Breakfast skipping in Greek schoolchildren connected to an unhealthy lifestyle profile. Results from the National Action for Children's Health program

Abstract

Aim The aim of the present study was to examine prevalence and correlates of skipping breakfast in a representative sample of children and adolescents. Methods Cross‐sectional, observational study. Population data derived from a school‐based health survey carried out in 2015 on 177 091 Greek children aged 8–17 years. Trained investigators performed all anthropometric evaluations. Breakfast skipping and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was assessed through the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents. Physical activity status, sedentary activities and sleeping hours were assessed through self‐completed questionnaires. Results Almost one in four (22.4% of boys, 23.1% of girls) schoolchildren skipped breakfast. Participants’ characteristics associated with skipping breakfast were being female, being older, being overweight/obese, poorer diet, inadequate physical activity levels, insufficient sleep and increased screen time. Regression models adjusted for several potential confounders demonstrated that poor dietary habits, insufficient sleeping status (<8–9 hours per day), and increased screen time (>2 hours per day), increased the odds for skipping breakfast by almost 80% (95% CI: 1.78–1.82), 23% (95% CI: 1.20–1.26) and 22.5% (95% CI: 1.19–1.26), respectively. Conclusions Skipping breakfast was common among schoolchildren. Participants who skipped breakfast tended to have an unhealthy lifestyle profile. Policies designed to increase breakfast consumption should target schoolchildren with unhealthy lifestyle profiles.

The relationship between sleep habits, lifestyle factors, and achieving guideline-recommended physical activity levels in ten-to-fourteen-year-old Japanese children: A cross-sectional study

“…In terms of skipping breakfast, findings have been inconsistent, with some studies reporting that it is associated with physical activity [30], while others have reported that they are unrelated [31]. However, in the present study, the rate of achieving the guideline-recommended physical activity level was related to skipping of breakfast in seventh and eighth grade boys of junior high school.…”

Breakfast Eating Habits and Lifestyle Behaviors among Saudi Primary School Children Attending Public Versus Private Schools

“…Such findings appeared similar to those reported recently for primary school children from Riyadh [27]. The link between higher frequency of breakfast consumption and healthier BMI scores has been established in the literature [2,7,8,16,40]. Our present findings did not observe any association between the type of school and BMI status (e.g., overweight or obesity levels).…”

“…Higher levels of essential micronutrients including vitamin D, vitamin C, and folate have also been observed in European adolescents who consumed breakfast compared to those who skipped the breakfast meal [6]. Conversely, breakfast skipping is associated with several negative health effects and worse anthropometrics including higher body mass index (BMI) z-scores, waist circumferences, and overweight/obesity prevalence among children and adolescents [2,7,8]. A systematic review of studies from 33 countries found that skipping breakfast also negatively altered blood lipid profiles and may be associated with an increased risk for developing the metabolic syndrome, a finding possibly explained by higher postprandial glycemic response in breakfast skippers [9].…”

“…A systematic review of studies from 33 countries found that skipping breakfast also negatively altered blood lipid profiles and may be associated with an increased risk for developing the metabolic syndrome, a finding possibly explained by higher postprandial glycemic response in breakfast skippers [9]. Breakfast skipping was also shown to be associated with various suboptimal lifestyle behaviors such as engaging in less physical activity and more screen time, having less nocturnal sleep time and poorer dietary habits overall [7,[10][11][12][13].…”

Associations between breakfast consumption from childhood to adulthood and cardiometabolic health: A systematic review

“…Five of the six articles reviewed were assessed as high risk of bias, with the assessment tool criteria most frequently unmet relating to exposure measurement and confounder adjustment. The ambiguity and inconsistency of breakfast definitions observed in articles reviewed reflect the state of the broader literature on breakfast consumption, 2,34,35 and as breakfast consumption frequently correlates with established health determinants such as diet quality, residual confounding is likely 4,31,36 . The importance of considering not only whether breakfast is consumed but also what is being consumed at breakfast is recognised in the broader literature 1,2 .…”