The Relationship between Family Meals and Mental Health Problems in Japanese Elementary School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

The relative burden of mental health problems in children is increasing worldwide. Family meals have attracted attention as an effective modifiable factor for preventing children’s mental health problems. We examined the relationship between family meals and mental health problems in Japanese elementary schoolchildren. A cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with guardians of children aged 7 to 12 years in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Frequency of family meals and with whom the child eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner were assessed separately for weekdays and weekends/holidays. Mental health was assessed using the Japanese version of the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for borderline/abnormal mental health status were calculated using logistic regression analysis. Of the 678 children, 24.9% had borderline/abnormal mental health status. Children eating breakfast with their family less than once a week (adjusted OR, 4.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51–15.25) and those eating weekend breakfast alone (adjusted OR, 3.61; 95% CI, 1.42–9.23) had a higher prevalence of borderline/abnormal mental health status compared to those eating breakfast seven times a week and weekend breakfast with their family, respectively. These results suggest that family meals, especially breakfast, might be positively associated with better mental health in children.

Dietary differences by job type and industry among workers in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic requires people to change their lifestyles. This study aimed to examine the differences in dietary behaviors during the pandemic across job types and industries. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Novel-coronavirus and Work Project. Job type and industry were classified into 3 and 22 groups, respectively. Dietary behaviors were assessed using self-reported questionnaires regarding eating breakfast, frequency of meals, and eating fast foods. Changes in eating breakfast during the pandemic were also evaluated. Logistic regression analysis nested in the workplace prefecture was carried out and adjusted for gender, age, body mass index, presence of family members, educational background, and household income. Results: Workers involved in jobs that require communicating with people were more likely to skip breakfast (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.10-1.24) and had a lower frequency of meals (OR 1.25, 95%CI 1.17-1.34) than workers engaged in desk work. Manual workers were more likely to eat fast food or meals (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.03-1.17) than workers engaged in desk work. Workers engaged in newspaper, magazine, television, radio, advertising, and other mass media industries were more likely to skip breakfast (OR 2.43, 95%CI 1.82-3.24) and have a lower frequency of meals (OR 3.90, 95%CI 2.87-5.28) than workers in public offices and organizations. Conclusion: The tendencies of dietary behaviors across job types/industries during the pandemic were shown, partially consistent with a trend reported before the pandemic. Further studies should clarify the causes of differences in dietary behaviors among workers.

Correlation of Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Grade Point Average in Preclinical Medical Students

Background: Due to its nutritious, metabolic, and overall energy-providing benefits, studies have emphasized the value of breakfast, resulting in support of breakfast as “the most important meal of the day,” and subsequently, essential for academic success. However, limited research exists on the impact of habitual breakfast consumption on medical students. How does eating breakfast contribute to the academic success and well-being of medical students? Methods: A voluntary survey was distributed to preclinical medical students to gather information on their breakfast-eating habits as well as other indicators of well-being, including mental health, physical health, and stress. Participants indicated the average number of times per week they consumed breakfast. They also recorded the likelihood of eating breakfast on the day of an exam and various components of well-being on a five-point Likert scale. Subjects also provided student identification (ID) numbers. To measure academic success, grade point averages (GPAs) were then extracted using each student's ID number. A correlation analysis was performed between the breakfast-eating habits of medical students and their GPA. Results: 121 surveys met the inclusion criteria. A correlation analysis showed that frequency of eating breakfast was positively correlated with GPA (r=0.35, p<0.001). Eating breakfast on the day of an exam was also positively correlated with GPA (r=0.32, p<0.001). Eating breakfast had no significant correlation with indices of well-being. Conclusion: Consistently eating breakfast may contribute to greater academic performance among medical students. However, eating breakfast appears to have no impact on well-being. Based on this research, eating breakfast regularly may help preclinical medical students boost their academic performance.

140 Short and Long Sleep Duration, Poor Sleep Quality, and Later Sleep are Associated with Lower Odds of Adolescents Eating Breakfast

Introduction Sleep health is linked to dietary choices, and skipping breakfast is associated with risk of negative health outcomes in adolescents. However, there is a lack of research on whether dimensions of sleep at night predict adolescents eating breakfast the next day. We investigated within- and between-person associations of multiple aspects of sleep with adolescent breakfast consumption. Methods Data were collected from a subset of the age 15 wave of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n=590). Teens wore an actigraphy device and completed daily surveys for ~1 week (mean=5.9 days). Surveys assessed subjective sleep quality (low–high) and consumption of breakfast (no/yes). Mixed models assessed whether actigraphy-measured sleep timing (onset, midpoint, and offset) and subjective sleep quality predicted odds of breakfast consumption in both within- and between-person models. A curvilinear association between sleep duration and breakfast consumption was also assessed. Irregularity of sleep duration and timing were tested as additional predictors, calculated as SD per person (in between-person models only). Analyses included random intercepts for participants and covariates: school day, boredom, loneliness, happiness, depressive symptoms, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and household income. Results Within-person analyses revealed a significant curvilinear association between sleep duration and breakfast consumption, such that on nights when teens slept shorter or longer than their average, they had lower odds of eating breakfast the next day (p=.005). Additionally, on nights when teens had a later sleep midpoint or offset than their usual, they tended to skip breakfast the next day (both p<.05). Between-person models showed that teens who on average had later sleep timing (onset, midpoint, and offset) and who reported lower sleep quality had lower odds of eating breakfast (all p<.04). Lastly, teens with greater irregularity of sleep duration and sleep timing (midpoint and offset) had lower odds of eating breakfast (all p<.009). Conclusion Findings indicate that multiple dimensions of adolescent sleep health, including long and short sleep duration, later sleep timing, and poorer sleep quality, are associated with lower odds of eating breakfast. These sleep and dietary behaviors in adolescence may consequently impact future metabolic health. Support (if any) R01HD073352

Influence of Having Breakfast on Happiness and Attention-Concentration among High School Students

Background: Healthful nutrition has a positive connection with both physical and mental health. Breakfast is often considered as the most important meal of the day. Despite the benefits, skipping the morning meal is highly prevalent among adolescents. Healthy eating has an effect on happiness and concentration but a firm connection has not been established. Breakfast skipping can be a factor and a gap in the literature exists in this regard. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between eating breakfast, happiness and attention concentration among high school students. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a convenient sampling strategy was used to select the students from an International school located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 29-item Oxford Happiness Questionnaire along with demographic variables was employed as research instrument. Chi-square test, student t-test and ANOVA were used to compare different categorical variables. Results: The overall Happiness mean score was 3.621 ± 0.6637. Students who were regular at having breakfast every day had higher happiness mean scores. Overall, 40% of the participants reported to have decreased concentration/attentiveness during the first 4 lectures at school. Majority (55%) of the breakfast skippers were distracted in the lessons. A regular breakfast eating habit was found to be significantly associated with happiness (p=0.04) and concentration during lectures (p=0.04) respectively. Majority of the students had insufficient physical activity (72%) and had experienced stress (88%) in the last six months respectively. The prevalence of being overweight/ obese among breakfast skippers was higher (39%) than was in breakfast consumers (26%). Conclusion: Eating breakfast was associated with higher happiness scores and better concentration among high school students. An alarmingly high prevalence of stress among students is a cause of concern. Schools should start breakfast eating programs and promote physical activity to reduce stress. Future studies are needed to explore the factors associated with stress.