Breakfast skipping is associated with differences in meal patterns, macronutrient intakes and overweight among pre-school children

Bibliographic Data

ID15093364
AuthorsLise Dubois (0000-0001-8914-1288, Institute of Population and Public Health, corresponding author), Manon Girard (Institute of Population and Public Health), Monique Potvin Kent (0000-0002-5049-1106, Institute of Population and Public Health), Anna Farmer (0000-0002-8238-2537, Institute of Population and Public Health), Fabiola Tatone-Tokuda, Fabiola Tatone–Tokuda (University of Ottawa)
Year2009
Volume12
Issue1
Pages19-28
Publication date2009-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980008001894
PMID18346309
OpenAlexW2141400744
LanguageEN
Citations received28
References cited40

Objectives To examine the association between skipping breakfast, daily energy, macronutrients and food intakes, and BMI in pre-school children. Design A cross-sectional study using information on children’s food consumption and measured height and weight. Energy and macronutrient intakes of the children were derived from parent/day-care attendant’s responses to 24 h recall interviews and eating behaviour questionnaires. Setting Data obtained from a representative sample ( n 2103) of children born in Quebec (Canada) in 1998. Subjects One thousand five hundred and forty-nine children, with a mean age of 49 ( sd 3·12) months. Results Ten per cent of children ate breakfast on fewer than 7 days per week. This behaviour was associated with a lower diet quality and concentrated energy intakes through higher protein intakes at lunch and the consumption of snacks higher in energy and carbohydrate in the afternoon and evening; yet total daily energy intakes were not significantly different from those of pre-school children who ate breakfast every day. Breakfast skippers’ mean BMI increased as intake of energy, carbohydrates or servings of grain products increased; however, this was not the case for breakfast eaters. When Cole’s cut-off for overweight/obesity was used, overweight/obesity in breakfast skippers was related to the dinner-time consumption of approximately 3000 kJ (700 kcal) or more for energy intake, approximately 100 g or more of carbohydrates, or approximately 3 servings or more of grain products. Conclusions Eating breakfast every day is associated with having a healthy body weight, likely due to a more even distribution of energy intake across meals throughout the day

Animal science · Biology · Environmental health · Evening · Meal · Morning · Obesity · Overweight · Demography · Diet, Metabolism, and Disease · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Endocrinology · Food Science · Gerontology · Internal Medicine