The effect of breakfast cereal consumption on adolescents' cognitive performance and mood

The Impact of Breakfast Consumption or Omission on Exercise Performance and Adaptations: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Breakfast is often termed the most important meal of the day. However, its importance to acute and chronic adaptations to exercise is currently not well summarized throughout the literature.

METHODS

A narrative review of the experimental literature regarding breakfast consumption's impact on acute and chronic exercise performance and alterations in body composition prior to November 2024 was conducted. To be included in this review, the selected investigations needed to include some aspect of either endurance or resistance training performance and be conducted in humans.

RESULTS

These findings suggest that breakfast consumption may benefit acute long-duration (>60 min) but not short-duration (<60 min) morning endurance exercise. Evening time trial performance was consistently inhibited following breakfast omission despite the resumption of eating midday. No or minimal impact of breakfast consumption was found when examining acute morning or afternoon resistance training or the longitudinal adaptations to either resistance or endurance training. Favorable changes in body composition were often noted following the omission of breakfast. However, this was primarily driven by the concomitant reduced kilocalorie intake.

CONCLUSIONS

Consuming breakfast may aid endurance athletes regularly performing exercise lasting >60 min in length. However, the morning meal's impact on resistance training and changes in body composition appears to be minimal. Although, as the body of literature is limited, future investigations are needed to truly ascertain the dietary practice's impact.

A randomised crossover trial of nitrate and breakfast on prefrontal cognitive and haemodynamic response functions

It remains unknown whether dietary nitrate and breakfast may enhance working memory (WM) performance by augmenting physiological mechanisms and subjective psychological well-being. We performed a 3-arm randomised within-subject crossover study, with pretest-posttest comparisons, to test whether nitrate consumption via breakfast with a beetroot juice shot or regular breakfast compared to no breakfast improved WM (measured with n-back tests) and cognitive task-related changes in prefrontal cortical haemodynamic response (oxygenated- and deoxygenated-haemoglobin derived from functional near-infrared spectroscopy). In addition, effects on peripheral vascular function and self-reported psychological factors were assessed. In 60 adolescents (13-15 years old; 66% girls), WM improved in all conditions, with no intervention effects. Intervention effects were seen for oxygenated-haemoglobin changes, such that it increased after the breakfast with a nitrate shot during the WM tests and decreased after the regular breakfast. Thus, different neurophysiological mechanisms may be at play to preserve WM in adolescents depending on their breakfast composition. The trial was registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN16596056) on 21/02/2022.

Impact of Breakfast Consumption and Sleep Habits on Morning Attention and Concentration Among Health Professional Students

Background Breakfast consumption and sleep habits are known to affect cognitive performance, yet their specific impact on health professional students' morning attention is underresearched. Objective The study's objective was to assess the influence of sleeping habits and breakfast eating habits on health professional students' morning attention span. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted with 323 undergraduate health professional students from medical colleges in Lahore, Pakistan. Participants completed an online questionnaire that gathered data on demographic characteristics, breakfast consumption patterns, sleep habits, and morning attention levels. Morning attention was measured using a self-reported scale where students rated their ability to concentrate during morning lectures on a five-point Likert scale ranging from "very poor" to "very good." Additional questions assessed the frequency and quality of breakfast consumption, sleep duration, sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and daytime napping habits. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis, were conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) to explore the relationships between breakfast and sleep habits and their effects on self-reported attention during morning lectures. Results Of the 323 participants, 78 (24.14%) never skipped breakfast, while 71 (22.93%) skipped breakfast regularly. Breakfast skippers exhibited poorer attention, with a coefficient of -0.45 (p = 0.0002). Students consuming a more nutritious breakfast demonstrated improved attention, with a coefficient of 0.32 (p < 0.0001). Regarding sleep, 196 students (60.68%) slept four to six hours; those with longer sleep durations had better attention (coefficient = 0.21, p = 0.020). Conversely, 271 participants (83.90%) reported that frequent daytime napping and poor sleep quality, including frequent nighttime awakenings, had a negative impact on attention, with coefficients of -0.30 (p = 0.007) and -0.28 (p = 0.005), respectively. Additionally, 161 students (49.84%) reported difficulty concentrating during morning lectures. Conclusion Regular consumption of a nutritious breakfast and sufficient sleep are crucial for maintaining optimal morning attention and cognitive performance among health professional students.

