Associations between deprivation, attitudes towards eating breakfast and breakfast eating behaviours in 9-11-year-olds.

摘要

School-level relationships between deprivation and breakfast eating behaviours (breakfast skipping and the healthfulness of foods consumed) were examined in 9-11 yr-old schoolchildren and it was studied whether attitudes towards eating breakfast mediated these relationships. Yr 5 and 6 pupils were studied within 111 primary schools in Wales. Measures were completed by 4314 children. Analysis was conducted at the group (school) level, with each school representing 1 group. Deprivation was positively associated with breakfast skipping and consumption of 'unhealthy' items (i.e. sweet snacks, crisps) for breakfast. A significant negative association was found between deprivation and consumption of 'healthy' items (i.e. fruits, bread, cereals, milk). Deprivation was significantly inversely associated with attitudes towards eating breakfast. The relationships between deprivation and breakfast skipping and consumption of healthy items for breakfast were mediated by attitudes towards eating breakfast. The hypothesis that attitudes mediated the relationship between deprivation and consumption of unhealthy breakfast items was unsupported. Results indicated that deprivation was associated with adverse breakfast eating behaviours amongst children aged 9-11 yr, in terms of breakfast skipping and the quality of breakfasts consumed. Socioeconomic differences in attitudes towards eating breakfast were apparent amongst this age group, and appeared to relate to social gradients in breakfast eating behaviours. It is suggested that research is needed to examine the causal nature of these trends and to elucidate factors underlying the development of socioeconomic differences in eating-related cognitions.