Breakfast skipping, nutritional status, and physical activity in a middle-aged Latin American population: a population-based study from Ecuador

• Published in: Nutrición hospitalaria : organo oficial de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición Parenteral y Enteral Vol. 36; no. 5; pp. 1123 - 1132
• Main Authors: Lara, Melissa, Sisa, Ivan, Yepez, Martha Cecilia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Grupo Arán 17-10-2019
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Breakfast; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ecuador; Exercise; Fasting; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition & Dietetics; Nutritional Status; Young Adult; Ecuador; Saltarse el desayuno. Obesidad. Actividad física. Nutrición. Ecuador; Breakfast skipping; Obesity; Ecuador; Obesidad; Actividad física,Nutrición; Physical activity; Nutrition; Saltarse el desayuno
• ISSN: 0212-1611; 1699-5198; 1699-5198
• DOI: 10.20960/nh.02393

Introduction: the failure to eat breakfast has been associated with weight gain, a lower level of physical activity, and poor diet quality. Objective: to examine the frequency of skipping breakfast in an Ecuadorian population and its association with nutritional status and level of physical activity. Methods: a cross-sectional study of individuals who reported breakfast omission in a national survey. Nutritional status and physical activity were evaluated through anthropometric measures and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, respectively. Results: the mean age of the study sample was 34.2 ± 14 years, 40% were aged 20 to 34 years, one half were women, 55% were living in the coastal region, and one half were classified as low socioeconomic status. Overall, 6.6% of participants did not mention breakfast in both recalls. Individuals who skipped breakfast were more likely to be aged 20 to 34 years (42.6% vs. 37.4%) and from the coastal region (61.1% vs. 51.8%) than those who ate breakfast. We did not find an association between skipping breakfast and being overweight or obese (35.2% vs. 36.1%), nor achieving a low level of physical activity (28.6% vs. 29.8%). In addition, breakfast consumers (vs. non-consumers) had higher intake of total energy, macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat, and sugar), and micronutrients (fiber and calcium). Conclusions: in Ecuador, ~ 7% of the population skips breakfast. The nutritional status and level of physical activity did not differ between those who ate breakfast and those who did not. However, the long-term health consequences should be avoided by changing this eating habit.