Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

Skipping breakfast is considered a public health issue in Japan. We have previously reported that breakfast skippers aged 20 years or above showed different characteristics according to different intentions and self-efficacies toward eating breakfast. In Japan, the proportion of those skipping breakfast is the highest among young adults. However, no studies have specifically focused on university students and examined the characteristics of breakfast skippers with different intentions and selfefficacies toward eating breakfast.A questionnaire survey was conducted at a university in Japan in 2016. Among 2816 students who answered the questionnaire (response rate: 86.5%), the data of 2702 without missing values were analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the characteristics of each breakfast skipper (having intention and selfefficacy toward increasing the frequency of breakfast [IS], having intention but not self-efficacy [INS], not having intention but having self-efficacy [NIS], and having neither intention nor self-efficacy [NINS]) compared with breakfast eaters.Compared with breakfast eaters, breakfast skippers without self-efficacy (i.e., INS and NINS) were more likely to eat alone and to lack knowledge about a well-balanced diet. Breakfast skippers without intention (i.e., NIS and NINS) were more likely to report less frequency of breakfast to maintain own health. Additionally, the INS students were more likely to participate in circle activities, have financial limitations, and be less likely to exercise. The NINS students were less likely to report weight management behavior or participate in circle activities. Current smoking and having late-night snacks were commonly seen in breakfast skippers.These results suggest the need for approaches considering different intentions and self-efficacies toward eating breakfast.

Biography

Makiko Nakade has previously worked in the Department of Nutritional Epidemiology of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan. Since 2015, he has have been working in the Faculty of Health and Welfare, Tokai Gakuin University, in Japan. His research field is public health nutrition, and he is especially interested in the theme of skipping breakfast and obesity. He has published an article about the characteristics of breakfast skippers with different intentions and self-efficacies toward eating breakfast using the National Health and Nutrition Survey data. He has also published articles about the effectiveness of a weight loss program, factors associated with successful weight loss/weight loss maintenance, and eating behaviors associated with obesity.
Email:nakade_m@tokaigakuin-u.ac.jp