Authors :
Ria Sharma; Neha Barari
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/4byhzks2
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/565acuav
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr431
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Breakfast is commonly acknowledged as a crucial meal for preserving health and promoting children's general
development. This study investigates important aspects of the forgotten breakfast and looks at how schoolchildren's focus
and physical development are affected when they miss breakfast. Missing breakfast on a regular basis might result in low
energy, poor memory, a shorter attention span, and worse academic performance. By causing weakness, delayed
development, and nutritional deficits, it may also have an impact on physical growth. This abstract highlight the significance
of a healthy morning meal while examining important relationships between breakfast consumption, cognitive functioning,
and growth outcomes.
The results demonstrate that children who consistently eat breakfast typically exhibit healthier growth trends, more
classroom participation, and better attentiveness. Numerous population-based and cross-sectional studiesshow that missing
the breakfast is more common in girlsthan boys also rises according to the age. The likelihood of skipping breakfast is greatly
increased by socioeconomic factors, including food insecurity, single-parent households, poor family income, and low
parental education. Breakfast missing was also highly correlated with lifestyle characteristics, such as excessive screen time,
sleep deprivation, bad eating habits, and a lack of parental supervision. The study concluded that breakfast skipping is a
critical public health problem that negatively impacts a child's cognitive function, academic success, and physical
development. Targeted interventions, especially those aimed at low-SEP households and involving parental education, are
urgently needed.
Keywords :
Breakfast Consumption, Skipping Breakfast, School Children, Concentration, Attention Span, Academic Performance, Physical Growth, Cognitive Functioning, Nutritional Deficiencies, Child Development.
References :
- Fischer, J. A. J., Thomas, J., Ierodiakonou, D., van Zutphen-Küffer, K. G., & Garcia-Larsen, V. (2025). Breakfast habits, anthropometry, and nutrition-related outcomes in adolescents from low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 21(2), e70039. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.70039
- Elseifi, O. S., Abdelrahman, D. M., & Mortada, E. M. (2020). Effect of a nutritional education intervention on breakfast consumption among preparatory school students in Egypt. International Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01439-7
- Indriasari, R., Nadjamuddin, U., Arsyad, D. S., & Iswarawanti, D. N. (2021). School-based nutrition education improves breakfast-related personal influences and behavior of Indonesian adolescents: A cluster randomized controlled study. Nutrition Research and Practice, 15(5), 639–650. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2021.15.5.639
- Pormehr-Yabandeh, A., Aghamolaei, T., Hosseini, Z., Roozbeh, N., & Ghanbarnezhad, (2023). Impact of the social marketing-based intervention on preconception healthy behaviors of women with sickle cell disease. Cureus, 15(8), e49455. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.49455
- Ali, R. A., Abdel Razeq, N. M., Alnuaimi, K. M., & Alzoubi, F. A. (2018). Maternal sociodemographic characteristics and behaviors as correlates of preadolescents' breakfast habits. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 40, 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2017.08.019
- Silva, P. A. S. da, Froelich, M., Rodrigues, P. R. M., Souza, B. da S. N. de, Gorgulho, B., Moreira, N. F., & Muraro, A. P. (2022). Skipping breakfast associated with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors in Brazilian adolescents. Ciencia & Saude Coletiva, 27(10), 3863–3874. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320222710.04702022
- Kaoutar, K., Chetoui, A., Boutahar, K., El Moussaoui, S., El Kardoudi, A., Najimi, M., & Chigr, F. (2023). Breakfast skipping and determinant factors among Moroccan school adolescents (12–19 years): The case of Beni Mellal City. Portugaliae Journal of Public Health, 41(3), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1159/000534082
- Hovdenak, I. M., Helleve, A., Wolden, I. E., & Bere, E. (2024). Socioeconomic inequality in breakfast skipping among Norwegian adolescents. Nutrition Journal, 23, 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-024-00998-2
- Pengpid, S., Peltzer, K., Nguyen-Thi, T.-T., & Jayasvasti, I. (2025). Meal skipping among adolescents in the Philippines: Prevalence, associated factors, and associations with dietary, mental health, and health risk behavioural outcomes. Nutrition Journal, 24, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01118-4
- Ramsay, S. A., Bloch, T. D., Marriage, B., Shriver, L. H., Spees, C. K., & Taylor, C.
