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The effect of omitting breakfast on cognitive function and blood glucose level among adolescent secondary school students
Last modified: 2018-09-09
Abstract
Title: THE EFFECT OF BREAKFAST ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL AMONG ADOLESCENTS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AUTHORS: Adamu H1, Gwarzo GD1, Ofovwe GE2, Dabo B3, Sabo UA1.CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Adamu H1, email: adamu.halima@ymail.comADRESSES: 1Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano Nigeria.2 University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City Nigeria3Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.
BACKGROUND: Breakfast is the most frequently skipped meal among school going adolescents especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). Low literacy level and poor school performance have also been noticed among these individuals. Although studies have shown that skipping breakfast negatively impair cognitive performance and hence poor academic performance, such study was not conducted in our locality where the problems are prevalent. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether breakfast omission could acutely affect cognitive performance in the domains of short term-memory, sustained attention and psychomotor performance as well as blood glucose among adolescents.METHOD: Interventional cross over trial was conducted among 192 adolescents. A computerized neuropsychological test battery, FePsy was used.RESULTS: Short-term memory and sustained attention were significantly better after breakfast consumption (p<0.0001, effect size = 0.54 and p<0.0001, effect size = 0.480 respectively). There was no difference in psychomotor performance with and without breakfast (p=0.3519, effect size = 0.02). Blood glucose level was significantly higher with breakfast (p<0.0001, effect size = 0.87) with no significant correlation between blood glucose levels and all the domains of cognitive function measured. CONCLUSION: Skipping breakfast could negatively affect cognitive performance among adolescents.
AUTHORS: Adamu H1, Gwarzo GD1, Ofovwe GE2, Dabo B3, Sabo UA1.CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Adamu H1, email: adamu.halima@ymail.comADRESSES: 1Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano Nigeria.2 University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City Nigeria3Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.
BACKGROUND: Breakfast is the most frequently skipped meal among school going adolescents especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). Low literacy level and poor school performance have also been noticed among these individuals. Although studies have shown that skipping breakfast negatively impair cognitive performance and hence poor academic performance, such study was not conducted in our locality where the problems are prevalent. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether breakfast omission could acutely affect cognitive performance in the domains of short term-memory, sustained attention and psychomotor performance as well as blood glucose among adolescents.METHOD: Interventional cross over trial was conducted among 192 adolescents. A computerized neuropsychological test battery, FePsy was used.RESULTS: Short-term memory and sustained attention were significantly better after breakfast consumption (p<0.0001, effect size = 0.54 and p<0.0001, effect size = 0.480 respectively). There was no difference in psychomotor performance with and without breakfast (p=0.3519, effect size = 0.02). Blood glucose level was significantly higher with breakfast (p<0.0001, effect size = 0.87) with no significant correlation between blood glucose levels and all the domains of cognitive function measured. CONCLUSION: Skipping breakfast could negatively affect cognitive performance among adolescents.
Keywords
Skipping breakfast, Cognitive function, adolescents.
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