Author(s):
Arjun VP, Ashley Johnson, Asna MN, Ayana Benny, Ayfin Anto, Christeena Thomas, Dipthi Prakash P, Fathimathul Hiba PI, Jaisy Joseph
Email(s):
jaisykjoseph@gmail.com
DOI:
10.52711/2454-2652.2026.00015 
Address:
Arjun VP1, Ashley Johnson1, Asna MN1, Ayana Benny1, Ayfin Anto1, Christeena Thomas1, Dipthi Prakash P1, Fathimathul Hiba PI1, Jaisy Joseph2*
1B. Sc. Nursing VII Semester Students, Elite College of Nursing, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
2Associate Professor, Elite College of Nursing, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 14,
Issue - 2,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
Background: Breakfast is considered a vital meal for restoring energy after overnight fasting and supporting metabolic and cognitive function. Despite its known benefits, skipping breakfast is becoming increasingly common among youth, especially college students in India, where lifestyle factors such as academic pressure, time constraints, and limited food choices influence eating habits. This descriptive study aimed to assess the prevalence of skipping breakfast and explore the socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with this practice among nursing students at a selected college, Thrissur. Methods: A quantitative, non-experimental research design was used with a sample of 60 nursing undergraduates selected through convenience, non-probability sampling. Data were collected using a validated self-structured questionnaire. Results: The findings revealed that 53.33% of students skipped breakfast at least once per week. Major reasons included lack of time (50%), early morning classes or clinical duties (46.87%), and limited food variety (31.25%). Despite acknowledging breakfast’s benefits—such as improved energy (84.37%) and attention (40.62%)—many students skipped it. Most students reported poor dietary patterns, insufficient sleep, and low physical activity. Significant associations were found between breakfast skipping and socio-personal variables such as age, mother’s occupation, religion, and type of family (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings underlined the importance of specific strategies, including nutritional education, improved food services, time management support, and awareness programs. Nurses, educators, and administrators play a key role in promoting regular breakfast consumption to enhance student health, academic performance, and long-term wellness.
Cite this article:
Arjun VP, Ashley Johnson, Asna MN, Ayana Benny, Ayfin Anto, Christeena Thomas, Dipthi Prakash P, Fathimathul Hiba PI, Jaisy Joseph. Prevalence and Associated Factors of Breakfast Skipping among Nursing students at a selected college in Thrissur: A Descriptive study. International Journal of Advances in Nursing Management.2026;14(2):71-3. doi: 10.52711/2454-2652.2026.00015
Cite(Electronic):
Arjun VP, Ashley Johnson, Asna MN, Ayana Benny, Ayfin Anto, Christeena Thomas, Dipthi Prakash P, Fathimathul Hiba PI, Jaisy Joseph. Prevalence and Associated Factors of Breakfast Skipping among Nursing students at a selected college in Thrissur: A Descriptive study. International Journal of Advances in Nursing Management.2026;14(2):71-3. doi: 10.52711/2454-2652.2026.00015 Available on: https://www.ijanm.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-14-2-1
REFERENCES:
1. Sunny DM, Mendonca TL. A Study to Assess Impact of Breakfast Eating Habit on Cognitive Ability among Adolescents (16-18years) in selected Pre-University Colleges, Mangalore. International Journal of Nursing Education and Research. 2015 Dec 28;3(4):433–6.
2. Martin AJ, Bostwick KCP, Burns EC, Munro-Smith V, George T, Kennett R, et al. A healthy breakfast each and every day is important for students’ motivation and achievement. Journal of School Psychology. 2024 Jun 1;104:101298.
3. Effect of skipping breakfast on cognition and learning in young adults. Research Gate.[Internet]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366742603_Effect_of_skipping_breakfast_on_cognition_and_learning_in_young_adults
4. Healthy Buffs: Ask the expert—Eating breakfast to energize your mind | CU Boulder Today | University of Colorado Boulder [Internet]. Available from: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2016/09/21/healthy-buffs-ask-expert-eating-breakfast-energize-your-mind
5. Adolphus K, Lawton CL, Dye L. The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Aug 8; 7: 425.
6. Sarungbam Sarju Devi, Rashmita Devi, Sanasam Bankimchandra Singh. An exploratory study to assess the effect of breakfast skipping on college performance among BSc nursing students in MM College of Nursing, Mullana, Ambala. Int J Appl Res. 2017; 3(3,PtN): 904-906 Available: https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/?year=2017&vol=3&issue=3&part=N&ArticleId=3486
7. Bhattacharya S, Dasgupta S. Prevalence of Anemia in Children of India: A State-level Analysis from NFHS-4 and NFHS-5. Asian Journal of Management. 2023 Dec 18; 14(4): 260–4.
8. Goel M, Gupta Y. A Study on: Poor Dietary Habits. Asian Journal of Management. 2023 Jun 7; 14(2): 118–20.
9. Amritha A, Babu D, Tejasri S, Maheswari S, Mary V. Assessment of breakfast skipping and health-compromising behaviours among college students in chennai. 2019 Sep 27;
10. Benny D, Varghese A, Baby AS, Roy A. Study to assess the prevalence of breakfast skipping and its associated factors among nursing students in selected college, Mangaluru. 2019;5(1).
11. Badiger: Dietary patterns among students of health... - Google Scholar [Internet].Available from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Dietary%20patterns%20among%20students%20of%20health%20sciences%20and%20its%20association%20with%20morbidity%20in%20a%20private%20medical%20university%20of%20Coastal%20Karnataka:%20A%20cross-sectional%20study
12. Kerwani T, Gupta S, Epari V, Sahoo J. Association of skipping breakfast and different domains of cognitive function among undergraduate medical students: A cross-sectional study. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2020 Jul 31; 64(2): 137–41.
13. Thakur A. A Pre- Experimental Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Powerpoint Presentation on Knowledge and Attitude regarding Breakfast Skipping among nursing students of selected nursing Institutes of District Chamba Himachal Pradesh. Asian Journal of Nursing Education and Research. 2025 Mar 17; 15(1): 31–4.
14. Joy MN, Parvathy M, Prasad MPA, Murali MPS, Cheriyan MS, Jyothilakshmi M. A Descriptive Study to assess the knowledge regarding effects of Skipping breakfast among mothers of school children in selected community areas at Kollam. International Journal of Nursing Education and Research. 2020 May 7; 8(2): 186–94.