Skipping Breakfast Can Affect Children's Mental Health

A recent study in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests that children who eat a healthy breakfast at home have better mental health. While previous studies have reported the important role of a nutritious breakfast, this is the first study to look at the breakfast related effects in children. These results provide valuable insights and advice for parents and their children.

The findings suggest that not only is eating breakfast important, but so is where children eat it and what they eat. Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast away from home may increase psychosocial behavioral problems in children/adolescents. Similarly, consumption of certain foods/beverages is associated with higher (e.g., processed meats) or lower (e.g., dairy products, grains) rates of psycho-social behavior problems.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from Spain's 2017 National Health Survey. The survey included questionnaires about breakfast habits and children's psychosocial health, which included traits such as self-esteem, mood and anxiety. The questionnaire was completed by the children's parents or guardians and included a total of 3,772 Spanish residents aged 4-14 years.

The most important result the team found was that eating breakfast away from home was almost as harmful as skipping it altogether. The authors suggest this may be because eating out is often not as nutritious as what is prepared at home.

The results also showed that coffee, milk, tea, chocolate, cocoa, yoghurt, bread, toast, cereal and pastries were all associated with a lower rate of behavioural problems. Surprisingly, eggs, cheese and ham were associated with a higher risk of such problems.

Although the study was limited to Spain, the findings are consistent with studies conducted elsewhere. Providing nutritious breakfasts in schools may affect results in some areas.

But other factors, such as the social and family support available to young people when they eat breakfast at home, may also play a role in the observed benefits. The authors stress that further research is needed to understand the cause-and-effect relationship behind the observations, but the results are still useful.

The findings highlight the need not only to include breakfast as part of a healthy lifestyle, but also to eat it at home. In addition, to prevent psychosocial health problems, including dairy products and/or cereals for breakfast and minimizing certain animal-based foods high in saturated fat/cholesterol can help reduce psychosocial health problems in children.