Regular breakfast consumption associated with high intelligence quotient: Myth or Reality?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Cognitive Development
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Regular breakfast consumption is often linked to better health and academic outcomes in adolescents.
• Understanding breakfast habits and their potential correlation with cognitive abilities is crucial for public health initiatives.
• Previous research suggests a positive association between breakfast and cognitive function, but data from Pakistani teenagers is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of regular breakfast consumption among Pakistani teenagers.
• To investigate the association between regular breakfast consumption and intelligence quotient (IQ) in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted with 102 students in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
• Participants were classified as regular breakfast consumers (RBC) or irregular breakfast consumers (IBC).
• Intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed using a standardized questionnaire (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), and data were analyzed using SPSS.

Main Results:

• The study included 102 participants (56.9% female, 43.1% male) with a mean age of 17.17 years.
• A majority of students (61.8%) were regular breakfast consumers (RBC), while 38.2% were irregular breakfast consumers (IBC).
• No statistically significant association was found between breakfast intake and IQ level (p=0.98).

Conclusions:

• Over half of the surveyed Pakistani teenagers reported regular breakfast consumption.
• Despite a trend of higher IQ scores among regular breakfast consumers, no significant association with intelligence quotient was established.
• Findings suggest that while breakfast is common, its direct impact on IQ in this group requires further investigation.