Association of breakfast frequency with blood pressure, waist circumference, physical activity, and sedentary behavior among Brazilian adolescents

To analyze the association of breakfast frequency with cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure and waist circumference) and physical activity and sedentary behavior in adolescents. The sample consisted of 941 Brazilian adolescents (520 girls), aged 10–17 years. Anthropometric measurements of weight, height and waist circumference were obtained. An automatic cuff-based oscillometric device was used to measure blood pressure. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess breakfast frequency, physical activity, sedentary behavior and socioeconomic status. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the association of breakfast frequency with cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle behaviors, adjusted by sex, age and socioeconomic status. Higher breakfast frequency was associated with lower waist circumference (β= -0.88, CI 95%= -1.46; -0.30, p = 0.003) and lower systolic blood pressure (β= -1.19, CI 95%= -1.98; -0.40, p = 0.003) after adjustment for sex; however, these associations lost statistical significance after adjustment for age. High breakfast frequency was associated with lower sedentary behavior (β= -0.39, CI95%= -0.75; -0.03, p = 0.036) and higher physical activity (β = 0.36, CI 95%= 0.20; 0.52, p ≤ 0.001) after adjustment for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. Higher breakfast frequency was associated with lower cardiovascular risk factors and healthier lifestyle behaviors in adolescents.