Breakfast in the Philippines: food and diet quality as analyzed from the 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey

Abstract

Background The quality of foods taken during breakfast could contribute in shaping diet quality. This study determined the regularity of breakfast consumption and breakfast quality based on the food, energy and nutrient intakes of Filipinos. Materials and methods Data from the 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) was extracted for analysis. There were 63,655 individuals comprising about 14,013 school-aged children (6–12 years old), 9,082 adolescents (13–18 years old), 32,255 adults (19–59 years old), and 8,305 elderly (60 years old and above). Two-day non-consecutive 24-h food recalls were used to measure food and nutrient intakes. Diet quality was measured using Nutrient-Rich Food Index (NRF) 9.3. The sample was stratified by age group and NRF9.3 tertiles. Results and findings Results showed that 96 – 98% Filipinos across age groups were consuming breakfast. Children age 6–12 years have the highest NRF9.3 average score (417), followed by the elderly (347), adolescents (340), and adults (330). These scores were very low in comparison with the maximum possible NRF score which is 900. The essential nutrient intakes of respondents were significantly higher among those with the healthiest breakfast diet (Tertile 3) compared to those with the poorest breakfast diet (Tertile 1). However, participants in the healthiest breakfast diet did not meet 20% of the recommendations for calcium, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. Conclusion and recommendations This study revealed that majority of the population are regular breakfast consumers. However, the breakfast consumed regularly by Filipinos were found to be nutritionally inadequate. And even those classified under Tertile 3 which were assumed as having a better quality of breakfast were still found to have nutrient inadequacies. Thus, the study suggests that Filipinos must consume a healthy breakfast by including nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fresh meat, and milk to provide at least 20–25% of the daily energy and nutrient intakes.

Breakfast Consumption and Quality of Macro- and Micronutrient Intake in Indonesia: A Study from the Indonesian Food Barometer

“…After sample weighting, the survey participants' profiles represented the typical Indonesian population when compared with the 2020 Indonesian census (17). The prevalence of breakfast skippers among Indonesian adults in this study is 5.2%, which is somewhat similar with other parts of the world [32,[38][39][40][41] but lower than that of Canadian adults [42]. The low prevalence of breakfast skippers signifies the importance of the meal to the Indonesian adult population.…”

Burden and trends of stroke attributable to dietary risk factors from 1990 to 2019 in the Belt and Road Initiative countries: an analysis from the global burden of disease study 2019

“…The Philippines is constantly facing the enormous burden of malnutrition, especially among adults suffering from various forms of malnutrition, and there has also been a noticeable change in food consumption ( 33 , 34 ). The 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey in Philippines analyzed the relationship between food intake and diet quality, and found that the breakfast that Filipinos regularly eat was not nutritious enough ( 35 ). This partly explains the increasing trend of diet-induced stroke DALYs in Philippines over the 30 years period.…”

Breakfast quality and its sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates among Italian children, adolescents, and adults from the Italian Nutrition & HEalth Survey (INHES) study

“…Regular breakfast consumption has been associated with weight control, visceral fat, better cognitive function, and a favourable cardio-metabolic health [ 1 – 5 ]. Besides breakfast regularity, breakfast composition is an important aspect of breakfast in relation with the daily dietary intake of nutrients [ 6 – 9 ]. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in examining the association between breakfast quality and overall health [ 10 – 12 ].…”

“…The Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) is a tool for assessing the nutritional quality of breakfast in epidemiological studies [ 16 ], based on the food groups and nutrients intake with the rationale of O’Neil, 2014 [ 15 ] and the scoring system proposed by Monteagudo, 2013 [ 14 ]. In adults, an overall good breakfast quality has been associated with a healthier cardiometabolic profile independent of overall diet quality [ 17 , 18 ] and with the achievement of daily nutrient requirements [ 9 , 16 ]. Observational studies of breakfast consumption in association with mental health are also emerging [ 10 – 12 ].…”