A healthy breakfast each and every day is important for students' motivation and achievement

Breakfast is often cited as the most important meal of the day and vital for students' academic functioning at school. Although much research has linked students' breakfast consumption to better achievement, there has been debate about why and how breakfast has academic benefits. The present study of 648 Australian high school students investigated (a) the role of breakfast consumption and breakfast quality in students' self-reported motivation and their achievement in a science test, (b) the role of motivation in mediating the link between breakfast consumption and quality and students' achievement, and (c) the extent to which breakfast consumption effects are moderated by the quality of breakfast (e.g., more vegetables, fruit, dairy/protein, wholegrains, cereals, water; less sugary drinks, processed meat, fast take-away, unhealthy snack foods). Findings indicated that beyond the effects of personal, home, and classroom factors, breakfast consumption predicted higher adaptive motivation (p < .05), breakfast quality predicted lower maladaptive motivation (p < .05), and in turn, students' adaptive (positively, p < .01) and maladaptive (negatively, p < .01) motivation predicted their achievement. Moreover, adaptive motivation significantly mediated the relationship between breakfast consumption and achievement (p < .05). The effect of breakfast consumption was moderated by the quality of breakfast such that consuming a high-quality breakfast in the morning was associated with the highest levels of adaptive motivation (p < .01) and achievement (p < .05) later in the day. Findings have implications for educational practice and policy seeking to promote a healthy start to the school day to optimize students' motivation and achievement.

No food for thought-How important is breakfast to the health, educational attainment and wellbeing of school-aged children and young people?

There have been reports from teachers of pupils in the United Kingdom arriving at school hungry. Poor nutritional intake during childhood can increase the risk of developing both short- and long-term health problems. Breakfast consumption has been associated with several outcomes including better diet quality and healthier weight status. Nevertheless, skipping breakfast is a frequent behaviour in young people, particularly adolescents, and those from lower socio-economic groups, who are less likely to meet dietary recommendations and nutritional targets. The aim of this narrative review is to explore the contribution of breakfast consumption at home or at school and the impact of breakfast skipping on nutrient intakes in school-aged children (aged 4-18 years), and their effect on weight and cardiometabolic health. We will also summarise evidence for a link with cognitive function and educational attainment. A broadly positive effect of breakfast intake on diet quality, weight status and school-related outcomes was found in the literature, although inconsistencies in findings and methodological limitations within the evidence base are notable. Further research is warranted to better understand impact of breakfast intake and school breakfast provision on longer-term learning, educational attainment and health outcomes. This also needs to consider the cost benefit, type of breakfast and any unintended consequences such as encouraging multiple breakfasts. Breakfast consumption could improve the nutritional intakes of the most vulnerable young people and may help to address inequalities in educational outcomes at least in the short term.

Three Different Types of β-Glucans Enhance Cognition: The Role of the Gut-Brain Axis

Background

Dietary fiber is fermented in the lower gastrointestinal tract, potentially impacting the microbial ecosystem and thus may improve elements of cognition and brain function via the gut-brain axis. β-glucans, soluble dietary fiber, have different macrostructures and may exhibit different effects on the gut-brain axis. This study aimed to compare the effects of β-glucans from mushroom, curdlan and oats bran, representing β-(1,3)/(1,6)-glucan, β-(1,3)-glucan or β-(1,3)/(1,4)-glucan, on cognition and the gut-brain axis.

