Eating breakfast provides children with energy to learn and play throughout the day. Research shows that children who eat breakfast are able to concentrate better in class, and are absent from school less often.[1],[2] They are also more likely to have healthier diets, and less likely to be overweight.[3]
| Youth who report eating breakfast daily |
About the MeasureThis measure is collected from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Youth Survey that gathers self-reported well-being data from grade 7 and 10 students. To determine daily breakfast consumption, students are asked how often they eat breakfast in a usual school week (Monday to Friday). Key FindingsThe percentage of students who report daily breakfast eating has remained stable across the three Youth Survey cycles. Based on the 2017-18 survey, more males than females and non-binary students reported eating breakfast daily. Students who identify as non-binary reported the steepest decline in breakfast consumption from grade 7 to grade 10 compared to male and female students. Not shown on in the graph, students from Guelph (57%) are less likely to report daily breakfast consumption compared to students from Wellington (54%) and Dufferin (49%). Data by year and at the municipal level can be found in the downloadable Excel file at the bottom of this page.
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Source: WDG Youth Survey, 2017-18. WDG Report Card Coalition. Last updated August 2, 2018. LimitationsThe WDG Youth Survey collects self-reported data and is subject to response bias and recall bias. This measure does not include the types of food consumed during breakfast. As a result, this data only provides information on the frequency of breakfast and not the adequacy of breakfast consumed.
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[1] Liu, J., Hwang, W. T., Dickerman, B., & Compher, C. (2013). Regular breakfast consumption is associated with increased IQ in kindergarten children. Early human development, 89(4), 257-262.
[2] Kothe, E. J., & Mullan, B. (2011). Increasing the frequency of breakfast consumption. British food journal, 113(6), 784-796.
[3] Szajewska, H., & Ruszczyński, M. (2010). Systematic review demonstrating that breakfast consumption influences body weight outcomes in children and adolescents in Europe. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 50(2), 113-119.