Trends from 2002 to 2010 in Daily Breakfast Consumption and its Socio-Demographic Correlates in Adolescents across 31 Countries Participating in the HBSC Study

Abstract

Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day and children and adolescents can benefit from breakfast consumption in several ways. The purpose of the present study was to describe trends in daily breakfast consumption (DBC) among adolescents across 31 countries participating in the HBSC survey between 2002 to 2010 and to identify socio-demographic (gender, family affluence and family structure) correlates of DBC. Cross-sectional surveys including nationally representative samples of 11–15 year olds (n = 455,391). Multilevel logistic regression analyses modeled DBC over time after adjusting for family affluence, family structure and year of survey. In all countries, children in two-parent families were more likely to report DBC compared to single parent families. In most countries (n = 19), DBC was associated with family affluence. Six countries showed an increase in DBC (Canada, Netherland, Macedonia, Scotland, Wales, England) from 2002. A significant decrease in DBC from 2002 was found in 11 countries (Belgium Fr, France, Germany, Croatia, Spain, Poland, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway), while in 5 countries (Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden) no significant changes were seen. Frequency of DBC among adolescents in European countries and North America showed a more uniform pattern in 2010 as compared to patterns in 2002. DBC increased significantly in only six out of 19 countries from 2002 to 2010. There is need for continued education and campaigns to motivate adolescents to consume DBC. Comparing patterns across HBSC countries can make an important contribution to understanding regional /global trends and to monitoring strategies and development of health promotion programs.

Family Affluence and the Eating Habits of 11- to 15-Year-Old Czech Adolescents: HBSC 2002 and 2014

“…Several studies demonstrated that SES plays one of the key roles in the development of healthy eating habits in children [1,17], which tend to be carried into adulthood [18,19,20]. Significant associations have been documented between parental SES and the consumption of breakfast [7,9,21,22], a morning snack [9], dinner [21], fruit and vegetables [7,21,23,24,25] and dairy products (low and full-fat milk/yoghurt, chocolate milk, low and full-fat cheese and feta cheese) [7,25] in children and adolescents. Sweet beverages, processed and energy-dense foods have been inversely associated with family SES [1,6].…”

Examining Predictors of Breakfast Skipping and Breakfast Program Use Among Secondary School Students in the COMPASS Study

“…Nevertheless, breakfast skipping is highly prevalent among adolescents . Nationally representative data demonstrate that nearly half (48.5%) of Canadian adolescents skip breakfast at least once a week . Other studies report comparable rates of breakfast skipping among Canadian youth .…”

“…Commonly reported motives for breakfast skipping among youth include a lack of time and hunger in the morning . Adolescents have greater autonomy over their food choices and other behaviors than children, which may partially explain why breakfast consumption declines during this transitional period . Eating behaviors generally become more irregular and exploratory during adolescence, and are largely shaped by social influences .…”

“…Some researchers propose that reasons for breakfast skipping are more complex than simple dietary and meal timing preferences, and suggest that breakfast skipping represents one component of several co‐occurring adverse health behaviors that are evident during adolescence, including substance use, unhealthy weight‐loss practices, and physical inactivity . Household food insecurity may represent another barrier to breakfast eating, since regular breakfast consumption is less common among youth from low income and rural households . For these reasons, identifying youth engaging in breakfast skipping may represent an ideal opportunity to support students struggling with larger issues, such as food insecurity, disordered eating, or substance use.…”

Pisa

“…De plus, comme les adolescents prennent de l'autonomie, ce sont eux, plutôt que leurs parents, qui décident de la composition de leurs repas, du temps à leur consacrer et du moment auquel les prendre (Neumark-Sztainer et al, 1999). Il ressort d'une étude des données internationales de l'enquête HBSC qu'entre 2002 et 2010, la propension des jeunes âgés de 11 à 15 ans à prendre un petit-déjeuner chaque jour n'a sensiblement augmenté que dans 6 des 19 pays et régions à l'étude, mais a diminué dans 11 pays (Lazzeri et al, 2016).…”