An Exploration of Adolescents’ Breakfast Skipping Focused on Gender Difference

Background/Objectives: Although breakfast skipping is on the rise worldwide, few have investigated the variables associated with breakfast skipping among adolescents with a focus on gender differences. This study aimed to examine the associations between health-related variables and breakfast skipping, and to investigate whether these associations differ by gender. Methods: Data from 54,653 adolescents who participated in Korean Youth Risk Behavior, a cross-sectional national survey conducted in 2024, were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to examine the variables associated with breakfast skipping. Results: In model 1, the main effects revealed that health-related variables were associated with skipping breakfast. In model 2, interaction effects were observed between gender and physical activity, as well as between gender and perceived health status. Conclusions: This study provides foundational evidence for developing nutrition education programs that consider gender differences.