Regular breakfast consumption has been associated with children and adolescents having a lower body mass index(Reference Rampersaud, Pereira and Girard1), positive effects on cognitive performance(Reference Hoyland, Dye and Lawton2), a better overall diet quality and being more physically active(Reference Rampersaud, Pereira and Girard1). However, as children progress to adolescence they become more likely to skip breakfast(Reference Balding and Regis3) and physical activity levels decline, particularly in girls(4). Adolescence is a critical time point as habits and attitudes towards healthy behaviours developed at this age are likely to track into adulthood(Reference Conner, Norman and Bell5). Health behaviours are suggested to cluster in individuals(Reference Pearson, Atkin and Biddle6), therefore identifying attitudes in adolescents that promote or create barriers to healthful behaviour presents an opportunity to investigate the potential determinants of breakfast behaviours.
The aim of the present study was to examine associations between the frequency of breakfast consumption, attitudes towards breakfast and physical activity levels in adolescents.
Fifty-six schools in Oxfordshire were invited to complete a questionnaire investigating the dietary habits and physical activity patterns of students aged 13 to 17 years. While this is an ongoing study, responses to date were assessed for: self-reported physical activity (PA) levels (PA questionnaire for adolescents; PAQ-A(Reference Kowalski, Crocker and Donen7)), agreement of statements measuring attitude towards breakfast based on a previously validated attitude scale(Reference Tapper, Murphy and Lynch8) and breakfast frequency.
140 participants (n = 109 females, n = 23 male, n = 8 undisclosed) reported breakfast frequency as everyday (47%), 5–6 days (10%), 3–4 days (13%), 1–2 days (17%) and never (13%). Mean attitude scores (range 1 (negative) to 5 (positive)) and standard deviations (SD) were calculated for each attitude measure and compared by breakfast frequency.
Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated between breakfast frequency, attitudes towards breakfast and PAQ-A scores. There were significant positive correlations (P < 0·05) between PAQ-A scores and breakfast frequency (r = 0·2) and between attitudes towards breakfast and breakfast frequency (P < 0·01) with the highest correlations observed between breakfast frequency and attitudes towards snacking behaviours. Breakfast skippers reported greater associations between preferring to snack at morning break and usually snacking at morning break (r = 0·6 and r = 0·6 consecutively).
These preliminary findings suggest associations between breakfast frequencies, attitudes towards breakfast and physical activity levels presenting an opportunity to improve understanding of the determinants of adolescent's breakfast habits.
