Relationship between Breakfast Skipping and Prediabetes Risk in Non-Diabetic Adults

Abstract

Background: Breakfast skipping may lead to an increase in appetite, and possibly lead to obesity and deleterious changes in risk factors associated with chronic diseases. This study was aimed to analyze the association between breakfast skipping and prediabetes in non-diabetic Korean subjects. Methods: We analyzed a representative sample of 7,936 adults using data from the 2011–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Based on the eating behavior questionnaire, we classified our study participants into two groups; participants who skipped breakfast in the last two days were classified as breakfast skippers, and those who had breakfast at least once in the last two days were classified as breakfast eaters. Prediabetes was defined as a fasting glucose level of 100–125 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c level of 5.7%–6.4%, in accordance with the American Diabetes Association guidelines. Results: In our study participants, the prevalence of breakfast skipping was 12.0% (n=950). After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as body mass index and lifestyle-related factors, participants who skipped breakfast were observed to have a higher risk of prediabetes than participants who consumed breakfast (odds ratio=1.256, 95% confidence interval 1.043–1.511). Conclusion: Breakfast skipping was associated with a higher risk of prediabetes. Large cohort studies are needed to further investigate the importance of breakfast consumption in the prevention of diabetes.