- (2018). Skipping breakfast is associated with lower diet quality in young US children. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 72(4), 548–556. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0084-3
- Giménez-Legarre, N., Miguel-Berges, M. L., Flores-Barrantes, P., Santaliestra-Pasías, M., & Moreno, L. A. (2020). Breakfast characteristics and its association with daily micronutrients intake in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 12(10), 3201. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103201
- Matsumoto, M., Hatamoto, Y., Sakamoto, A., Masumoto, A., & Ikemoto, S. (2020). Breakfast skipping is related to inadequacy of vitamin and mineral intakes among Japanese female junior high school students: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Nutritional Science, 9, e6. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2019.44
- Kim, M.-J., Kim, M., Yoon, J. Y., Cheon, C. K., & Yoo, S. (2024). The impacts of COVID-19 on childhood obesity: Prevalence, contributing factors, and implications for management. Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, 29(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2346094.047
- Gutkowska, K., Wierzbicka, E., Madej, D., Czarniecka-Skubina, E., & Hamulka, J. (2025). Breakfast frequency, lifestyle-related factors and their association with body weight status among Polish primary school children aged 10 to 12 years: Results from a nationwide cross-sectional study. Nutrition Journal, 24(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01231-4
- Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., & Dye, L. (2019). Associations between habitual school-day breakfast consumption frequency and academic performance in British adolescents. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 283. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00283
- Gao, C. L., Zhao, N., & Shu, P. (2021). Breakfast consumption and academic achievement among Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 700989. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.700989
- Abebe, L., Mengistu, N., Tesfaye, T. S., Kabthymer, R. H., Molla, W., Tarekegn, D., Wudneh, A., Shonor, M. N., & Yimer, S. (2022). Breakfast skipping and its relationship with academic performance in Ethiopian school-aged children, 2019. BMC Nutrition, 8, 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-022-00545-4
- Peña-Jorquera, H., Campos-Núñez, V., Sadarangani, K. P., Ferrari, G., Jorquera-Aguilera, C., & Cristi-Montero, C. (2021). Breakfast: A crucial meal for adolescents' cognitive performance according to their nutritional status. The Cogni-Action Project. Nutrients, 13(4), 1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041320
- Seura, T., Nagai, R., Yamazaki, S., Bando, K., & Sogawa, M. (2024). The impact of skipping breakfast on academic performance in youths: A meta-analysis of observational studies. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 71(4), 339–348. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.71.339
- Tambalis, K. D., Panagiotakos, D. B., Psarra, G., & Sidossis, L. S. (2019). Breakfast skipping in Greek schoolchildren connected to an unhealthy lifestyle profile: Results from the National Action for Children's Health program. Nutrition & Dietetics, 76(4), 442–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12522
- Sina, E., Boakye, D., Christianson, L., Ahrens, W., & Hebestreit, A. (2022). Social media and children's and adolescents' diets: A systematic review of the underlying social and physiological mechanisms. Advances in Nutrition, 13(6), 2132–2147. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac018
- Sincovich, A., Moller, H., Smithers, L., Brushe, M., Lassi, Z. S., Brinkman, S. A., & Gregory, T. (2022). Prevalence of breakfast skipping among children and adolescents: A cross-sectional population level study. BMC Pediatrics, 22(1), 545. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03284-4
- Aneley, Z., Assaye, H., Mekonen, H., Bewket, Y., Lake, E., & Fentahun, A. (2024). Breakfast consumption and associated factors and barriers among school-aged children. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1423301. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1423301
- Mun, H., & Oh, S. W. (2025). Skipping breakfast and nutrient density: Influence on obesity, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol in elementary school students. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 19(2), 94–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2025.02.009
- Moller, H., Sincovich, A., Gregory, T., & Smithers, L. (2022). Breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional engagement at school: A cross-sectional population-level study. Public Health Nutrition, 25(9), 2485–2496. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021004870
