Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being: Children Who Eat Breakfast Are Happier
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being: According to a report by ScienceAlert, a study conducted on 150,000 children and adolescents worldwide showed that those who eat breakfast are more satisfied with life compared to those who skip this meal.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, Participants in this study were aged 10 to 17 and were from 42 different countries, including Russia, England, Scotland, Canada, and many other countries in Europe and the Middle East. In a questionnaire, they were asked: “How often do you usually eat breakfast? (More than just a glass of milk or juice).” They had to answer this question for both school days and weekends.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, Next, they were asked to rate their quality of life on a scale of 0 to 10. A score of 10 indicated the “highest perceived quality of life,” while 0 indicated the worst possible quality of life.
After collecting the data, the results were plotted on a chart. On this chart, one axis showed the frequency of eating breakfast, and the other axis showed the perceived quality of life score. When the data was plotted, an almost straight line was observed, indicating a strong correlation between the frequency of eating breakfast and perceived quality of life. This means that the more frequently breakfast was consumed, the higher the perceived quality of life was reported.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, The result became clearer when the research team controlled for other potentially influencing factors such as gender, age, socioeconomic status, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and consumption of sweets, frequency of family meals, physical activity, and body mass index. Even after these controls, a strong relationship remained between the frequency of eating breakfast and perceived quality of life, and the researchers were able to confirm that other factors did not affect the observed relationship.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, Lee Smith, the lead author of the study from Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, pointed out that there were inconsistencies between countries, which could be due to the effects of different cultures, lifestyles, and socioeconomic factors. However, in all the countries studied, those who ate breakfast reported higher satisfaction with life.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, This study is consistent with research on 70,000 children in Australia, which showed that skipping breakfast was associated with lower life satisfaction in boys and girls aged 8 to 18.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, It is not clear whether this connection specifically relates to skipping breakfast or the effect of skipping all meals, but more detailed research has shown that a nutritious breakfast has multiple benefits for mental and physical health, including memory, cognitive performance, and physical activity.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, This study is based on statistical correlations rather than a direct cause-and-effect relationship. In other words, it is possible that other factors that cause skipping breakfast may also simultaneously have negative consequences. Therefore, it cannot be definitively stated that skipping breakfast alone causes lower life satisfaction.
However, the results of a study in South Korea also showed that as the frequency of children’s breakfast consumption increased, physical problems such as fatigue, sleep issues, nausea, headaches, and fever also decreased, and these benefits may not be limited to just children.
Eating Breakfast And Child Well-being, An analysis in 2022 also showed that skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of depression, stress, and mental health problems in all age groups, especially those under 18 years old.
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