Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Epidemiology

Breakfast prevalence of medical students is higher than students from nonmedical faculties in Inner Mongolia Medical University

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 74, pages 1442–1447 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background

Skipping breakfast is becoming common worldwide. Our previous studies showed that the breakfast prevalence was relatively low.

Methods

In three cross-sectional studies, breakfast prevalence in various populations in Inner Mongolia Medical University campus in 2011, 2013 and 2017 was investigated. Risk of skipping breakfast in 2017 was analyzed. In follow-up study, the incidence, RR, AR% and PAR% of eating and skipping breakfast from 2011 to 2013 were calculated.

Results

Data of 18,231 individuals were collected. Breakfast prevalence growth was 16.1% during the seven years. The annulus growth of breakfast prevalence was 9.3% (2013 vs 2011, P < 0.001) and 6.3% (2017 vs 2013, P < 0.001). The breakfast prevalence of three cross-sectional studies (73.0 vs 64.9%, P < 0.001; 79.5 vs 69.6%, P < 0.001; and 82.8 vs 77.4%, P < 0.001) and the breakfast incidence of a two-year follow-up study (70.6 vs 48.5% 95% CI: 1.12–1.90) both showed that breakfast consumption in medical students is higher than that in students from nonmedical faculties. The seven-year average breakfast prevalence of male and female medical students (70.0 and 82.5%) was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.23–1.39) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.06–1.11) that of male and female students from nonmedical faculties (53.6 and 75.8%), respectively.

Conclusion

Medical students have a higher breakfast consumption than nonmedical students. Male students from nonmedical faculties have the lowest breakfast prevalence and the highest breakfast skip risk in our university.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Williams P. Breakfast and the diets of Australian adults: an analysis of data from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2005;56:65–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kant AK, Andon MB, Angelopoulos TJ, Rippe JM. Association of breakfast energy density with diet quality and body mass index in American adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1999-2004. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88:1396–404.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Preziosi P, Galan P, Deheeger M, Yacoub N, Drewnowski A, Hercberg S. Breakfast type, daily nutrient intakes and vitamin and mineral status of French children, adolescents, and adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999;18:171–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Matthys C, De Henauw S, Bellemans M, De Maeyer M, De Backer G. Breakfast habits affect overall nutrient profiles in adolescents. Public Health Nutr. 2007;10:413–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Croezen S, Visscher TL, Ter Bogt NC, Veling ML, Haveman-Nies A. Skipping breakfast, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity as risk factors for overweight and obesity in adolescents: results of the E-MOVO project. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63:405–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Huang CJ, Hu HT, Fan YC, Liao YM, Tsai PS. Associations of breakfast skipping with obesity and health-related quality of life: evidence from a national survey in Taiwan. Int J Obes. 2010;34:720–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. So HK, Nelson EA, Li AM, Guldan GS, Yin J, Ng PC, et al. Breakfast frequency inversely associated with BMI and body fatness in Hong Kong Chinese children aged 9-18 years. Br J Nutr. 2011;106:742–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Smith KJ, Gall SL, McNaughton SA, Blizzard L, Dwyer T, Venn AJ. Skipping breakfast: longitudinal associations with cardiometabolic risk factors in the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92:1316–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Tanaka M, Mizuno K, Fukuda S, Shigihara Y, Watanabe Y. Relationships between dietary habits and the prevalence of fatigue in medical students. Nutrition. 2008;24:985–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pollitt E, Mathews R. Breakfast and cognition: an integrative summary. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998;67:804S–813S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Dietetic Assoc. 2005;105:743–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Sandercock GR, Voss C, Dye L. Associations between habitual school-day breakfast consumption, body mass index, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in english schoolchildren. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010;64:1086–92.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nicklas TA, Reger C, Myers L, O’Neil C. Breakfast consumption with and without vitamin-mineral supplement use favorably impacts daily nutrient intake of ninth-grade students. J Adolesc Health Off Publ Soc Adolesc Med. 2000;27:314–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Shatabdi Goon MSB. Breakfast skipping and health status among university professionals in bangladesh. Int J Health Sci Res. 2014;4:182–91.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Silva FA, Padez C, Sartorelli DS, Oliveira RMS, Netto MP, Mendes LL, et al. Cross-sectional study showed that breakfast consumption was associated with demographic, clinical and biochemical factors in children and adolescents. Acta Paediatrica. 2018;107:1562–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.14363.

  16. Haines PS, Guilkey DK, Popkin BM. Trends in breakfast consumption if US adults between 1965 and 1991. J Am Dietetic Assoc. 1996;96:464–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Chen J, Wu Y, Yi H, Li Z, Eshita Y, Qin P, et al. The impact of academic stress on medical students attending college in the inner mongolia area of china. Open J Prev Med. 2013;03:149–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. DeJong CS, van Lenthe FJ, van der Horst K, Oenema A. Environmental and cognitive correlates of adolescent breakfast consumption. Prev Med. 2009;48:372–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Corder K, F, van Sluijs EM, Steele RM, Stephen AM, Dunn V, Bamber D, et al. Breakfast consumption and physical activity in British adolescents. Br J Nutr. 2011;105:316–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114510003272.

  20. Bian J, Du M, Liu Z, Fan Y, Eshita Y, Sun J. Prevalence of and factors associated with daily smoking among Inner Mongolia medical students in China: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Subst Abus Treat Prev Policy. 2012;7:20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Gleason PM. Participation in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995;61:187S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Alexander KE, Ventura EE, Spruijt-Metz D, Weigensberg MJ, Goran MI, Davis JN. Association of breakfast skipping with visceral fat and insulin indices in overweight Latino youth. Obes (Silver Spring). 2009;17:1528–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Sun J, He Y, Liu Z, Yan W, Jiang B, Wu Y, et al. Factors associated with skipping breakfast among Inner Mongolia Medical students in China. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:42. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-42.

  24. Teer B, He Y, Zhiyue L, Zhijun L, Wenfang G, Yuki E, et al. Comparison of breakfast consumption in rural and urban among Inner Mongolia Medical University students. Open J Prev Med. 2013;3:342–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Zeyu Lu, Zhiqiang Sun, Reijie Wu

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China

    Zeyu Lu, Reijie Wu, Wen Du, Hairong Zhang, Na Zhang, Guangyu Chen, Pengchao Yu, Shaobo Sun, Zhenduo Zhang, Liying Gao, Bingjia Yu, Shengyun Duan & Juan Sun

  2. Inner Mongolia Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China

    Zhiqiang Sun

Authors
  1. Zeyu Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhiqiang Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Reijie Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wen Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hairong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Na Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Guangyu Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Pengchao Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Shaobo Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Zhenduo Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Liying Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Bingjia Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Shengyun Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Juan Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Shengyun Duan or Juan Sun.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the ethics committee of Inner Mongolia Medical University.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lu, Z., Sun, Z., Wu, R. et al. Breakfast prevalence of medical students is higher than students from nonmedical faculties in Inner Mongolia Medical University. Eur J Clin Nutr 74, 1442–1447 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-0569-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-0569-8

Search

Advanced search

Quick links