Evaluation of nutrient intake and breakfast quality according to breakfast type among Korean adolescents: Analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey data (2016 2019)

Abstract

Objectives This study is to evaluate the quality of breakfast and compare the nutritional intake by breakfast type of Korean adolescents. Methods This study analyzed data from 3,779 adolescents aged 12 to 18 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted from 2016 to 2019. Breakfast was classified as ‘rice’, ‘bread’, ‘noodles’, ‘cereal’, and ‘others’ based on the main food consumed. Differences in general characteristics by breakfast type were ana-lyzed, and nutrient intake and nutrient intake ratio relative to daily nutrient intake standards were used for the analysis. Additionally, the study derived the contribution rate and nutrient density of daily nutrient intake from breakfast. Results Regarding the type of breakfast consumed by adolescents, rice ranked first at about 45%, followed by bread, cereal, and noodles. The breakfast skipping rate was higher among female adolescents at 43.03% com-pared to males at 35.57%. Rice and bread tended to account for most of the energy and protein intake, and cereals accounted for the highest daily intake of vitamins and minerals. The contribution rate of breakfast to daily energy intake was about 23-24% for rice and noodles, about 18% for bread, and about 14% for cereal. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that rice is an excellent breakfast diet for Korean adolescents. However, the high rate of breakfast skipping among adolescents suggests the need for efficient and continuous nutritional education about regular breakfast.