Obesity in Adolescents Who Skip Breakfast Is Not Associated with Physical Activity

Abstract

It has been hypothesized that breakfast consumption is generally associated with healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as increased physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine the relations between breakfast consumption, adiposity measures and physical activity among adolescents. This investigation is a part of the Croatian physical activity in adolescence longitudinal study (CRO-PALS). This investigation is based on 802 participants (48% girls and 52% boys), aged between 15.2 and 16.0 years. Physical activity level and sedentary behaviors were assessed using the SHAPES questionnaire. Adiposity measures included the sum of four skinfolds, and multi-pass 24-h recall was used as the dietary assessment method. Participants who consumed breakfast had significantly lower body fat % (p = 0.011 for boys; p ≤ 0.001 for girls) compared to breakfast non-consumers. Physical activity has no mediating effect in the association of breakfast consumption on adiposity in boys (Sobel's t = -0.541; p = 0.588) and girls (Sobel's t = 1.020; p = 0.307). Breakfast consumption was negatively associated with adiposity only in the boys at the highest tertile of physical activity (p = 0.04). Physical activity has no mediating effect on the associations between breakfast consumption and adiposity, but has a moderation effect only in the most active boys. Breakfast consumption might exert beneficial effects only in the most active male adolescents, but not in the inactive ones.

Keywords: adolescents; eating habits; obesity; physical activity.

Figure 1

Mediation model of the effect of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on the association between breakfast consumption and adiposity in girls (A) and boys (B). MVPA—moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; NS—non-significant; * significant at p <0.05. Values in boldface type represent age-, socioeconomic status- and sleep time-adjusted associations between breakfast consumption and MVPA (total effect, a), MVPA and adiposity (total effect, b) and breakfast consumption and adiposity (total effect, c). Values in parentheses represent age-, socioeconomic status- and sleep time-adjusted associations between breakfast consumption and adiposity with control for the hypothesized mediator, MVPA (direct effect, c’), and between MVPA and adiposity with control for breakfast consumption (direct effect, b’). The indirect or mediation effect (ab’) was −0.001 and −0.003 in girls and boys, respectively, and was deemed nonsignificant as assessed with the Sobel test (t = 1.020, p = 0.31 in girls and t = −0.54, p = 0.59 in boys).

Figure 2

Associations between breakfast consumption and adiposity in boys and girls stratified by tertiles of physical activity. Unstandardized regression coefficients B and 95% confidence intervals are shown. Association significant at p < 0,05. Average moderate-to-vigorous physical activity across tertiles—Boys: least active 4.6 ± 1.7 (p = 0.45), moderately active 9.8 ± 1.4 (p = 0.13) and most active 19.2 ± 5.5 (p = 0.04) kcal/kg/day. Girls: least active 3.4 ± 1.3 (p = 0.40), moderately active 7.3 ± 1.2 (p = 0.09) and most active 15.7 ± 5.1 (p = 0.07) kcal/kg/day.