Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:46:42.017Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Breakfast consumption in Spanish children and young people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2001

Javier Aranceta ,
Lluís Serra-Majem ,
Lourdes Ribas  and
Carmen Pérez-Rodrigo
Javier Aranceta*
Affiliation:
Community Nutrition Unit, Department of Public Health, Luis Briñas 18, 4th Floor, E-48013 Bilbao, Spain
Lluís Serra-Majem
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Las Palmas, Las Palmas, Spain Community Nutrition Unit, Park Scientific, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Lourdes Ribas
Affiliation:
Community Nutrition Unit, Park Scientific, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Carmen Pérez-Rodrigo
Affiliation:
Community Nutrition Unit, Department of Public Health, Luis Briñas 18, 4th Floor, E-48013 Bilbao, Spain
*
*Corresponding author: Email: bisaludpublica@jet.es
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Background and objectives: Breakfast consumption is important for nutritional balance in all population groups. The objective of this paper is to describe breakfast consumption patterns in Spanish children and young people.

Design:

Random population cross-sectional nutritional survey.

Methods:

A random sample of 3534 people aged 2 to 24 years were interviewed by a team of 43 dietitians. The protocol included 24-hour recalls (a second 24-hour recall in 30% of the sample), a food-frequency questionnaire and other questions including lifestyles, knowledge and food preferences.

Results:

Participation rate in the survey was 68%. Of the boys, 91.2% and 92.2% of the girls in the sample usually had breakfast. Males aged 18 years and above and 14–17-year-old girls showed the lowest consumption rates. Some 4.1% of the sample did not have any food at all before lunch. Main sources of energy with breakfast were milk and dairy products (34%) and buns, cookies, croissants, etc. (24.6%). Some 44.7% of the sample was classified in the poor-quality breakfast group. Subjects from a low socio-economic background and low educated parents had lower Quality Breakfast Score.

Conclusions:

The proportion of children having breakfast before attending school has increased in Spain in recent decades. However, intake of breakfast is not adequate in a large proportion of this population and a number of children and young people still do not eat anything before lunch. School-based nutrition education involving families, teachers and health professionals, supported by community actions, can contribute to improve this situation.

Keywords

BreakfastChildren's food habitsFood patternsNutrition surveys
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 6a , December 2001 , pp. 1439 - 1444
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

References

1 Ruxton, CHS, Kirk, TR, Belton, NR, Holmes, MAM. Breakfast habits in children. Nutr. Food Sci. 1993; 4:17–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2 Nicklas, TA, Bao, W, Webber, L, Berenson, GS. Breakfast consumption affects adequacy of total daily intake in children. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1993; 93:886–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3 Kennedy, E, Davis, C. Department of Agriculture School Breakfast Program. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1998; 67(Suppl.):798S–803S.10.1093/ajcn/67.4.798SCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4 Burghardt, JA, Gordon, AR, Fraker, TM. Meals offered in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1995; 61(Suppl.):187S–98S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5 Pollit, E. Does breakfast make a difference in school? J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1995; 95:1134–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6 Frost Andersen, L, Lande, B, Botten, G, Larsen, H, Bjorneboe, GE. Scientific data on breakfast and cognitive function among children and adolescents. Scand. J. Nutr. 1995; 39:73–8.Google Scholar
7 Liu, K, Stamler, J, Dyer, A, McKeever, J, Mckeever, P. Statistical methods to assess and minimize the role of intra-individual variability in obscuring the relationship between dietary lipids and serum cholesterol. J. Chronic Dis. 1978; 31(6–7):399–418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8 Aranceta, J. Importancia del desayuno en la adecuación nutricional. Revista de Nutrición Práctica Dietecom España 1999; (Abril):23–7.Google Scholar
9 Mataix, J, Mañas, M, Llopis, J, Martínez de Vitoria, E. Tabla de Composición de Alimentos Españoles, 3th ed. Granada: Universidad de Granada, 1998.Google Scholar
10 Favier, JC, Ireland-Ripert, J, Toque, C, Feinberg, M. Repertoire Général des Aliments. Table de Composition. Paris: Lavoisier Tec+Doc, 1995.Google Scholar
11 Holland, B, Welch, AA, Unwin, ID, Buss, DH, Paul, AA, Southgate, DAT. McCance & Widdowson's The Composition of Foods, 5th revised and extended ed. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 1991.Google Scholar
12 Norusis, MJ. SPSS. Professional Statistics 10.0. Chicago, IL: SPSS, Inc., 2000.Google Scholar
13 Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Tablas de Ingestas Recomendadas en Energía y Nutrientes para la Población Española. Madrid: CSIC, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1994.Google Scholar
14 Cereal Institute, Inc. A Summary of the Iowa Breakfast Studies. Vol. 3. Chicago, IL: Cereal Intsitute, Inc., 1962;1–50.Google Scholar
15 Nicklas, TA, O'Neil, CE, Berenson, GS. Nutrient contribution of breakfast, secular trends and the role of ready-to-eat cereals: a review of the data from the Bogalusa Heart Study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1998; 67(Suppl.):757S–63S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16 Aranceta Bartrina, J, Pérez Rodrigo, C, Santolaya Jiménez, J, Gondra Rezola, J. Evolución de la ingesta dietética aportada con la ración del desayuno en los escolares de Bilbao (1984–1994). Nutr. Clín. 1997; 16:171–7.Google Scholar
17 Preziosi, P, Galan, P, Yacoub, N, Kara, G, Deheeger, M, Hercberg, S. La consommation du petit déjeuner dans l'étude du Val-de-Marne. 1. Type, fréquence et ration moyenne des principaux aliments consommés. Cah. Nutr. Diét. 1996; 31(Suppl. 1):2–8.Google Scholar
18 Ortega, R, Requejo, A, Redondo, R, López-Sobaler, AM, Andrés, P, Ortega, A, et al. Influence of fortified breakfast cereals on dietary habits and nutritional status of Spanish schoolchildren. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 1996; 40:146–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19 Aranceta, J, Pérez, C. Consumo de Alimentos y Estado Nutricional de la Población Escolar de Bilbao. Guias Alimentarias para la Población Escolar. Bilbao: Area de Salud y Consumo, Excmo, Ayuntamiento de Bilbao, 1996.Google Scholar