Association Between Breakfast Consumption and Suicidal Attempts in Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Mental health
• Nutritional psychiatry

Background:

• Previous research links skipping breakfast to increased depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.
• Adolescent mental health is a significant public health concern, with suicide attempts being a critical outcome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between breakfast consumption frequency and suicide attempts among adolescents.
• To explore the relationship between breakfast habits and psychological distress indicators in a large adolescent population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS), an anonymous self-report survey.
• Analyzed data from 54,948 middle and high school students using multivariate logistic regression.
• Examined variables including suicide attempts, breakfast frequency, depression, anxiety, and violence.

Main Results:

• Adolescents who attempted suicide were more likely to skip breakfast and report high stress levels.
• Eating breakfast less than once a week was significantly associated with increased odds of suicide attempts (OR = 2.186).
• Infrequent breakfast consumption (0-3 times/week) correlated with higher odds of suicide attempts, particularly among those experiencing sadness or hopelessness.

Conclusions:

• Breakfast consumption patterns significantly influence adolescent emotional states and mental well-being.
• Regular breakfast intake may be a viable and accessible suicide prevention strategy for adolescents.
• Further research into nutritional interventions for adolescent mental health is warranted.