Cross-Cultural Determinants of Healthy Food Choice: Domestic and International Students in South Korea

Abstract

Cross-cultural work on food choice has expanded considerably over the past few decades; however, studies that compare East Asian student groups are still relatively low. This study compared the food choice motivations of Chinese (N = 105) and Korean (N = 92) university students living in Korea by using the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ). Data were analyzed with a 2 (culture: Chinese × Korean) × 2 (sex: male × female) factorial ANOVA. The result shows a significant difference between Korean students and Chinese students in terms of health as one of the main effects of culture, where Korean students rated it higher than their Chinese peers (Mean difference = 0.45; F(1, 193) = 28.20, p < .001, partial η² = .13, a large effect). Sex demonstrated significant main effects across six distinct factors, specifically, natural content, price, ethical concern, religion, familiarity, and weight control with men consistently exhibiting higher scores than women in each instance. Mood, convenience, and sensory appeal each showed a significant culture-by-sex interaction. Collectively, these findings appear to suggest a discernible role for culture and gender as joint determinants in the approach to dietary selections among university students within this East Asian context.