A government survey confirmed Wednesday many one-person households here have abnormal eating habits and are vulnerable to malnutrition.

One in three people living alone skip breakfast, according to the Korea Rural Economic Institute, a state-funded think tank.

It conducted a survey of 500 single-person households and the same number of those with two or more members across South Korea last year. Those polled were aged 19-74.

It showed 33.5 percent of one-person households eat no breakfast, nearly double the 18.1 percent of the other group.

In particular, 44.2 percent of those living by themselves aged 30 or younger skip breakfast.

They notably take in more carbohydrates and less protein. Their ingestion of other essential nutrients also falls far short of requirements, showed the survey.

The institute attributed the gap to the trend that single-person households are increasingly dependent on instant food amid irregular meals. (Yonhap)