Teachers’ Experience and Perspectives of Traditional Breakfast and Breakfast in the Classroom

ObjectiveTo understand teachers’ perceptions about Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional breakfast.DesignAn electronic survey was sent to teachers across the state of Utah. Teachers responded to an open-ended question exploring what they liked and/or disliked about Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional breakfast.SettingSchools across the state of Utah.ParticipantsKindergarten through grade 12 teachers who were members of the Utah Education Association.Phenomenon of InterestTeachers’ opinions regarding Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional school breakfastAnalysisResearchers independently coded all responses and then grouped codes into themes. Themes were reviewed recursively over time.ResultsThe 3 overarching themes were food and nutrition, administration of school breakfast, and student outcomes. Aspects most commonly disliked were the nutrition or quality of food, the mess created, the time required, coordination and logistical issues, behavioral issues, and waste. Aspects most commonly liked were breakfast being available to all students, students being fed or not hungry, coordination and logistics, and student learning and academics.Conclusions and ImplicationsTeachers liked and disliked aspects of Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional breakfast. Schools could potentially increase efforts to garner support and feedback from teachers to create buy-in and identify best practices. Future research could focus on identifying the effect that the School Breakfast Program model has on teachers’ perceptions as well as confirming results with a larger and more diverse population.     

Breakfast Consumption,Family Breakfast,and Adiposity Trajectory in Adolescence—The Adolescent Nutritional Assessment Longitudinal Cohort Study

BackgroundThe relationship between breakfast and family breakfast and adiposity gain during adolescence remains inconclusive.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between breakfast and family breakfast frequency and adiposity trajectory in adolescence.DesignProspective cohort study with middle school students aged 10 to 16 years enrolled in 2010 (baseline) and followed for 3 years.Participants/settingA total of 945 students from two public and four private schools in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro were included. Among 945 students, 809 participated in the study at baseline. Pregnant or lactating students and those with physical or mental disabilities were excluded.Main outcome measuresBody mass index (BMI) was assessed by measuring the participants’ weight and height, and percent body fat (%BF) was assessed by performing bioelectrical impedance analysis.Statistical analyses performedLinear mixed-effect models were used to examine the relationship between baseline and persistence of breakfast consumption and family breakfast over a 3-year period and change in BMI and %BF. Breakfast and family breakfast were assessed by questions on frequency of consumption. Both variables were classified as regular, intermediate, and no consumption at baseline. Persistence was divided into persistently regular, persistently irregular, changing from regular to irregular, and contrariwise.ResultsOverall, frequent breakfast consumption and family breakfast did not have protective effects against adiposity. At baseline, these behaviors were associated with low BMI and %BF among girls. During follow-up, these behaviors and persistence of regular breakfast consumption were associated with an increase in %BF (P<0.05). In boys, those who increased or decreased family breakfast frequency had greater decrease in %BF compared with those persistently regular at both time points.ConclusionBreakfast had no consistent relationship with adolescence adiposity trajectory, which is in line with the results of experimental studies and in contrast with those of many cross-sectional studies.     

Caffeine Transiently Affects Food Intake at Breakfast

Background

Caffeine is frequently added to dietary supplements with claims it facilitates weight loss.

Do Food Provisions Packaged in Single-Servings Reduce Energy Intake at Breakfast during a Brief Behavioral Weight-Loss Intervention?

Larger portion sizes increase energy intake, yet it is unclear whether single-serving packages can reduce intake. This study examined the effects of providing breakfast foods in single-serving packages and nonportioned packages on energy intake of these foods during an 8-week behavioral weight-loss program. In fall 2005, 19 adults (mean body mass index [calculated as kg/m²]=31.8±4.0) were randomized to conditions that provided foods in single-serving packages (Single-Serving) or in nonportioned packages (Standard). Overall amounts and types of foods provided were consistent across conditions: cereal and peaches (weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7) and applesauce and cheese (weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8). Participants were instructed to eat one serving of each food for breakfast and not to consume the provided foods at other times. Mean daily energy intake of the provided foods was the primary dependent variable. The Single-Serving group ate less energy from the combined pairs of foods provided together as compared to Standard (cereal and peaches, 117.0±3.2 kcal/day vs 143.5±39.3 kcal/day; P<0.05 and applesauce and cheese, 174.2±13.5 kcal/day vs 199.0±29.4 kcal/day; P<0.05). This effect was a result of less energy consumed from cereal and applesauce in Single-Serving compared to Standard conditions (cereal, 80.2±2.9 kcal/day vs 106.3±22.9 kcal/day; P<0.01 and applesauce, 44.5±0.6 kcal/day vs 59.3±5.0 kcal/day; P<0.01), with no differences in energy consumption for peaches and cheese (P>0.10). This suggests that single-serving packages may help reduce energy intake at breakfast within the context of a behavioral weight-control program.     

