Applying an extended theory of planned behaviour to predict breakfast consumption in adolescents

Skipping breakfast associated with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors in Brazilian adolescents

The aim is to estimate the prevalence and evaluate the association of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors with skipping breakfast among Brazilian adolescent students. A cross-sectional study carried out with adolescent ninth-graders from Brazilian public and private schools participating in the 2015 National School Health Survey. The prevalence of skipping breakfast (less than five days/week) and its respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated and stratified by gender according to demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors, self-perceived body image, and attitudes towards weight. A three-block hierarchical Poisson regression, considering the complex sample design. The prevalence of skipping breakfast was 35.6%, higher among girls than boys. In both genders, skipping breakfast was positively associated with the highest socioeconomic level, morning school shift, paid work, regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, living only with the mother, the father or neither, the irregular consumption of school food and meals with parents, considering oneself too fat/fat and trying to lose weight. In general, skipping breakfast was associated with socioeconomic factors and lifestyle behaviors harmful to health among adolescent students.

The Association Between Maternal Factors and Preadolescent Breakfast Skipping: The Mediating Role of Preadolescent Attitudes Toward Breakfast

BACKGROUND

Although skipping breakfast is common among children and adolescents, daily breakfast consumption is a healthy habit that is particularly important in childhood. There is a link between children's attitudes toward breakfast, breakfast-skipping behaviors, and maternal factors. Evidence demonstrating a clear relationship between maternal factors and preadolescent attitudes and behaviors toward breakfast skipping is scarce.

AIMS

This study aims to examine the mediation effect of preadolescent attitudes toward breakfast on the associations between maternal involvement (encouragement and control of breakfast eating) and preadolescent breakfast skipping.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted across Jordan in public and private primary schools in 2015. A sample of 1,915 preadolescent students (10-11 years) and their mothers (N = 1,299) was generated through proportional cluster stratification sampling. The interrelationships were examined among the participants' demographics, the number of preadolescent skipped breakfasts during a given week, self-reported attitudes toward breakfast, and perceived maternal encouragement and control of breakfast-eating variables.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed that preadolescent attitudes toward breakfast and mothers' involvement in preadolescent breakfast were negatively correlated with preadolescent breakfast skipping. Linear regressions revealed that maternal involvement (i.e., encouragement and control of breakfast eating, and educational attainment levels) was predictive of preadolescent attitudes toward breakfast consumption. Multiple regressions using bootstrapping analysis showed that preadolescent attitudes partially mediated the effect of mothers' control and encouragement of breakfast consumption over preadolescent breakfast-skipping behavior.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Results suggest that preadolescent attitudes, maternal encouragement, and control of breakfast eating influenced preadolescent breakfast skipping. These findings emphasize the importance of carefully assessing preadolescent attitudes toward breakfast, maternal encouragement, and control of breakfast consumption when developing interventions aimed at reducing breakfast-skipping behavior.