PREVALENCE OF SKIPPING BREAKFAST AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS.

Abstract

Background: The day starts with breakfast which is an important meal that contributes to daily nutritional intake and support concentration, cognitive functions and overall health. However, skipping breakfast is common among which is usually influenced by demanding schedules, early morning classes or clinics. This study assesses the prevalence of skipping breakfast among undergraduate medical students and exploring the reasons to contribute to cause.^[1]

Methods: An online descriptive cross- sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at Adesh Institute of Dental Sciences and Research. Participants were selected through convenience sampling among undergraduate medical students. A self- administered questionnaire was distributed  through institutional setting and via social-media groups using google forms. Informed consent was obtained from participants. The compilation of collected data was done on Microsoft Excel and analysed using frequencies and percentages. The total calculated sample size was 256.^[1]

Results: The study reported 256 participants; however the breakfast- skipping analysis included 243 responses, comprising 145 females and 98 males. Overall, 44% students reported sometimes skipping breakfast, 20% always skipped, 28% rarely skipped and around 7% never skipped breakfast. Thus, approximately 64% reported skipping breakfast either sometimes or always. The most common reason was early morning classes or postings(187 responses), followed by unavailability of preferable food in the mess/ cafeteria(25), less appetite in mornings(22) and fear of weight gain(5).^[1,2]

Conclusion: Breakfast skipping is a common interest among medical students studied, with early morning classes and postings being the most frequent reason. The findings highlighted the need to promote healthy breakfast habits and identify practical measuress to facilitate regular breakfast consumption among medical students.