[Association between social networking service usage time and breakfast consumption patterns among Japanese...

Objectives　Extensive social networking service (SNS) use has been associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among university students. Breakfast skipping raises concerns regarding reduced academic performance and inadequate nutritional status. Although many students consume brunch as a breakfast substitute, prior studies have rarely distinguished it from breakfast. This study examined associations between SNS usage time and breakfast consumption patterns among Japanese university students and assessed whether breakfast consumption patterns are associated with socioeconomic and psychological factors.Methods　A secondary analysis was conducted on 20,171 records from the 58th Student Life Survey (2022), obtained from the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo. Participants were undergraduate university students in Japan. The dependent variable was breakfast consumption pattern. Participants were categorized into the breakfast (before 9:00 a.m.), brunch (9:00-11:00 a.m.), and skipping (nothing in the morning) groups. The independent variable was SNS usage time. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors.Results　Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that each additional SNS hour significantly increased odds for the brunch (odds ratio [OR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.25, P < 0.001) and skipping (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.19, P = 0.021) groups compared to the breakfast group. In the brunch group, the highest odds were observed for living away from home and having part-time employment. In the skipping group, the highest odds were observed for living away from home and poor living conditions; having no one to consult also showed significantly higher odds. Science and medical students as well as females had significantly lower odds in both groups.Conclusion　Longer SNS use was significantly associated with greater odds of being in the brunch or skipping groups compared to the breakfast group. In the brunch group, higher odds were associated with living away from home and part-time employment. In the skipping group, higher odds were observed for financial difficulty and having no one to consult. These findings suggest subsidized breakfast programs and cooking support are needed for the skipping group. Additionally, informational and environmental support from early university years is needed for both groups.