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Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
Breakfast skipping is associated with differences in meal patterns, macronutrient intakes and overweight among
Lise Dubois1, Manon Girard, Monique Potvin Kent
1Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5. lise.dubois@uottawa.ca
Public Health Nutrition
|March 19, 2008
Summary
Skipping breakfast in preschoolers is linked to poorer diet quality and increased BMI, particularly when dinner intake is high. Eating breakfast daily promotes a healthy body weight through balanced energy intake.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Childhood Obesity
- Dietary Habits
Background:
- Breakfast consumption is a key dietary behavior in early childhood.
- Understanding the impact of breakfast skipping on nutritional intake and weight status is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between skipping breakfast and daily energy, macronutrient, and food intake in preschool children.
- To examine the relationship between breakfast skipping and Body Mass Index (BMI) in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilized data from 1,549 preschoolers (mean age 49 months) in Quebec, Canada.
- Dietary intake was assessed via 24-hour recall interviews and eating behavior questionnaires.
- Height and weight were measured to calculate BMI.
Main Results:
- Ten percent of children skipped breakfast. Breakfast skippers exhibited lower diet quality and concentrated energy intake later in the day.
- Breakfast skippers' BMI increased with higher energy, carbohydrate, and grain product intake, unlike breakfast eaters.
- Overweight/obesity in skippers was associated with high energy (≥3000 kJ/700 kcal), carbohydrate (≥100g), or grain servings (≥3) at dinner.
Conclusions:
- Daily breakfast consumption is associated with a healthy body weight in preschoolers.
- A more even distribution of energy intake throughout the day, facilitated by regular breakfast eating, likely contributes to healthier weight outcomes.
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