Objective To understand the prevalence and determinants of intermittent fasting in the Chinese population aged 12 to 30 years.

Methods Data from 8 858 residents aged 12 – 30 years were obtained from the Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR) survey conducted from June to August 2022 in 32 provincial-level administrative divisions across China. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS), and an intermittent fasting scale developed by Chinese researchers were used by interviewers in the face-to-face survey to collect relevant information. The factors influencing intermittent fasting were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results Of all participants, 1 036 (11.70%) reported using intermittent fasting in the past year. The mean age of participants with and without intermittent fasting was 20.83 ± 4.56 years and 20.67 ± 4.80 years, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups. The results of multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that being female (odds ratio OR = 1.991, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.718 – 2.309), living in an urban area (OR = 1.262, 95%CI: 1.082 – 1.472), smoking (OR = 1.411, 95%CI: 1.123 – 1.774), alcohol consumption (OR = 1.432, 95%CI: 1.216 – 1.687), higher body mass index (BMI) (OR for obesity = 2.153, 95%CI: 1.528 – 3.032), severe anxiety (OR = 4.157, 95%CI: 3.164 – 5.463), and loneliness (OR = 1.258, 95%CI: 1.070 – 1.479) were risk factors for intermittent fasting (P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion The prevalence of intermittent fasting among Chinese residents aged 12 to 30 years is influenced by various personal and psychological factors, indicating the need for dual consideration of the physiological and psychological aspects of intermittent fasting.