The association of breakfast consumption habit, snacking behavior and body mass index among university students

Abstract

The increased prevalence of obesity among adolescent are associated with short and long term morbidity and mortality outcomes raises major public health concern. The evidence supporting the association between breakfast consumption and body weight is growing, but the mechanisms to explain this relationship are less understood. Breakfast skipping habit and consuming more energy dense snack might be associated with obesity; however the results from previous research are still inconclusive. This study aims to describe the association between breakfast consumption habit and snacking behaviors with their body mass index (BMI) among university students. Cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2009 among undergraduate university students in Kuala Selangor district, Malaysia. One hundred sixty eight students (n=168) were volunteered to complete a breakfast consumption habit questionnaire (BCHQ). The BCHQ consisting of 26 questions assessing their breakfast and snacking habits including demographic data. Self-reported height and weight data were collected. Hypothesis testing was completed using multiple logistic regressions where statistical significance level was set at α=0.05. Majority of 168 students reported a BMI in the healthy range (<25 kgm). Overall, 24% of students reported not to taking breakfast on the day of data collection. There was no significant difference between the normal (BMI<25 kgm) and overweight group with respect to healthy snack and ED score, 10.2 (3.6) and 11.7 (4.0); 13.8 (5.3) and 14.1 (4.0) respectively. Only sex (OR=0.07, p=<0.001) and healthy food frequency (OR= 1.2; p=0.035) were related to BMI status. Keyword: Breakfast habit, Body mass index status