Methods

C57BL/6J mice were fed with either control diet or diets supplemented with β-glucans from mushroom, curdlan and oats bran for 15 weeks. The cognitive functions were evaluated by using the temporal order memory and Y-maze tests. The parameters of the gut-brain axis were examined, including the synaptic proteins and ultrastructure and microglia status in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as colonic immune response and mucus thickness and gut microbiota profiles.

Results

All three supplementations with β-glucans enhanced the temporal order recognition memory. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the post-synaptic protein 95 (PSD95) increased in the PFC. Furthermore, mushroom β-glucan significantly increased the post-synaptic thickness of synaptic ultrastructure in the PFC whilst the other two β-glucans had no significant effect. Three β-glucan supplementations decreased the microglia number in the PFC and hippocampus, and affected complement C3 and cytokines expression differentially. In the colon, every β-glucan supplementation increased the number of CD206 positive cells and promoted the expression of IL-10 and reduced IL-6 and TNF-α expression. The correlation analysis highlights that degree of cognitive behavior improved by β-glucan supplementations was significantly associated with microglia status in the hippocampus and PFC and the number of colonic M2 macrophages. In addition, only β-glucan from oat bran altered gut microbiota and enhanced intestinal mucus.

Conclusions

We firstly demonstrated long-term supplementation of β-glucans enhanced recognition memory. Comparing the effects of β-glucans on the gut-brain axis, we found that β-glucans with different molecular structures exhibit differentia actions on synapses, inflammation in the brain and gut, and gut microbiota. This study may shed light on how to select appropriate β-glucans as supplementation for the prevention of cognitive deficit or improving immune function clinically.

Can Social Cognitive Theory Influence Breakfast Frequency in an Institutional Context: A Qualitative Study

Breakfast is considered an important meal, especially for people who are about to commence a long or demanding workday, and for roles that may involve physical tasks and a requirement to remain alert and vigilant in potentially high-risk situations. This study looks at breakfast consumption influences within two workplace institutional settings, namely military and mining. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with military personnel (n = 12) and mining employees (n = 12) to understand their breakfast consumption behaviour at work and at home, and the associated behavioural influences. The interview questions were framed by social cognitive theory. Overall, cognitive and environmental influences were the most prominent influences on breakfast consumption, less evident were behavioural influences. A negative stereotype of workplace institutional food services emerged as one of the most significant barriers to breakfast consumption for those already at work. Considerations of environmental influences on behaviour may need to be broadened beyond physical barriers and social influences, to include perceptions of the behavioural environment. Programs that aim to increase breakfast consumption must create areas where their employees want to go. Food systems need to ensure nutritious, quality, and appealing food is available. Interventions need to increase participants’ knowledge, improve their attitudes, and create positive expectations for breakfast.

Ready-to-eat cereal and milk for breakfast compared with no breakfast has a positive acute effect on cognitive function and subjective state in 11-13-year-olds: a school-based, randomised, controlled, parallel groups trial

PURPOSE

We tested the acute effect of breakfast (ready-to-eat-cereal [RTEC] and milk) versus (vs.) no breakfast on cognitive function and subjective state in adolescents.

METHODS

Healthy adolescents (n = 234) aged 11-13 years were recruited to take part in this school-based, acute, randomised, controlled, parallel groups trial with two interventions; Breakfast or No Breakfast. The breakfast intervention consisted of ad libitum intake of RTEC (up to 70 g) with milk (up to 300 ml) administered in a naturalistic school breakfast programme environment. Cognitive function was assessed at baseline and + 70 and + 215 min post-intervention in a group-testing situation, similar to a school classroom context. The CANTAB test battery included: Simple Reaction Time (SRT), 5-Choice Reaction Time (5-CRT), Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVIP), and Paired Associates Learning (PAL; primary outcome). Data collection commenced January 2011 and ended May 2011. This trial was retrospectively registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03979027 on 07/06/2019.

