Breakfast Skipping among Personnel in Rajavithi Hospital
Charuwan Manmee PhD*, Manussanun Tanavikrankoon MSc*, Kanya Janpol MSc*
Affiliation : * Division of Medical Research, Department of Research and Technology Assessment, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : Breakfast skipping is considered to be an unhealthy eating habit and is linked with several health issues,
including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Few studies on the breakfast consumption habits
of hospital personnel have been carried out.
Objective : This study aimed to determine the prevalence of breakfast skipping among Rajavithi Hospital personnel. Quality
of life, knowledge of the importance of eating breakfast, and patterns of breakfast consumption were also assessed.
Material and Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out of 356 personnel in the hospital between February and May
2015. Medical record data relating to annual check-ups were collected by means of a questionnaire which requested
information regarding demographic data, breakfast patterns, knowledge of the importance of eating breakfast, and quality of
life (WHOQOL-BREF-THAI). This study was approved by the ethics committee of Rajavithi Hospital.
Results : The majority of the participants were female (87.1%) with mean age of 38.68+11.41 years. Most had normal BMI,
were single, had a bachelor degree and worked in the cluster of nursing. The prevalence of breakfast skipping was 14%, and
the main reasons given for not eating breakfast were lack of time (33.7%) and inconvenience (28.1%). Sleep hygiene and
sleep quality differed between groups. A moderate level of knowledge about the importance of eating breakfast was found;
however, this factor was not significantly associated with breakfast consumption. Overall quality of life (QOL) was moderate.
The QOL for mental health in those who ate breakfast was significantly higher than in those who did not.
Conclusion : The prevalence of breakfast skipping was low, and this is consistent with the findings of other studies in the
literature. Mental health was significantly associated with breakfast consumption. In order to increase the rate of breakfast
consumption, interventions should be developed for specific target groups.
Keywords : Breakfast skipping, Breakfast consumer, Eating habit, Quality of life
