Effect of Breakfast Consumption Pattern on Cognitive Skills and Nutritional Status of Higher Primary School Children

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine the effect of breakfast consumption pattern on cognitive skills and nutritional status of higher primary school children at University of Agricultural Science Dharwad (2021-2022). The population of the study comprised of 60 children from rural and 60 children from urban (aged between 10-13 years) in Dharwad district who attended higher primary school (5th, 6th and 7th classes) selected from door to door survey method. Self structured questionnaire was used to collect the general information and breakfast consumption pattern of children. The cognitive skills of children were assessed by using Wechsler’s Intelligence Scale for School Children (WISC-III). Results revealed that, cognitive tests and cognitive skills score was found regular breakfast consumer was higher score than the irregular breakfast consumers in both rural and urban areas. Rural areas, regular and irregular breakfast consumers had average level of cognitive indices and urban regular breakfast consumers had high average level and irregular breakfast eaters had average level of cognitive indices. Promoting and providing a healthy breakfast at home / school may particularly help breakfast skippers and should lie even in the interest of policymakers.