RESULTS

A significant effect of the intervention (CMH[1] = 7.29, p < 0.01) was found for the number of levels achieved on the PAL task. A significant difference between interventions was found when baseline performance reached level 2 (JT, z = 2.58, p < 0.01), such that 100% of participants in the breakfast intervention reached the maximum level 4 but only 41.7% of those in the no breakfast intervention reached level 4. A significant baseline*intervention interaction (F[1,202] = 6.95, p < 0.01) was found for total errors made on the PAL task, indicating that participants who made above-average errors at baseline reduced the total number of errors made at subsequent test sessions following breakfast consumption whilst those in the no breakfast intervention did not. There was a positive effect of breakfast on reaction time and visual-sustained attention. The results also demonstrated interactions of intervention with baseline cognitive performance, such that breakfast conferred a greater advantage for performance when baseline performance was poorer.

CONCLUSION

Consuming breakfast has a positive acute effect on cognition in adolescents.

Cognitive performance, mood and satiety following ingestion of beverages imparting different glycaemic responses: a randomised double-blind crossover trial

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

The relationship between postprandial glycaemic responses and cognitive performance, mood and satiety are inconsistent. The objective of this study is to compare the effects of different glycaemic responses, induced by beverages with different glycaemic index (GI) (sucrose and isomaltulose), and a non-glycaemic control (sucralose), on cognition, mood and satiety.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

In this double-blinded, randomised crossover trial, healthy adults (n = 55) received sucrose (GI 65), isomaltulose (GI 32) and sucralose (non-caloric negative control) drinks on separate occasions. The Complex Figure test, the Word Recall test, Trail Making Test Part B and the Stroop test were administered 60 min after beverages ingestion. Mood and satiety were tested along with cognitive performance.

RESULTS

Comparing between isomaltulose and sucrose, there were no significant differences in the mean (95% CI) for the following: Complex Figure: immediate recall -0.6 (-1.7, 0.5), delayed recall -0.8 (-1.9, 0.3); Word recall: immediate recall 0.2 (-0.7, 1.1), delayed recall 0.5 (-0.4, 1.4); Trail Making: completing time -2.4 (-7.5, 2.7) s; Stroop: time used for correct congruent responses -9 (-31, 14) ms and correct incongruent responses -18 (-42, 6) ms. No differences among beverages were found in the mood and satiety scores with exception that participants felt more energetic 60 min after isomaltulose ingestion (p = 0.028 for difference with sucrose) and hungrier 30 min after isomaltulose ingestion (p = 0.036 for difference with sucrose; p = 0.022 for difference with sucralose).

CONCLUSION

Under these study conditions there is no convincing evidence for an effect of glycaemic response on cognitive performance, mood or satiety.

Sports Participation Correlates With Academic Achievement: Results From a Large Adolescent Sample Within the 2017 U.S. National Youth Risk Behavior Survey

This study sought to examine associations between (a) sports team participation; (b) lifestyle behaviors (e.g., sleeping, alcohol, and tobacco use); and (c) dietary behaviors with self-reported academic achievement using data derived from the 2017 U.S. National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A multistage cluster sampling procedure was employed to obtain a representative sample of U.S. adolescents from among whom the number with usable data was 14,765. We used weighted logistic regression models to examine the associations between sports participation, lifestyle behaviors, and diet with reported academic achievement (mostly A’s and B’s), adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and race/ethnicity. After controlling for lifestyle behaviors, diet, and other potentially confounding variables, we found that adolescents participating in one or more sport teams throughout the past year also reported higher academic achievement (A’s and B’s) compared with adolescents participating in zero sports teams (odds ratio [ OR] = 1.39 to 2.40, p <  .001). This relationship was dose-dependent, as participating in multiple sports teams (i.e., > 3) showed a stronger association with academic achievement than participating on only one sports team ( p <  .001). Other independent behavioral correlates with similarly high grades included daily breakfast consumption ( OR = 1.40, p <  .001), sleeping at least eight hours per night ( OR = 1.21, p <  .001), and regular consumption of vegetables ( OR = 1.56, p <  .001) and salads ( OR = 1.30, p <  .001). We discuss the meaning and implication of these findings.

