Breakfast Characteristics and Their Association with Energy, Macronutrients, and Food Intake in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 12; no. 8; p. 2460
• Main Authors: Giménez-Legarre, Natalia, Flores-Barrantes, Paloma, Miguel-Berges, María Luisa, Moreno, Luis A, Santaliestra-Pasías, Alba M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.08.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Beverages; beverages consumption; Breakfast; Carbohydrates; Child; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Child, Preschool; Consumers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Eating; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy Intake; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Food consumption; Food intake; Fruit; Health risks; Humans; Literature reviews; macronutrient; Male; Meta-analysis; Nutrients - administration & dosage; Nutrition research; Nutritional Status; Quality; Review; Reviews; Soft drinks; Systematic review; Teenagers; Vegetables; United States > US; food consumption; beverages consumption; breakfast; macronutrient; energy
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu12082460

Breakfast plays an important role in health because it has been associated with overall health, which includes a high daily nutrient intake and a low risk of chronic diseases. For this reason, we investigated the associations between breakfast consumption and daily energy, macronutrients, and food and beverage consumption. We systematically searched peer-reviewed articles in three datasets (Pubmed, Scopus, and Cochrane). Two independent reviewers evaluated 3188 studies against the inclusion criteria using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) critical appraisal and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) methodologies. The meta-analysis was performed by comparing results based on type of breakfast consumed (ready to eat cereal breakfasts or other types of breakfasts). Ultimately, 38 studies were included in the review and 7 of them in the energy and macronutrients intake meta-analysis. In the Systematic Review, breakfast consumers had higher energy intake (EI), fibre intake, and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and lower consumption of soft drinks than breakfast skippers. In the Meta-Analysis, breakfast consumers had a higher carbohydrates intake (MD, -8.21; 95%CI: -11.37, -5.05) and fibre intake (MD, -8.43; 95%CI: -12.63, -4.23) than breakfast skippers. However, breakfast consumers had a lower fat intake (MD, 4.59; 95%CI: 2.04, 7.15). Our review suggests that breakfast consumption is associated with better macronutrient intake and healthier food and beverage consumption.