Breakfast Eating Habits and their Association with Academic Performance: A Cross-sectional Study among Medical Students
Introduction: Breakfast has long been considered the most important meal of the day, yet the frequency of breakfast consumption has declined in recent decades. Adequate breakfast habits are related to optimal physiological, psychological, and social health. Aim: To assess the breakfast eating h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/18730/64446_CE[Ra1]_F(IS)_QC(KK_RDW_IS)_PF1(HB_OM)_PFA_NC(HB_KM)_PN(KM).pdf |
| Summary: | Introduction: Breakfast has long been considered the most
important meal of the day, yet the frequency of breakfast
consumption has declined in recent decades. Adequate breakfast
habits are related to optimal physiological, psychological, and
social health.
Aim: To assess the breakfast eating habits of medical students
and find the association between breakfast habits and academic
performance.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study
was carried out in the Department of Physiology at Shaheed
Hasan Khan Mewati (SHKM) Government Medical College, Nuh,
Haryana, India. The duration of the study was three months from
July 2022 to September 2022. A total of 350 apparently healthy
medical undergraduates from the second year to final year
participated in the study. Breakfast eating patterns and other
characteristics of the morning meal consumed by participants
were assessed using a structured proforma. Participants were
divided into three groups (regular, irregular, and skippers)
based on the frequency of breakfast consumption. Academic
performance was assessed based on the aggregate marks (%)
obtained in the university examination. Data were compiled
and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) software version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare
academic performance (% marks) among the breakfast groups,
and the relationship between the aforementioned variables was
determined using Pearson’s Chi-square test. A p-value of <0.05
was considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean age of the study participants was 20.95±1.10
years. Present study showed that only around one-third, 121
(34.6%) students ate breakfast regularly (6-7 days/week), while the
remaining either consumed it irregularly or skipped it altogether.
A significant association (p=0.02) was found between breakfast
habits and academic performance, with regular breakfast eaters
performing better compared to skippers.
Conclusion: Irregular consumption of breakfast is quite
prevalent among medical students. Poor time management
emerged as the main reason for this behaviour. Breakfast habits
may influence academic performance, but it warrants further
investigation using a multivariate approach. |
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| ISSN: | 2249-782X 0973-709X |