Associations Between Habitual School-Day Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents

Studies indicate that breakfast positively affects learning in children. The present study aimed to examine associations between habitual school-day breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance, as measured by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). The GCSE is a national academic qualification obtained by most British children during secondary education. Adolescents aged 16-18 years (n = 294; females: 77.2%) completed a retrospective 7-day food diary to report breakfast intake and a questionnaire to report GCSE grades. Breakfast was defined as any food or drink containing ≥5% of total energy expenditure (TEE) consumed up to 10:00 a.m. on school days. Habitual weekly school-day breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0-1 school days), occasional (2-3 school days), or frequent (4-5 school days). GCSE grades were aggregated into point scores and linear regression models were applied. Participants' GCSE grades in Mathematics and English were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. Adolescents who rarely consumed breakfast on school days had a significantly lower capped point score (β = -0.13, p < 0.05) and mean point score (β = -0.14, p < 0.05) compared with frequent consumers. Low/middle socio-economic status (SES) adolescents who rarely consumed breakfast were significantly less likely to achieve higher Mathematics grades compared to low/middle SES adolescents who frequently consumed breakfast [adjusted cumulative odds ratio (OR): 0.35 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.72]. This cross-sectional study demonstrates that habitual school-day breakfast consumption amongst adolescents is a significant correlate of GCSE attainment. The results offer promising associative evidence which warrants further exploration in well controlled studies.

Effects of eating breakfast on children and adolescents: A systematic review of potentially relevant outcomes in economic evaluations

BACKGROUND

Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day. Several studies have focused on examining if breakfast habits have any short-term effects on school attendance, academic achievement, and general health in children and adolescents. Informed decisions of whether to promote eating breakfast or not require a more long-term perspective.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of scientific publications studying the effects identified as potentially relevant for the economic evaluation of eating breakfast in children and adolescents.

DESIGN

A systematic literature review was conducted. Studies were identified by searching the electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO between January 2000 and October 2017. The inclusion criteria applied were published articles from peer-reviewed journals with full text in English, quantitative studies collecting primary data with school-aged children, and adolescents aged from 6 to 18 years as participants, performed entirely or partly in countries with advanced economies, except Japan and Taiwan.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and studies that were judged to be of at least moderate quality were included in the analysis. The results of the review of eating breakfast studies showed positive and conclusive effects on cognitive performance, academic achievement, quality of life, well-being and on morbidity risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall assessment of the studies indicated positive effects of eating breakfast. How the identified effects influence societal costs and an individual's quality-adjusted life years require further research.

A Review of the Evidence Surrounding the Effects of Breakfast Consumption on Mechanisms of Weight Management

The recommendation to eat breakfast has received scrutiny due to insufficient causal evidence for improvements in weight management. Despite the limited number of randomized controlled trials examining the effects of breakfast consumption compared with skipping breakfast on weight loss, an increasing number of studies target the hormonal and behavioral mechanisms underlying weight management. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the intervention-based clinical trials that test whether breakfast consumption improves appetite control and satiety as well as energy expenditure compared with skipping breakfast. Several factors were considered when interpreting the body of evidence. These include, but were not limited to, the following: the composition of breakfast, with a specific focus on dietary protein; meal size and form; and habitual breakfast behaviors. The evidence within this review shows positive to neutral support for the inclusion of breakfast for improvements in appetite control, satiety, and postprandial energy expenditure. The protein content, energy content, and form of the meal (i.e., beverages compared with foods) are key modulating factors for ingestive behavior and energy expenditure mechanisms. Specifically, breakfast meals containing a larger amount of protein (≥30 g protein/meal) and energy (≥350 kcal/meal) and provided as solid foods increased the magnitude of the appetite and satiety response compared with breakfast skipping. Longer-term randomized controlled trials including the measurement of ingestive behavior and weight management are needed to identify the role of breakfast for health promotion.