- Feye, D., Gobena, T., Brewis, A., & Roba, K. T. (2023). Adolescent breakfast skipping is associated with poorer academic performance: A school-based study from Hidhabu Abote District, Ethiopia. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-023-00424-z
- Caferoglu Akin, Z., Nixon, N., Mahdi, S., Oxley, R., Burton, W., Doherty, B., & Bryant, M. (2025). Understanding nutrient intake in schools: The gap between served and consumed meals. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 84(OCE3), E229. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665125100980
- Springer, S. (2025). Nutrition knowledge of primary schoolchildren in Poland from the parents’ perspective based on qualitative studies. Scientific Reports, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01829-y
- Wang, K., Niu, Y., Lu, Z., Duo, B., Effah, C. Y., & Guan, L. (2023). The effect of breakfast on childhood obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, 1222536. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.122253
- El Ati, J., Doggui, R., Doggui, D., & El Ati-Hellal, M. (2024). Skipping breakfast is associated with inadequate nutrient intakes among Tunisian children: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12, 1427638. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1427638
- Romero-Blanco, C., Martín-Moraleda, E., Pinilla-Quintana, I., Dorado-Suárez, A., Jiménez-Marín, A., Cabanillas-Cruz, E., García-Coll, V., Martínez-Romero, M. T., & Aznar, S. (2025). Why do adolescents skip breakfast? A study on the Mediterranean diet and risk factors. Nutrients, 17(12), 1948. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17121948
- Huang, Z., Zhang, Q., Li, C., Liu, H., & Tian, K. (2026). Current status and related factors of breakfast skipping among adolescents aged 12–15 years in Shandong Province, China: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-26080-y
- Lee, J. M., & Shim, J.-S. (2026). Breakfast skipping among dormitory- and home-residing high school students: Insights from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2018–2024. Nutrients, 17(20), Article 3190. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17203190
- Kawabata, M., Lee, K., Choo, H.-C., & Burns, S. F. (2021). Breakfast and exercise improve academic and cognitive performance in adolescents. Nutrients, 13(4), Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041278
- Lundqvist, M., Vogel, N. E., & Levin, L.-Å. (2019). Effects of eating breakfast on children and adolescents: A systematic review of potentially relevant outcomes in economic evaluations. Food & Nutrition Research, 63, Article 1618. https://doi.org/10.29219/fnr.v63.1618
Breakfast is commonly acknowledged as a crucial meal for preserving health and promoting children's general
development. This study investigates important aspects of the forgotten breakfast and looks at how schoolchildren's focus
and physical development are affected when they miss breakfast. Missing breakfast on a regular basis might result in low
energy, poor memory, a shorter attention span, and worse academic performance. By causing weakness, delayed
development, and nutritional deficits, it may also have an impact on physical growth. This abstract highlight the significance
of a healthy morning meal while examining important relationships between breakfast consumption, cognitive functioning,
and growth outcomes.
The results demonstrate that children who consistently eat breakfast typically exhibit healthier growth trends, more
classroom participation, and better attentiveness. Numerous population-based and cross-sectional studiesshow that missing
the breakfast is more common in girlsthan boys also rises according to the age. The likelihood of skipping breakfast is greatly
increased by socioeconomic factors, including food insecurity, single-parent households, poor family income, and low
parental education. Breakfast missing was also highly correlated with lifestyle characteristics, such as excessive screen time,
sleep deprivation, bad eating habits, and a lack of parental supervision. The study concluded that breakfast skipping is a
critical public health problem that negatively impacts a child's cognitive function, academic success, and physical
development. Targeted interventions, especially those aimed at low-SEP households and involving parental education, are
urgently needed.
Keywords :
Breakfast Consumption, Skipping Breakfast, School Children, Concentration, Attention Span, Academic Performance, Physical Growth, Cognitive Functioning, Nutritional Deficiencies, Child Development.