Breakfast consumption association with body status and physical activity among female university students

Nurul Najwa Ramli, Mahenderan Appukutty

Abstract


Breakfast consumption is associated with many benefits, including behavioural, cognitive, and affective aspects of individuals. Young adults, especially female university/college students frequently failed to meet the prescription of nutritional intake and often skip meals particularly breakfast. Thus, this present study was aimed to investigate the associations of breakfast consumption with body status and level of physical activity among female university students. A total of 165 female university students, mean aged 21.9 ± 1.5 years from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, Malaysia voluntarily took part in this study. Body weight, height, waist circumference and body fat percentages were measured using the standard procedures. The odd ratios were calculated to compare in level of physical activity between skippers and non-skippers. Findings revealed that breakfast consumption was not significantly associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences and physical activity level. Conversely, the results showed that breakfast consumption was significantly associated with body fat percentages (%BF) (p<0.05; p=0.006). The results show that skippers were more likely (OR: 1.6; 95% CI) never do mild exercise or do mild exercise for less half an hour per day (56.5%) compared to non-skippers (43.5%) even though the data did not meet the statistical significant. Among the respondents, skippers (56.5%) were more likely (OR: 1.6; 95% CI) who spend time less half an hour in moderate exercise than non-skippers (43.5%). Also, the data indicates that non-skippers (53.3%) were more likely (OR: 2.4 times) to do moderate exercise of more than half an hour rather than skippers (46.7%). Skippers (65.3%) tend to do more strenuous exercise of less than half an hour (OR: 5.3; 95% CI) compared to non-skippers (34.7%). Emphasizing the importance of eating breakfast may lead university students to have better healthy lifestyles, improve academic achievement and prevent obesity crisis among young adults.

 

Keywords


Breakfast Consumption, Body Mass Index, Waist Circumferences, Body Fat Percentages, Physical Activity Level

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abalkhail, B., & Shawky, S. (2002). Prevalence of daily breakfast intake, iron deficiency anaemia and awareness of being anaemic among Saudi school students. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 53(6), 519-528.

Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., & Dye, L. (2013). The effects of breakfast on behaviour and academic performance in children and adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7.

Affenito, S. G. (2007). Breakfast: A missed opportunity. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107(4), 565-569.

Ahadi, Z., Qorbani, M., Kelishadi, R., Ardalan, G., Motlagh, M., Asayesh, H., et al. (2015). Association between breakfast intake with anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and food consumption behaviors among Iranian children and adolescents: The caspian-iv study. Public Health, 129(6), 740-747.

Al Suwaidi, J., Higano, S. T., Holmes, D. R., Lennon, R., & Lerman, A. (2001). Obesity is independently associated with coronary endothelial dysfunction in patients with normal or mildly diseased coronary arteries. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 37(6), .

Alizadeh, M., & Ghabili, K. (2008). Health related lifestyle among the Iranian medical students. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 3(1), 4-9.

Arora, M., Nazar, G. P., Gupta, V. K., Perry, C. L., Reddy, K. S., & Stigler, M. H. (2012). Association of breakfast intake with obesity, dietary and physical activity behavior among urban school-aged adolescents in Delhi, India: Results of a cross-sectional study. BioMed Central Public Health, 12(1), 1.

Breslow, L., & Enstrom, J. E. (1980). Persistence of health habits and their relationship to mortality. Preventive Medicine, 9(4), 469-483.

Chao, E., & Vanderkooy, P. (1989). Overview of breakfast nutrition. Journal of the Canadian Dietetic Association.

Chapman, G. E., & Melton, C. L. (1998). College and university students' breakfast consumption patterns: Behaviours, beliefs, motivations and personal and environmental influences. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 59(4), 176.

Corder, K., Van Sluijs, E., Steele, R., Stephen, A., Dunn, V., Bamber, D., et al. (2011). Breakfast consumption and physical activity in British adolescents. British Journal of Nutrition, 105(02), 316-321.

Currie, C., Roberts, C., Morgan, A., Smith, R., Settertobulte, W., Samdal, O., et al. (2004). Young people's health in context: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Kuczmarski, R. J., & Johnson, C. L. (1998). Overweight and obesity in the United States: Prevalence and trends, 1960–1994. International Journal of Obesity, 22(1), 39-47.

Fujiwara, T. (2003). Skipping breakfast is associated with dysmenorrhea in young women in Japan. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 54(6), 505-509.

Gan, W. Y., Mohd, N., Zalilah, M., & Hazizi, A. (2011). Differences in eating behaviours, dietary intake and body weight status between male and female Malaysian university students. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 17(2), 213-228.

Garnett, S., Baur, L., & Cowell, C. (2008). Waist-to-height ratio: A simple option for determining excess central adiposity in young people. International Journal of Obesity, 32(6), .

Giovannini, M., Verduci, E., Scaglioni, S., Salvatici, E., Bonza, M., Riva, E., et al. (2008). Breakfast: A good habit, not a repetitive custom. Journal of International Medical Research, 36(4), 613-624.

Haines, P. S., Guilkey, D. K., & Popkin, B. (1996). Trends in breakfast consumption if us adults between 1965 and 1991. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 96(5), 464-470.

