Breakfast Consumption in Spain: Patterns, Nutrient Intake and Quality. Findings from the ANIBES Study, a Study from the International Breakfast Research Initiative

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate energy, nutrient and food group intakes at breakfast in Spain and to examine for the first time, their relationship to the overall Diet Quality (DQ). The data used were from the Spanish ANIBES (anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain), a cross-sectional study using a nationally representative sample of the Spanish population (9–75 years old). DQ was assessed using the Nutrient Rich Foods Index, adapted to total diets (NRF9.3d). Most (>85%) of the Spanish population were regular breakfast consumers, although one in five adolescents were breakfast skippers. Breakfast provides just 16–19% of the daily intake of energy. Relative to its daily energy contribution, the Spanish breakfast contributed a higher proportion of daily total carbohydrates, added sugars, sodium, thiamin, riboflavin, folates, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and especially in calcium. By contrast, the breakfast is low in water intake, protein, dietary fibre, total fat, polyunsaturated fatty acids, beta-carotene and vitamins E and D. In children and teenagers, the most commonly consumed breakfast food was chocolate (mainly as chocolate-flavoured milk and powder), followed by bakery and pastry, whole milk and semi-skimmed milk. In the older groups, a bigger variety of foods were reported. Consumers in the highest NRF9.3d tertile for diet quality tended to have a higher intake of positive nutrients at breakfast than other tertiles, most notably among adults.

Breakfast in Japan: Findings from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey

“…We found that the majority of participants (97% for whole sample) reported breakfast consumption on the dietary recording day. The figure is somewhat higher than those observed in other countries based on one-day dietary data, such as in the US (83% for children and 85% for adults) [ 6 ], Canada (overall 90%) [ 2 ], and Australia (91% for children) [ 7 ]. Our finding that the prevalence of breakfast skippers was high in young adults (7.7%) compared with other age groups (0.7–2.6%) might reflect their busy lifestyles (particularly working men).…”

“…The number of individual participants in the dietary survey part of NHNSJ 2012 was 32,228. Consistent with the IBRI project [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], we excluded data from individuals aged ≤ 5 years ( n = 1370); lactating or pregnant women ( n = 368), because they were presumed to be not following their usual diet; and individuals with missing information on the variables of interest ( n = 8038, mainly body height or weight). The final analysis sample consisted of 22,452 individuals, who were divided into four age groups for analysis: children (aged 6–11 years; n = 1444), adolescents (aged 12–17 years; n = 1134), younger adults (aged 18–49 years; n = 6531), and older adults (aged ≥ 50 years; n = 13,343).…”

“…Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day, and an important part of a healthy lifestyle for both children and adults. Much evidence has demonstrated that the consumption of breakfast is associated with higher quality diets in terms of key nutrients and favorable food groups [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. In comparison, skipping breakfast is associated with a lower quality diet and unfavorable metabolic risk factor profiles [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

“…The typical Japanese meal pattern consists of three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), as well as snacks. Breakfast is typically based on rice or bread as a staple food, accompanied by other foods such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, pulses, eggs, and tea and coffee [ 22 ], which is somewhat different from that typically consumed in Western countries [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Using a harmonized analytical approach, the IBRI aims to develop evidence-based recommendations, primarily aimed at ensuring a nutrient-based balanced breakfast [ 1 ]. Results from national representative samples in Canada [ 2 ], the UK [ 3 ], France [ 4 ], Denmark [ 5 ], the US [ 6 ], and Spain [ 7 ] have been published. Adoption of this harmonized approach by other countries such as Japan will facilitate more informed and consistent cross-country evaluation of the nutritional characteristics of breakfast than has hitherto been the case.…”