as follows: convenience > favorite food > difficult to prepare lunch box > difficult to carry lunch box > habit. This factor was correlated significantly with age(P < 0.05) and residence type(P < 0.001). Problems with dining out were listed as follows: unbalanced nutrition > price > sanitation > variety of menu > taste. This factor was correlated significantly with age(P < 0.05), alcoholic beverage use(P < 0.01) and smoking(P < 0.01). 3. Foods selected for meals when dining out were as follows: Korean style > Western > Japanese > noodles > Chinese. The expense(in won) of dining out for lunch was as follows: 3,000${\sim}$5,000 > 2,000${\sim}$3,000 > over 5,000 > under 2000. Problems to be corrected in Korean-style food were as follows: variety of menu > price > using personal dish. 4. Korean foods preferred in each cooking style when dining out were as follows: beef rib > kimchi-jjigae > bulgogi > doenjang-jjigae > bibimbab. Chinese foods selected were as follows: tangsuyuk > jajang myeon > jjambbong > gganpunggi > bokeumbab. Preferred Western foods were as follows: spaghetti > steak > pork cutlet > pizza > ribs > chicken. Preferred Japanese foods in meals when dining out were as follows: sushi > hoe > udong > pork cutlet > soba. Preferred noodle foods selected when dining out were as follows: ddukboki > ramyeon > mandu > guksu > sundae > gimbab >. Preferred baked foods for dining out were as follows: cake > pizza > loaf bread > baguette > sandwich > hamburger > doughnut > cream bread.