A Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence of Skipping Breakfast Among College-Going Students in a Private University

Background Breakfast is considered one of the important meals of the day as it repletes glucose supply to the brain and improves learning. Skipping breakfast has become more common among college students. It is prompting them to adopt unhealthy lifestyles which might affect their health in the long term. The present study aimed to assess the health effects of skipping breakfast among college students. The main objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of breakfast-skipping patterns and the factors associated with skipping breakfast among college students. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 540 college students from four institutions (Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Chengalpattu, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chengalpattu, and Karpaga Vinayaga College of Nursing, Chengalpattu) in Tamil Nadu. A Simple Random Sampling method was used to select the sample. Data were gathered using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire, and ethical clearance was obtained from the institution. The data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), employing both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The prevalence of breakfast skipping among college-going students was 368 (68.2%). The timing of breakfast was a strong predictor; those eating after 10 AM had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.98 (95% CI: 1.65 - 9.61). The use of snacks as meal replacements also showed a significant association, with an odds ratio of 2.90 (95% CI: 1.95 - 4.32). Spending pocket money on breakfast was linked to an increased likelihood of skipping, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.251 (95% CI: 0.82 - 1.90). Conclusion This study shows that a higher proportion of college students skip their breakfast at least once a week. This study also showed that male gender, lower socioeconomic status, mealtime after 11 a.m., and snacking as a meal substitute more than four times a week are important risk factors for college students who were skipping breakfast. The results indicate that specific programs that encourage eating breakfast earlier and adopting healthy eating behavior may enhance student's general dietary habits.