Breakfast Skipping, Psychological Distress, and Involvement in Bullying: Is There a Connection?

Abstract

The occurrence of bullying and cyber-bullying is widespread throughout the world, and serious consequences of this complex phenomenon continue to plague individuals and society. Many studies have revealed a link between victimization and multiple adversities including health and quality of life issues. Since very little research attention has been given to evaluate victimization and breakfast-eating behavior in adults, the current study sought to examine the association between breakfast skipping, psychological distress, and victimization (both traditional and cyber). Three hundred eighty-two undergraduate students (235 females, 147 males) enrolled in Introductory Psychology completed surveys assessing bullying involvement, psychological distress, and breakfast-eating tendencies. Results revealed that being bullied (face-to-face and online) was correlated negatively with breakfast consumption and positively with psychological distress. A hierarchical linear regression model indicated that psychological distress, breakfast skipping, and gender were significant predictors of cyber-victimization, while psychological distress and breakfast skipping were significant predictors of traditional victimization. Utilizing the biopsychosocial theoretical model, the findings suggest that psychological distress may help explain the link between bullying victimization and breakfast skipping. Results of the study support the relevance of breakfast-eating behavior in the phenomenon of bullying victimization and the need to include nutritional education in intervention programs.