Skipping Breakfast is Associated with Shorter Sleep Duration in Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Breakfast skipping is common in young adults, including medical students. Poor sleep quality is also common in medical students. Sleep quality and duration are important determinants of health and wellbeing. The aim of the study is to explore the novel association between medical students’ frequency of breakfast consumption with sleep quality and duration. Methods: Year 3 medical students completed a survey at the end of 2018. Data collection included demographic information, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and breakfast consumption in the month before their end-of-year clinical assessment. Results: The response rate for the survey was 76.6% (216/282). Forty-five percent of medical students skipped breakfast at least once in an average week and 56.9% of students had poor sleep quality (as defined by PSQI scores > 5). There was a statistically significant association between a higher frequency of breakfast skipping and shorter sleep duration (Kendall’s tau-b, P = 0.012). Regression analysis also showed that breakfast frequency had a statistically significant impact on sleep duration (P = 0.048). Conclusion: Breakfast skipping is common in medical students. Furthermore, breakfast skipping is significantly associated with a shorter sleep duration. This knowledge could empower medical students to optimize their routines for better sleep and general health.