The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health of students who do not eat breakfast and compare it to the health of students who do. The munber of students who do not eat breakfast was determined among 1101 male and female students from all schoolyears of the Matsubase High School in the southern part of Kumamoto Prefecture in June 1990. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the food intake and chewing habits of the subjects. The questionnaire explored six areas: 1) teeth, 2) chewing habits, 3) meal patterns, 4) history of growth and development, 5) life style, 6) general health status. Differences which were statistically significant were emphasized to compare the general health status between students who eat breakfast and those who do not.
1. Number of students who do not eat breakfast
1) 41 boys (11.7%) and 38 girls (5.2%) reported that they do not eat breakfast. The higher number of boys not eating breakfast was statistically significant (p< 0.01).
2) The number of students who do not eat breakfast, by school year, were: 11 boys (7.9%) and 11 girls (4.7%) in the first year of high school, 16 boys (15.1%) and 18 girls (6.7%) in the second year, and 14 boys (13.2%) and 9 girls (3.7%) in the third year. The greatest frequency for both girls and boys occurred in the second year of high school.
2. General health status
Compared to students who eat breakfast, those who do not reported greater incidence of: 1) dental disorders, 2) inadequate chewing habits or snacking habits, 3) strict upbringing during childhood, 4) irregular life style charcterized by insufficient sleep and poor oral hygiene, 5) various nonspecific complaints including problems with their digestive systems.
The results of this study indicate that the habit of eating a good breakfast is an important influence on the general health of the students.
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