Healthy breakfast habits and changes in obesity-related cardiometabolic markers in children: a longitudinal analysis

Background Data on the association of breakfast habits and changes in cardiometabolic markers in children are limited. Methods In total, 6964 children aged 6-13 years from Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Jinan, Harbin, and Guangzhou were included in the final analysis. Daily consumption, consumption of >= 3 food groups, and at-home consumption were defined as healthy breakfast habits. Blood pressure, % fat mass, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, glucose, and 50-m x 8 shuttle run were measured at baseline (May 2009) and follow-up (May 2010). Clustered cardiometabolic risk score (CCRS) was computed by summing Z scores of five components: % fat mass, systolic blood pressure, glucose, TC to HDL-C ratio, and triglyceride. Results Children who ate breakfast daily had a higher decrease in TC to HDL-C ratio and a higher increase in HDL-C compared with breakfast skippers (both P values < 0.05). There was an inverse association of the number of food groups consumed at breakfast with the change in CCRS (P trend = 0.005). At-home breakfast consumption was associated with a lower increase in BMI, LDL-C, TC to HDL-C ratio, fasting glucose, and 50-m x 8 shuttle run and a higher increase in HDL-C (all P values < 0.05). Children with two or three healthy breakfast habits had a lower increase in CCRS, LDL-C, TC to HDL-C ratio, glucose, and a higher increase in HDL-C compared with those with none or one (all P values < 0.05). Conclusions Healthy breakfast habits might help minimize the cardiometabolic risk factors in children.