Mukbang Viewing and Eating Behaviors Among Saudi Adults: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Mukbang, an online trend featuring individuals eating large amounts of food while interacting with viewers, has become increasingly popular worldwide, including in Saudi Arabia. This study explored how often Saudi adults watch mukbang videos and whether viewing frequency is related to emotional, external, and restrained eating behaviors. Methods: An online survey was completed by 160 participants, of whom 70 had watched mukbang videos in the past 30 days and were included in the analysis. Results: Viewing frequency was not significantly associated with any eating behavior type. Education level showed a significant relationship with viewing habits, with participants who had higher educational attainment reporting less frequent viewing; however, this association should be interpreted cautiously, as media awareness was not directly measured. Conclusions: Overall, the findings provide preliminary insight into how individual characteristics may shape engagement with mukbang content and highlight the need for further research that examines additional psychological and cultural factors.