Obesity and unhealthy lifestyle associated with poor executive function among Malaysian adolescents

The understanding on the roles of obesity and lifestyle behaviors in predicting executive function of adolescents has been limited. Low executive function proficiency may have adverse effects on adolescents’ school academic performance. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between BMI-for-age and multiple lifestyle behaviors (operationalized as meal consumption, physical activity, and sleep quality) with executive function (operationalized as inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) on a sample of Malaysian adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years (N = 513). Participants were recruited from two randomly selected schools in the state of Selangor in Malaysia. Using a self-administered questionnaire, parent participants provided information concerning their sociodemographic data, whereas adolescent participants provided information regarding their meal consumptions, physical activity, and sleep quality. The modified Harvard step test was used to assess adolescents’ aerobic fitness, while Stroop color-word, digit span, and trail-making tests were used to assess adolescents’ inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Three separate hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for each outcome namely, inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. After adjusted for sociodemographic factors and BMI-for-age, differential predictors of inhibition and working memory were found. Habitual sleep efficiency significantly and positively predicted inhibition. Regular dinner intakes, physical activity levels, and sleep quality significantly and positively predicted working memory. Household income emerged as a consistent predictor for all executive function domains. In conclusion, an increased trend of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents were found to be associated with poorer executive function. Regular dinner intakes, higher physical activity levels and better sleep quality predicted better executive function despite the inverse relationship between obesity and executive function. Future studies may explore how lifestyle modifications can optimize the development of executive function in adolescents as well as relieve the burden of obesity.

Methodological Challenges in Studies Examining the Effects of Breakfast on Cognitive Performance and Appetite in Children and Adolescents

Breakfast is purported to confer a number of benefits on diet quality, health, appetite regulation, and cognitive performance. However, new evidence has challenged the long-held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion of the key methodological challenges and considerations in studies assessing the effect of breakfast on cognitive performance and appetite control, along with recommendations for future research. This review focuses on the myriad challenges involved in studying children and adolescents specifically. Key methodological challenges and considerations include study design and location, sampling and sample section, choice of objective cognitive tests, choice of objective and subjective appetite measures, merits of providing a fixed breakfast compared with ad libitum, assessment and definition of habitual breakfast consumption, transparency of treatment condition, difficulty of isolating the direct effects of breakfast consumption, untangling acute and chronic effects, and influence of confounding variables. These methodological challenges have hampered a clear substantiation of the potential positive effects of breakfast on cognition and appetite control and contributed to the debate questioning the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast consumption has no effect on neuropsychological functioning in children: a repeated-measures clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Although many studies have investigated the relation between breakfast consumption and various domains of cognitive functioning within children, some of the reported findings are inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the short-term effects of a breakfast meal on the neuropsychological functioning of healthy school-aged children after an overnight fast.

DESIGN

The study was conducted in a clinical research center with the use of a counterbalanced repeated-measures design among children who either consumed breakfast or were fasting. The administered neuropsychological tests included measures of attention, impulsivity, short-term memory, cognitive processing speed, and verbal learning. The sample consisted of children aged 8-10 y (n = 128), of whom 52% were female, 38% were African American, 31% were Hispanic, 28% were white, and 3% were of another race/ethnicity.

RESULTS

There were no significant (P ≥ 0.004) differences between breakfast meal consumption and fasting for any of the neuropsychological measures administered.

CONCLUSION

Breakfast consumption had no short-term effect on neuropsychological functioning in healthy school-aged children. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01943604.