Hakim, N. A., Muniandy, N., & Danish, A. (2012). Nutritional status and eating practices among university students in selected universities in Selangor, Malaysia. Asian Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 4(3), 77.

Hammons, A. J., & Rafael, K. (2014). Breakfast consumption and physical fitness in elementary school children. Californian Journal of Health Promotion,12(3), 88-92.

Hoglund, D., Samuelson, G., & Mark, A. (1998). Food habits in Swedish adolescents in relation to socioeconomic conditions. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 52(11), 784-789.

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(02), 220-243.

Isralowitz, R. E., & Trostler, N. (1996). Substance use: Toward an understanding of its relation to nutrition-related attitudes and behavior among Israeli high school youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 19(3), 184-189.

Kaplan, G. A., Seeman, T. E., Cohen, R. D., Knudsen, L. P., & Guralnik, J. (1987). Mortality among the elderly in the Alameda county study: Behavioral and demographic risk factors. American Journal of Public Health, 77(3), 307-312.

Kee, C. C., Jamaiyah, H., Safiza, M. N., Geeta, A., Khor, G. L., Suzana, S., et al. (2008). Abdominal obesity in Malaysian adults: National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III, 2006). Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 14(2).

Keski-Rahkonen, A., Kaprio, J., Rissanen, A., Virkkunen, M., & Rose, R. J. (2003). Breakfast skipping and health-compromising behaviors in adolescents and adults. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(7), 842-853.

Kleinman, R. E., Hall, S., Green, H., Korzec-Ramirez, D., Patton, K., Pagano, M. E., et al. (2002). Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 46(1), 24-30.

Kunimoto, M., Nishi, M., & Sasaki, K. (1997). The relation between irregular bowel movement and the lifestyle of working women. Hepato-gastroenterology, 45(22), 956-960.

Lissner, L., & Heitmann, B. L. (1995). Dietary fat and obesity: Evidence from epidemiology. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 49(2), 79-90.

Moy, F., Johari, S., Ismail, Y., Mahad, R., Tie, F., & Wan Ismail, W. (2009). Breakfast skipping and its associated factors among undergraduates in a public university in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 15(2).

Mullie, P., Clarys, P., De Ridder, D., Deriemaeker, P., Duvigneaud, N., Hebbelinck, M., et al. (2006). Breakfast frequency and fruit and vegetable consumption in Belgian adolescents a cross-sectional study. Nutrition & Food Science, 36(5), 315-326.

National Health Morbidity Survey. (2015). Minister of health session with press.

Nelson, M. C., Story, M., Larson, N. I., Neumark‐Sztainer, D., & Lytle, L. A. (2008). Emerging adulthood and college‐aged youth: An overlooked age for weight‐related behavior change. Obesity Journal, 16(10), .

Nicklas, T. A., Reger, C., Myers, L., & O’neil, C. (2000). Breakfast consumption with and without vitamin-mineral supplement use favorably impacts daily nutrient intake of ninth-grade students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27(5), 314-321.

Osako, M., Takayama, T., & Kira, S. (2005). Dietary habits, attitudes toward weight control, and subjective symptoms of fatigue in young women in Japan. Japanese Journal of Public Health, 52(5), 387-398.

Ozdogan, Y., Ozcelik, A. O., & Surucuoglu, M. S. (2010). The breakfast habits of female university students. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 9(9), 882-886.

Pollitt, E., & Mathews, R. (1998). Breakfast and cognition: An integrative summary. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(4), 804S-813S.

Rampersaud, G. C., Pereira, M. A., Girard, B. L., Adams, J., & Metzl, J. D. (2005). Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(5), 743-760.

Resnicow, K. (1991). The relationship between breakfast habits and plasma cholesterol levels in school children. Journal of School Health, 61(2), 81-85.

Revicki, D., Sobal, J., & Deforge, B. (1991). Smoking status and the practice of other unhealthy behaviors. Family Medicine, 23(5), 361-364.

Ruxton, C., & Kirk, T. (1997). Breakfast: A review of associations with measures of dietary intake, physiology and biochemistry. British Journal of Nutrition, 78(02), 199-213.

Shaw, M. E. (1998). Adolescent breakfast skipping: An australian study. Adolescence Journal, 33(132), 851.

Song, Y., Joung, H., Engelhardt, K., Yoo, S. Y., & Paik, H. Y. (2005). Traditional v. Modified dietary patterns and their influence on adolescents' nutritional profile. British Journal of Nutrition, 93(06), 943-949.

Stanton Jr, J. L., & Keast, D. R. (1989). Serum cholesterol, fat intake, and breakfast consumption in the united states adult population. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 8(6), 567-572.

Sungsoo, C., Dietrich, M., Brown, C. J., Clark, C. A., & Block, G. (2003). The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 22(4), 296-302.

You, J. S., Kim, S. M., & Chang, K. J. (2009). Nutritional knowledge and dietary behavior of the 6th grade elementary school students in Daejeon area by gender and skipping breakfast. Korean Journal of Nutrition, 42(3), 256-267.

Zainuddin, A. A., Manickam, M. A., Baharudin, A., Selamat, R., Cheong, K. C., Ahmad, N. A., et al. (2016). Prevalence and socio-demographic determinant of overweight and obesity among Malaysian adult. International Journal of Public Health Research, 6(1), 661-669.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.15282/mohe.v7i2.229