51. Breakfast consumption among Malaysian primary and secondary school children and relationship with body weight status - Findings from the MyBreakfast Study.
- Author
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Tee, E. Siong, Nurliyana, Abdul Razak, Norimah, A. Karim, Jan Mohamed, Hamid Jan B., Sue Yee Tan, Appukutty, Mahenderan, Hopkins, Sinead, Thielecke, Frank, Moi Kim Ong, Celia Ning, Mohd Nasir, Mohd Taib, Mohamed, Hamid Jan B Jan, Tan, Sue Yee, Ong, Moi Kim, Ning, Celia, and Nasir, Mohd Taib Mohd
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BREAKFASTS , *BODY weight , *NUTRITION for school children , *PHYSICAL activity , *CHILDHOOD obesity , *HIGH school students , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *FOOD habits , *SCHOOL children , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *BODY mass index , *CROSS-sectional method , *ODDS ratio - Abstract
Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between breakfast consumption and body weight status among primary and secondary school children in Malaysia.Methods and Study Design: This nationwide cross-sectional study involved 5,332 primary school children aged 6 to 12 years and 3,000 secondary school children aged 13 to 17 years. Height and weight were measured and BMI-for-age was determined. Socio-demographic backgrounds, breakfast habits and physical activity levels were assessed using questionnaires. Breakfast frequency was defined as follows: breakfast skippers (ate breakfast 0-2 days/week), irregular breakfast eaters (ate breakfast 3-4 days/week) and regular breakfast eaters (ate breakfast ≥5 days/week).Results: The overall prevalence of breakfast skippers and irregular breakfast eaters was 11.7% and 12.7% respectively. Breakfast skipping was related to age, sex, ethnicity, income and physical activity level. Among primary school boys and secondary school girls, the proportion of overweight/obesity was higher among breakfast skippers (boys: 43.9%, girls: 30.5%) than regular breakfast eaters (boys: 31.2%, girls: 22.7%). Among primary school children, only boys who skipped breakfast had a higher mean BMI-for-age z-score than regular breakfast eaters. Among secondary school boys and girls, BMI-for-age z-score was higher among breakfast skippers than regular breakfast eaters. Compared to regular breakfast eaters, primary school boys who skipped breakfast were 1.71 times (95% CI=1.26-2.32, p=0.001) more likely to be overweight/obese, while the risk was lower in primary school girls (OR=1.36, 95% CI=1.02-1.81, p=0.039) and secondary school girls (OR=1.38, 95% CI=1.01-1.90, p=0.044).Conclusion: Regular breakfast consumption was associated with a healthier body weight status and is a dietary behaviour which should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
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