The Effects of Breakfast and Breakfast Composition on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Breakfast is thought to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, breakfast is the most frequently skipped meal, especially among adolescents. The aim of the current article was to systematically review the evidence from intervention studies for the effects of breakfast on cognitive performance in children and adolescents. The effects of breakfast were evaluated by cognitive domain and breakfast manipulation. A total of 45 studies reported in 43 articles were included in the review. Most studies considered the acute effect of a single breakfast (n = 34). The acute studies looked at breakfast compared with no breakfast (n = 24) and/or comparisons of breakfast type (n = 15). The effects of chronic school breakfast program interventions were evaluated in 11 studies. The findings suggest that breakfast consumption relative to fasting has a short-term (same morning) positive domain-specific effect on cognition. Tasks requiring attention, executive function, and memory were facilitated more reliably by breakfast consumption relative to fasting, with effects more apparent in undernourished children. Firm conclusions cannot be made about the acute effects of breakfast composition and the effects of chronic breakfast interventions because there are too few studies and these largely report inconsistent findings. This review also highlights methodologic limitations of the existing research. These include a lack of research on adolescents, few naturalistic breakfast manipulations or testing environments, small samples, and insensitive cognitive tests.

The relation between intra- and interpersonal factors and food consumption level among Iranian adolescent girls

Background:

Poor nutrition habits in adolescent girls endanger their health and are followed by serious systemic diseases in adulthood and negative effects on their reproductive health. To design health promotion programs, understanding of the intra- and interpersonal associated factors with treatment is essential, and this was the aim of this study.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 193 adolescent girls of age 11-15 years. Random cluster selection was used for sample selection. Food group consumption pattern was assessed by food frequency questionnaire. Also, perceived susceptibility/severity and nutritional attitude as intrapersonal factors and social support as interpersonal factor were assessed. The relationship between food group consumption level and nutritional attitude and perceived treat (susceptibility/severity) as intrapersonal factors and perceived social support as interpersonal factor were assessed by linear multiple regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results:

Results showed that the level of sweetmeat food consumption was related to perceived social support (P = 0.03) and nutritional attitude (P = 0.01) negatively. In addition, an inverse and significant association was found between the level of junk food intake and informational perceived social support (P = 0.004). The association between the level of fast food intake and the perceived parental social support for preparation of healthy food was negatively significant (P = 0.03). Breakfast consumption was related to nutritional attitude (P = 0.03), social support (P = 0.03), and perceived severity (P = 0.045).

Conclusions:

Results revealed that perceived social support and nutritional attitude are the important and related factors in dietary intake among girls, and promotion of social support and modification of nutritional attitude may lead to healthy nutritional behaviors among them.

Universal Free School Breakfast: A Qualitative Model for Breakfast Behaviors

In recent years, the provision of school breakfast has increased significantly in the UK. However, research examining the effectiveness of school breakfast is still within relative stages of infancy, and findings to date have been rather mixed. Moreover, previous evaluations of school breakfast schemes have been predominantly quantitative in their methodologies. Currently, there are few qualitative studies examining the subjective perceptions and experiences of stakeholders, and thereby an absence of knowledge regarding the sociocultural impacts of school breakfast. The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs, views and attitudes, and breakfast consumption behaviors, among key stakeholders, served by a council-wide universal free school breakfast initiative, within the North West of England, UK. A sample of children, parents, and school staff were recruited from three primary schools, participating in the universal free school breakfast scheme, to partake in semi-structured interviews and small focus groups. A Grounded Theory analysis of the data collected identified a theoretical model of breakfast behaviors, underpinned by the subjective perceptions and experiences of these key stakeholders. The model comprises of three domains relating to breakfast behaviors, and the internal and external factors that are perceived to influence breakfast behaviors, among children, parents, and school staff. Findings were validated using triangulation methods, member checks, and inter-rater reliability measures. In presenting this theoretically grounded model for breakfast behaviors, this paper provides a unique qualitative insight into the breakfast consumption behaviors and barriers to breakfast consumption, within a socioeconomically deprived community, participating in a universal free school breakfast intervention program.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Breakfast Clubs According to Parents, Children, and School Staff in the North East of England, UK

