The Association Between Skipping Breakfast and Academic Performance among Adolescents (10 - 16 Years) in Tamale Metropolis, Northern Ghana

Abstract

Background: Breakfast is thought to be an important source of energy metabolism, which enhances the body's ability to perform effectively throughout the day (Fareed & Waseer, 2017). The adolescent stage requires a lot of energy for growth and development. There is limited information on how breakfast affects the academic performance of in- school adolescents. Objectives: To assess the association between skipping breakfast and the academic performance of adolescents between the ages of 10 - 16 years in the Tamale metropolitan. Methodology: A mixed-method study was used for this study. A semi-structured questionnaire, physical assessment, and focus group discussion were used in the collection of data. The association between breakfast skipping and nutritional status was determined using bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. Data were entered and coded in an excel sheet, then later exported onto SPSS software version 26, and WHO Anthro software for cleaning and analysis. Statistical significance was set at p-value of less than 0.05. Factors that influence breakfast skipping was determined through focus group discussion and thematic analysis was used for the analysis. Results: The prevalence of breakfast skipping was 28%. Within those who skipped breakfast, more than half (76.8%) of female participants skipped breakfast than the males (23.2%). Also, breakfast skipping, and gender had a significant association as p = 0. 001. Breakfast skipping was inversely correlated (- 0.29) with academic performance and it had a p-value of 0.000. The factors that influenced breakfast skipping among in-school adolescents were lack of time, economic reasons, social reasons, and health implications. Conclusion: Nutrient intake had no significant association with breakfast skipping except for vitamin C and calcium. Breakfast skipping had a weak significant association with academic performance at p = 0.01.