IMPACT OF BREAKFAST SKIPPING ON CONCENTRATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Main Article Content
Keywords
Breakfast skipping, academic performance, concentration, cognitive function, adolescent health
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Breakfast consumption represents a critical determinant of cognitive function and academic achievement among adolescents. Despite its recognized importance, breakfast skipping remains prevalent among school-aged children. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of breakfast skipping and examine its association with concentration levels and academic scores among middle and high school students.
Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 students aged 11-18 years at JIET Medical College and Hospital from January to June 2025. Multistage stratified random sampling was employed for participant recruitment. Data were collected through structured questionnaires assessing breakfast consumption patterns, standardized neuropsychological tests (Digit Span Test, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test) measuring concentration, and academic performance records. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression.
Results: Overall, 56.4% of students engaged in breakfast skipping, with 20.9% classified as frequent skippers. Regular breakfast consumers demonstrated significantly superior concentration performance across all cognitive domains compared to frequent skippers (p<0.001). Mean overall GPA was 76.4% among regular consumers versus 66.2% among frequent skippers (p<0.001), with consistent patterns across all core subjects. Multivariate regression confirmed breakfast consumption as an independent predictor of academic performance (β=0.326, p<0.001) after controlling for socioeconomic status, parental education, and sleep duration. The model explained 52.4% of variance in academic achievement.
Conclusion: Breakfast skipping is highly prevalent and significantly associated with impaired concentration and reduced academic performance. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive school-based and family-centered interventions promoting breakfast consumption to optimize cognitive function and educational outcomes among adolescents.
References
2. Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., Champ, C. L., & Dye, L. (2016). The effects of breakfast and breakfast composition on cognition in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Advances in Nutrition, 7(3), 590S-612S. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.010256
3. Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., & Dye, L. (2013). The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 425. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00425
4. Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., & Dye, L. (2019). Associations between habitual school-day breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance in British adolescents. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 283. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00283
5. Basch, C. E. (2011). Breakfast and the achievement gap among urban minority youth. Journal of School Health, 81(10), 635-640. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00638.x
6. Boschloo, A., Ouwehand, C., Dekker, S., Lee, N., De Groot, R., Krabbendam, L., & Jolles, J. (2012). The relation between breakfast skipping and school performance in adolescents. Mind, Brain, and Education, 6(2), 81-88. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-228X.2012.01138.x
7. Chang, S. M., McGregor, S. G., & Walker, S. M. (1994). An evaluation of the effects of breakfast on classroom behaviors in Jamaican schoolchildren. West Indian Medical Journal, 43(Suppl 1), 37.
8. Chen, X., Chen, H., Gong, L., Fang, Y., Luo, X., & Zhu, D. (2020). Relationship between breakfast and academic performance of primary and middle school students in Mianyang City. Health, 12(10), 1383-1389. https://doi.org/10.4236/health.2020.1210100
9. de la Hunty, A., Gibson, S., & Ashwell, M. (2013). Does regular breakfast cereal consumption help children and adolescents stay slimmer? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Facts, 6(1), 70-85. https://doi.org/10.1159/000348878
10. Feye, D., Gobena, T., Brewis, A., & Roba, K. T. (2023). Adolescent breakfast skipping is associated with poorer academic performance: A school-based study from Hidhabu Abote District, Ethiopia. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-023-00424-z
11. Gajre, N. S., Fernandez, S., Balakrishna, N., & Vazir, S. (2008). Breakfast eating habit and its influence on attention-concentration, immediate memory and school achievement. Indian Pediatrics, 45(10), 824-832.
12. Gibney, M. J., Barr, S. I., Bellisle, F., Drewnowski, A., Fagt, S., Livingstone, B., ... & Hopkins, S. (2018). Breakfast in human nutrition: The international breakfast research initiative. Nutrients, 10(5), 559. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050559
13. Gibson, S. (2003). Micronutrient intakes, micronutrient status and lipid profiles among young people consuming different amounts of breakfast cereals: Further analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People aged 4 to 18 years. Public Health Nutrition, 6(8), 815-820. https://doi.org/10.1079/PHN2003493
14. Godin, K. M., Patte, K. A., & Leatherdale, S. T. (2018). Examining predictors of breakfast skipping and breakfast program use among secondary school students in the COMPASS study. Journal of School Health, 88(2), 150-158. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12590
15. Hoyland, A., Dye, L., & Lawton, C. L. (2009). A systematic review of the effect of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents. Nutrition Research Reviews, 22(2), 220-243. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422409990175
16. Kawafha, M. (2013). Impact of skipping breakfast on various educational and overall academic achievements of primary school children in northern of Jordan. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 7(7), 155-160.
17. Kerwani, T., Gupta, S., Epari, V., & Sahoo, J. (2020). Association of skipping breakfast and different domains of cognitive function among undergraduate medical students: A cross-sectional study. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 64(5), 137-141. https://doi.org/10.25259/IJPP_2_2020
18. Moller, H., Sincovich, A., Gregory, T., Catcheside, P., Chai, Z., & Smithers, L. G. (2022). Breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional engagement at school: A cross-sectional population-level study. Public Health Nutrition, 25(12), 3543-3554. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021005012
19. O'Neil, A., Quirk, S. E., Housden, S., Brennan, S. L., Williams, L. J., Pasco, J. A., ... & Jacka, F. N. (2014). Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(10), e31-e42. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110
20. Pearson, N., Biddle, S. J., & Gorely, T. (2009). Family correlates of breakfast consumption among children and adolescents: A systematic review. Appetite, 52(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2008.08.006
21. Sandercock, G. R., Voss, C., & Dye, L. (2010). Associations between habitual school-day breakfast consumption, body mass index, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in English schoolchildren. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64(10), 1086-1092. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.145
22. Sliwa, S. A., Merlo, C. L., McKinnon, I. I., Self, J. L., Kissler, C. J., Saelee, R., & Rasberry, C. N. (2024). Skipping breakfast and academic grades, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and school connectedness among high school students—Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023. MMWR Supplements, 73(4), 87-93. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7304a10
23. Szajewska, H., & Ruszczynski, M. (2010). Systematic review demonstrating that breakfast consumption influences body weight outcomes in children and adolescents in Europe. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 50(2), 113-119. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390903467514
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Dr. Owais Rasool Allayee
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, JIET Medical College and Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan