Lesser privileged adolescents prone to avoid breakfast

Breakfast is extremely important, especially during periods of growth and learning, such as adolescence. It's the first meal of the day and hence vital for providing the energy needed to start the school day. Nevertheless, a high percentage of young people, both boys and girls, do not eat breakfast.

A recent study carried out by experts from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) analysed the extent to which adolescents miss breakfast, concluding that 19 per cent of girls and 13 per cent of boys do not eat breakfast. The findings were published in the journal 'Nutrients'.

"Our research has found that adolescents' breakfast habits are affected by socio-economic and gender inequalities. Furthermore, the risk of skipping breakfast was 30 per cent higher in girls and 28 per cent higher in boys from disadvantaged families compared with those from more privileged backgrounds," noted Laura Esquius, one of the lead authors of the study.

The researchers analysed data collected from more than 7,000 adolescents who participated in the DESKcohort project, a survey on social, education, health issues, and health behaviours. Missing breakfast in childhood and adolescence may predict unhealthy lifestyles linked to excess weight, obesity and metabolic disorders. Reduced intake of energy and nutrients can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Eating breakfast, meanwhile, is linked to positive effects on cognitive development and improved academic performance.

—ANI