Breakfast Skipping is Positively Associated With Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence From the Aichi Workers’ Cohort Study

Background

Skipping breakfast has been suspected as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2DM), but the associations are not entirely consistent across ethnicities or sexes, and the issue has not been adequately addressed in the Japanese population.

Methods

We followed 4631 participants (3600 men and 1031 women) in a work-site cohort of participants aged 35–66 years in 2002 through 2011 for T2DM development. Frequency of eating breakfast was self-reported and was subsequently dichotomized to breakfast skippers, who eat breakfast 3–5 times/week or less, and to eaters. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for potential confounding factors, including dietary factors, smoking and other lifestyles, body mass index (BMI), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) at baseline.

Results

During 8.9 years of follow-up, 285 T2DM cases (231 men and 54 women) developed. Compared to participants who reported eating breakfast every day, maximally-adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of those with the frequency of almost every day and 3–5, 1–2, and 0 days/week were: 1.06 (95% CI, 0.73–1.53), 2.07 (95% CI, 1.20–3.56), 1.37 (95% CI, 0.82–2.29), and 2.12 (95% CI, 1.19–3.76), respectively. In a dichotomized analysis, breakfast skipping was positively associated with T2DM incidence (maximally-adjusted hazard ratio 1.73; 95% CI, 1.24–2.42). The positive associations were found in both men and women, current and non-current smokers, normal weight and overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m²), and normal glycemic status and impaired fasting glycemic status (FBG 110 to <126 mg/dL) individuals at baseline (Ps for interaction all >0.05).

Conclusions

The present study in middle-aged Japanese men and women suggests that skipping breakfast may increase the risk of T2DM independent of lifestyles and baseline levels of BMI and FBG.Key words: breakfast, diabetes mellitus, cohort study, Japan     

Calcium,Magnesium, Iron,Zinc and Copper,Compositions of Human Milk from Populations with Cereal and ‘Enset’ Based Diets

Background

As breast milk is normally the only source of food in the early stages of life, the dietary levels of the essential elements in the milk of lactating mothers are significantly important. Ethiopia is a country of many nations and nationalities with distinct dietary habits. This variation in food habit may result in the variation of the nutritional quality of milk of lactating mothers who live in different part of the country, which in turn may affect the intake of nutrients by breast-fed infants. Therefore, a cross-sectional study of the levels of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Cu in milk of mothers from societies with cereal and ‘enset’ based dietary habits was carried out to assess the influence of maternal diet on the levels of the elements in human milk.

Methods

Milk samples were collected from 27 voluntary mothers in Jimma and in 18 rural areas of Welkite. Breast milk samples were collected within four days postpartum and the concentrations of the elements were determined by using FAAS.

Results

Average concentrations (mg/L) of the elements determined in the milk of mothers from Jimma and rural Welkite respectively were: Ca (758 ± 107, 579 ± 168); Mg (22.6 ± 7.87, 30.5 ± 13.4); Fe (0.50 ± 0.08, 0.41 ± 0.17); Zn (2.3 ± 1.2, 2.49 ± 0.88) and Cu (0.28 ± 0.14, 0.16 ± 0.08).

Conclusions

Milk samples from Jimma were found to have significantly higher levels of Ca and Cu than those of rural Welkite (P < 0.05). Breast milk Ca and Cu levels were thus found to be influenced by dietary intake.