Predictors of breakfast skipping among 14 to 16 years old adolescents in Jordan: The influential role of mothers

Aim To assess the prevalence and identify the predictors of breakfast skipping among 14‐ to 16‐year‐old adolescents in Jordan, focusing on mother‐related variables. Background Breakfast is an essential meal across one's entire lifespan and especially important during the adolescent years. The practice of skipping breakfast has become so prevalent among adolescents that it is now a well‐documented nutritional problem. Design A descriptive cross‐sectional correlational design. Methods A proportional cluster stratified sampling protocol was used to select 1896 adolescents and their mothers (1013) during the period of March to June 2016. A self‐reported questionnaire was used to collect data on breakfast‐skipping rates, the perceived reasons for this behavior, the perceived importance of consuming breakfast, and maternal encouragement of breakfast consumption. Results The prevalence of breakfast skipping was 34.3% among adolescents and 21.5% among their mothers. A significant association was found between breakfast skipping among adolescents and their mothers (χ2 [1, n = 998] = 37.90, P = .001). Maternal encouragement of breakfast consumption, gender, and adolescent perception of the importance of this meal were found to be significant predictors of adolescent breakfast skipping. Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of involving mothers in developing nutritional health plans aimed at promoting regular breakfast consumption among adolescents. SUMMARY STATEMENT What is known about the topic? Regular breakfast intake has been linked to positive benefits for adolescent health, including lower risk for obesity and fewer biomarkers of chronic illness. The practice of skipping breakfast is highly prevalent among adolescents, both in Jordan and across the globe. Parental eating habits and attitudes influence adolescent eating behaviors and attitudes. What the paper adds? Female adolescents in Jordan skipped breakfast more often than male adolescents and to a significant degree. For both groups, lack of appetite was reported as the main reason (39%) for skipping breakfast. The interrelationships found between maternal and adolescent variables related to breakfast consumption highlight the pivotal role of mothers in promoting this practice. When mothers valued eating breakfast, so did their adolescent children, a relation that translated into lower rates of breakfast skipping among the adolescents. Maternal encouragement of breakfast consumption, the adolesc