Attitude toward breakfast mediates the associations of wake time and appetite for breakfast with frequency of eating breakfast

Beliefs, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and eating behaviors according to the breakfast frequency among female university students in South Korea

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Skipping breakfast is prevalent in young adult women. This study examined the psychosocial factors and eating behaviors according to the breakfast frequency among female university students.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

The subjects were female university students in Seoul, South Korea. A survey was done, and the data from 291 students were analyzed. The subjects were categorized into a high breakfast group (HBG) and low breakfast group (LBG). Analysis of covariance and multiple linear regression were mainly used in data analysis.

RESULTS

The subjects had breakfast 3.6 days/week on average. The HBG (47.4%) and the LBG (52.6%) differed significantly in breakfast status, including place, people eating together, breakfast menu, and breakfast preparers (P < 0.001). The HBG agreed more strongly with the advantages of breakfast than the LBG (P < 0.001). The disadvantages/barriers of breakfast were stronger in the LBG (P < 0.001). The HBG felt more confidence in having breakfast (P < 0.001) and confidence in general eating behaviors (P < 0.05). The two groups also differed in the subjective norms from parents/professionals (P < 0.001) and siblings/friends (P < 0.01). The HBG showed desirable eating behaviors more frequently (P < 0.001) and undesirable eating behaviors less frequently (P < 0.001). Multiple regression showed that the following were significantly related to the breakfast frequency, explaining 57.3% of the variance: self-efficacy regarding having breakfast (P < 0.001), perceived barriers of breakfast (no appetite/habit/indigestion, P < 0.001), desirable and undesirable eating behaviors (P < 0.01), subjective norms from parents/professionals (P < 0.05), and perceived barriers due to lack of time/preparation difficulties (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Psychosocial factors and eating behaviors were significantly related to the breakfast frequency. Nutrition education might include strategies to increase self-efficacy for breakfast, modify the beliefs, particularly the disadvantages/barriers of breakfast, adopt desirable eating behaviors, and elicit support from significant others.

Associations among perceived health competence, effortful control, self-control, and personality traits in Japanese university students

Perceived health competence is thought to contribute to lifelong healthy behavior. However, the factors that affect perceived health competence have not been investigated. We investigated the associations among perceived health competence, effortful control, self-control, and personality traits in university students and proposed a model of how these factors affect perceived health competence. The participants were 320 Japanese university students who completed a questionnaire regarding their height, weight, perceived health competence, effortful control, self-control, and personality traits. The three-step multiple regression analysis showed that effortful control was positively associated with the perceived health competence, and self-control was positively with, and impulsivity was inversely associated with effortful control respectively, indicating that effortful control was an intermediate factor. Structural equation modeling showed a good fit for both genders, with a common path for both genders to perceived health competence via effortful control and a different involvement of personality traits for men and women. These results suggest that effortful control is directly associated with perceived health competence; in addition, both self-control and impulsiveness are indirectly associated with perceived health competence via effortful control.