The intake and quality of breakfast consumption in adolescents attending public secondary schools in the North West province, South Africa IntroductionRegular breakfast consumption by adolescents has been linked to a decreased risk of obesity and chronic diseases, improved cognition and improved nutrient intake. [1][2][3][4][5] Despite this, research has indicated that adolescent breakfast consumption is declining globally. [6][7][8] The reported prevalence of breakfast skipping in different adolescent population groups in South Africa ranges from 13-36%. [9][10][11] Adolescents are at particularly high risk of health-compromising behaviour, such as increased fast food consumption, increased sedentary levels and frequent breakfast skipping. 12,13 Getting adequate exercise and sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking or binge drinking, and eating breakfast regularly, decline dramatically in the transition to young adulthood. 12,13 Research shows that lifestyle and behaviour habits that become entrenched in adolescence are likely to remain throughout adulthood. 14 Understanding the magnitude of the problem to be addressed can be obtained by studying the prevalence of breakfast skipping and the quality of breakfast consumed within a particular target group.Understanding how breakfast intake and quality influence health outcomes guides effective recommendations for breakfast intake, which can be used in public health guidelines and intervention programmes. 15,16 The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of adolescents eating breakfast, the quality of the breakfast consumed, and the effect of the breakfast intake and quality on overall diet quality and other lifestyle behaviour in adolescents attending public secondary

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