Breakfast Eating Habits and Lifestyle Behaviors among Saudi Primary School Children Attending Public Versus Private Schools.

We investigated breakfast eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among Saudi school children attending public versus private schools. A random sample of 1149 children (girls: 54.4%) from public and private schools was selected from elementary schools using the multistage stratified cluster method. Measurements included body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported questionnaires filled by the child's parents. There was no significant (p = 0.44) difference in the prevalence of breakfast intake between children attending public (20.6%) versus private (19.4%) schools. However, there was a gender by school type interactions in breakfast intake frequency, as boys in private but not in public schools had significantly (p = 0.006) higher (26.3%) daily breakfast intake than girls (13.3%). Over 56% of the children ate and drank from the school canteen, and impacting factors on children's choices were children's desire, food taste, and parental influence. More parents of children in private (12.1%) than in public (6.9%) schools were satisfied with the food in the school canteen. Younger age (aOR = 0.889, 95% CI = 0.815-0.970, p = 0.008), higher father education (aOR = 1.380, 95% CI = 1.130-1.686, p = 0.002), family income (aOR = 1.227, 95% CI = 1.005-1.498, p = 0.044), and insufficient sleep duration (aOR = 0.740, 95% CI = 0.553-0.990, p = 0.042) were significantly associated with being in a private school. Furthermore, no significant differences, when adjusted for socio-demographic factors, appeared in breakfast intake or overweight/obesity relative to school type. Interventions to improve daily breakfast consumption and lifestyle behaviors of Saudi children are warranted.

Anthropometric, Familial- and Lifestyle-Related Characteristics of School Children Skipping Breakfast in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Breakfast is a vital meal that provides children with important nutrients and energy. This study examined the anthropometric, familial- and lifestyle-related characteristics of school children skipping breakfast. A total of 1149 children (boys: 45.5%), 6 to 12 years old (mean and SD: 9.3 ± 1.7 years), were randomly selected from elementary schools in Jeddah. Weight and height were measured. Breakfast eating frequency, socio-demographics, and lifestyle behaviors were assessed using a specifically designed self-report questionnaire reported by the parents. Nearly 80% of the children skipped daily breakfast at home with no significant age or gender differences. The most common reasons for skipping breakfast at home included not feeling hungry and waking up late for school. Fried egg sandwiches and breakfast cereals were most frequently consumed for breakfast. Strong parental support for breakfast as the main daily meal was significantly associated with daily breakfast intake. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, gender, and socio-demographics, revealed that paternal education (aOR = 1.212, 95% CI = 1.020-1.440, p = 0.029), maternal education (aOR = 1.212, 95% CI = 1.003-1.464, p=0.046), insufficient sleep (aOR = 0.735, 95% CI = 0.567-0.951, p = 0.019), and BMI <25 kg/m2 (aOR = 1.333, 95% CI = 1.015-1.752, p = 0.039) were significantly associated with breakfast intake. The findings have implications for children's health and school performance. Concerted effort is required to promote breakfast consumption among Saudi children.

Adiposity and physical activity levels among preschool children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the levels of adiposity and physical activity among Saudi preschool children from Jeddah. METHODS: Participants included 224 Saudi preschool children, randomly selected from public and private preschools in Jeddah during April and May of 2006, using a multistage stratified sampling technique. Measurements included weight, height, body mass index, triceps and subscapular skinfolds, fat percentage, fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), FM index (FMI) and FFM index (FFMI), time spent watching television and physical activity levels using electronic pedometer for 3 continuous days during weekdays. RESULTS: The fat content averaged 20.6% of body weight, while the prevalence of obesity was 10.8%. There were significant gender differences in fat percentage, FM, FFM, FMI, and FFMI. The mean value for pedometer-determined steps counts for the preschool children was 6773.2 steps per day. Boys were significantly more active than girls. Only 22.4% of the preschool children had 10,000 steps or more per day. There were no significant age differences in skinfolds measurements, fat percentage, FMI, FFMI, central obesity or daily steps counts. Television viewing time increased by 22.5% from age 4 to age 6. Compared to non-obese, obese preschool children were significantly heavier, taller and had higher values for all adiposity indices and television viewing time. CONCLUSION: A considerable proportion of Saudi preschool children is obese and even a greater proportion is physically inactive. Obesity and physical inactivity represent major risks for a number of non-communicable diseases, and an early intervention is most appropriate.