Breakfast Skipper and Breakfast Eater: Which Is Better

Abstract

Regular breakfast consumption has been acknowledged as an opportunity to meet nutrition recommendation and more favorable weight status. However, in Indonesia, breakfast skipping prevalence for school aged children is commonly found, as it ranged from 16.9% to 59%, with no exemption for Jakarta. The aims of present study were to compare nutrient intakes and weight status between breakfast eaters and non-breakfast eaters within different demographic subgroups, and additionally, to propose healthy breakfast recommendation based on condition of local population. 2 nd Indonesian National Basic Health Research Survey (RISKESDAS) in a cross-sectional setting were analyzed using 24-hr dietary recall. The main sample consisted of children age 6- to 12- year old randomly selected in Jakarta area (n = 945). Overall, breakfast consumers had higher daily energy, carbohydrate, protein, and micronutrients intake although for some micronutrients, these were not statistically significant. There is no significant difference between the two groups in terms of weight status. Skipping breakfast was more prevalent in girls (6.43% versus 3.64%), older children group (6.5% for 10-12 year group; 4.4% for 7-9 year group, and 2.2% for 6 year group), and low SES which was about 4.3%, respectively. About 39% of school aged children living in Jakarta consumed breakfast less than 15% Indonesian DRI, respectively. Furthermore, this study supported the current breakfast recommendation which was 15-30% of energy from Indonesian DRI with some additional encouragement. To encourage breakfast consumption among the population, some recommendation were also given within the study.