A study on breakfast consumption and skipping pattern among college students in Coimbatore

Background: Breakfast, an important meal in a day provides 1/3rd of the days’ requirement. Beyond satisfying hunger, breakfast improves both the health and cognitive ability of individual. This study aimed at exploring the breakfast consumption pattern, prevalence of skipping breakfast, reasons for skipping and perceptions toward this meal. The study also aimed to find a solution to reduce the prevalence of breakfast skipping. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 612 undergraduate students from four colleges comprising of 2 Engineering and 2 Arts and Science colleges in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. The questionnaire included socio-demographic, perception about each meal, reasons for skipping breakfast and their preference towards breakfast choices. Results: In a sample of 612 undergraduate students, 73 percent reported skipped any one of the meals, of which breakfast accounts to 66 percent. Though 59 per cent participants believed that breakfast is an essential meal contradictorily, they skip breakfast. Reasons for breakfast skipping were enlisted to be lack of time (37 per cent) followed by not feeling hungry, waking up late. About 86 per cent of the students showed a positive response towards the acceptance of Ready-To-Eat (RTE) breakfast due to lack of time in the morning. They expressed this kind of RTE will help them to consume breakfast regularly. Conclusion: Creating awareness on importance of breakfast alone would not contribute to reduce breakfast skipping. As preferred by the participants, development of affordable and available RTE (on-the-go meals) convenient foods would help them to consume it regularly thereby enhancing the nutritional and health status of the college students.