JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mukbang is a recent Internet phenomenon in which anchors publicly record and show their eating through short video platforms. It has a tangible impact on the psychological and physical health, appetite and eating behavior of the public, it is critical to obtain clear and comprehensive insights concerning the usage of mukbang to promote the viewers' appetite, eating behaviors and health, to identify directions for future work.

Objective:

This scoping review aims to comprehensively outline the current evidence regarding the impact of mukbang consumption on dietary behaviors, appetite regulation, flavor perception, and physical and psychological well-being. Specifically, we conducted an analysis of public perceptions and attitudes towards mukbang while summarizing the reciprocal influence it has on health promotion.

Methods:

This study was conducted as a scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute guideline and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. We comprehensively searched eight electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Researching Information Sharing Service (RISS), DBpia Scholarly Database (DBpia), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP Database), and Wan Fang Data) and gray literature sources (Google Scholar and ProQuest), using text analysis and data extraction chart to extract information relevant to the impact of mukbang on health. The extracted data was qualitatively analyzed and presented in a graphical or tabular form with a narrative summary.

Results:

We included a total of 53 articles, the annual distribution exhibited a consistent upward trend across all categories since their initial publication in 2017. According to the included articles, the main audience of mukbang is highly educated young people who live alone or on diets to lose weight. The visual depiction of food and auditory stimulation from chewing sounds in mukbang videos can effectively stimulate viewers' appetite and enhance their perception of flavors, thereby providing a vicarious sense of satisfaction. Furthermore, the behaviors displayed by hosts also influence viewers' eating habits, while the interaction between hosts and viewers fosters a virtual companionship experience for the audience.

Conclusions:

This study presents the analytical evidence of the relationship between mukbang and dietary behaviors, appetite, flavor perception and health. Future research on mukbang and health promotion should pay more attention to the effects of different mukbang content on dietary behavior, appetite and health of the viewers, as well as the effects of mukbang on people with different needs, so as to improve or customize the content of mukbang based on different needs of the viewers, maximize the appetite and health promotion effects of mukbang videos. Clinical Trial: This scoping review protocol was prospectively registered (INPLASY2022120109) to limit reporting bias.