Association of skipping breakfast and different domains of cognitive function among undergraduate medical students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: To find out the prevalence of skipping breakfast and its association with different domains of cognitive function. Materials and Methods: Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, a representative sample of 184 under graduate students were included. Cognitive function was assessed using previously validated scales of measurement like FDS (Forward Digit Span) and BDS (Backward Digit Span) for assessing short-term and working memory respectively and MMSE (Mini Mental Scale Examination) for assessing global cognitive function. Categorical variables were expressed as a percentage and continuous variables were expressed in terms of mean and median. Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the medians. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Almost three-quarter of the study participants were found to have skipped breakfast either once or more than once in a week. All the three scores (FDS, BDS and MMSE) were higher among those who took breakfast. However; only the differences in BDS and MMSE scores were statistically significant. Conclusion: It was observed that those who took breakfast had higher BDS and MMSE scores indicating positive association between having breakfast and certain domains of cognitive function. Further, studies with robust study designs are needed to elicit the association of skipping breakfast and cognitive function, which would contribute further to our existing knowledge.