The provision of school breakfast has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years. However, UK-based studies highlighting the views of parents, children, and school staff on school breakfast clubs are lacking. The current study set out to address this dearth in the literature by investigating the views of these key user and stakeholder groups on breakfast clubs within the North East of England. Fourteen parents, 21 children, and 17 school staff were recruited from four primary schools where breakfast clubs were available on site. Parents and school staff took part in semistructured interviews and children participated in focus groups, through which the advantages and disadvantages of breakfast clubs were discussed. Thematic analysis revealed that breakfast clubs provided children with a settled and enjoyable start to the school day. As well as providing children with a healthy and varied breakfast meal and unique opportunities for social interaction, breakfast clubs were recognized as an integral part of the school system that offered support to parents, particularly those who worked and relied on breakfast clubs as a means of affordable and reliable childcare. The few disadvantages identified related to practical issues such as a lack of adherence to school food standards, breakfast club staff missing class preparation time and concerns that some children were being excluded from participating in breakfast clubs particularly due to costs associated with attendance. The findings are discussed in relation to the School Food Plan, and areas for further investigation are proposed.

The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents

Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11-13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0-2 days), occasional (3-4 days), or frequent (5-7 days). Participants' CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance.

How to measure mood in nutrition research

Mood is widely assessed in nutrition research, usually with rating scales. A core assumption is that positive mood reinforces ingestion, so it is important to measure mood well. Four relevant theoretical issues are reviewed: (i) the distinction between protracted and transient mood; (ii) the distinction between mood and emotion; (iii) the phenomenology of mood as an unstable tint to consciousness rather than a distinct state of consciousness; (iv) moods can be caused by social and cognitive processes as well as physiological ones. Consequently, mood is difficult to measure and mood rating is easily influenced by non-nutritive aspects of feeding, the psychological, social and physical environment where feeding occurs, and the nature of the rating system employed. Some of the difficulties are illustrated by reviewing experiments looking at the impact of food on mood. The mood-rating systems in common use in nutrition research are then reviewed, the requirements of a better mood-rating system are described, and guidelines are provided for a considered choice of mood-rating system including that assessment should: have two main dimensions; be brief; balance simplicity and comprehensiveness; be easy to use repeatedly. Also mood should be assessed only under conditions where cognitive biases have been considered and controlled.

The benefits of breakfast cereal consumption: a systematic review of the evidence base

There have been no comprehensive reviews of the relation of breakfast cereal consumption to nutrition and health. This systematic review of all articles on breakfast cereals to October 2013 in the Scopus and Medline databases identified 232 articles with outcomes related to nutrient intake, weight, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, digestive health, dental and mental health, and cognition. Sufficient evidence was available to develop 21 summary evidence statements, ranked from A (can be trusted to guide practice) to D (weak and must be applied with caution). Breakfast cereal consumption is associated with diets higher in vitamins and minerals and lower in fat (grade B) but is not associated with increased intakes of total energy or sodium (grade C) or risk of dental caries (grade B). Most studies on the nutritional impact are cross-sectional, with very few intervention studies, so breakfast cereal consumption may be a marker of an overall healthy lifestyle. Oat-, barley-, or psyllium-based cereals can help lower cholesterol concentrations (grade A), and high-fiber, wheat-based cereals can improve bowel function (grade A). Regular breakfast cereal consumption is associated with a lower body mass index and less risk of being overweight or obese (grade B). Presweetened breakfast cereals do not increase the risk of overweight and obesity in children (grade C). Whole-grain or high-fiber breakfast cereals are associated with a lower risk of diabetes (grade B) and cardiovascular disease (grade C). There is emerging evidence of associations with feelings of greater well-being and a lower risk of hypertension (grade D), but more research is required.