(P24-105-23) Design and Evaluation of a Breakfast Quality Index for Mexican Adolescents and Its Impact on Diet Quality

Objectives: Skipping breakfast or having a poor-quality breakfast has been associated with unhealthy diets and overweight-obesity risk. Study aim was to design a breakfast quality index (BQI) for Mexican adolescents to establish whether there is a difference in anthropometrics and diet quality according to their status as breakfasters or non-/occasional-breakfasters, as well as between adolescents of low, medium or high BQI.

Methods: The IRB approved the protocol. Participants and parents consented for the study. Measurements included weight, height, BMI and percentile, waist circumference, and body fat. Diet was assessed by duplicated 24-h recalls. The BQI was defined through literature analysis and expert consultation. Differences between breakfasters and non-breakfasters, and between BQI tertiles, were analyzed using ANCOVA adjusted for sex and energy intake.

Results: The BQI was comprised of food (cereals, fruit/vegetables, low-fat dairy products), and nutrient (energy, fiber, free sugar, low saturated fat, low-fat protein) criteria; each healthy component added one point to the index for its beneficial contribution to breakfast, or subtracts one point if it was harmful. Participants were breakfasters n=197 and non-breakfasters n=33. Within breakfasters, participants were classified according to the BQI tertile: highest (n=59), middle (n=93), and lower (n=75). Non-breakfasters had trends for higher body fat, weight, and BMI (p >0.05) and higher dietary intake of total fat, saturated fat, and sodium (p >0.05), while breakfasters had a non-significant higher intake of protein and calcium (p >0.05). Participants from the lower BQI tertile had higher weight and waist circumference (p >0.05), while those from the higher BQI tertile had higher intake of protein (p=0.001), calcium (p=0.027) and iron (p >0.05), and low intake of total fat, saturated fat, and sodium (p >0.05) per day.

Conclusions: Participants with higher BQI showed healthier anthropometric measurements and significant higher intake of healthy nutrients such as protein and calcium, as well as a tendency to a lower intake of harmful nutrients such as saturated fat and sodium. Results emphasize the importance of breakfast intake and the design of nutritional interventions promoting breakfast among adolescents.

Funding Sources: CONACYT, PRODEP, Technological Institute of Sonora, Mexico