The Combined Unhealthy Behaviors of Breakfast Skipping and Smoking Are Associated with the Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus

The Combined Unhealthy Behaviors of Breakfast Skipping and Smoking Are Associated with the Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus

MIDORI NISHIYAMA,¹ TAKASHI MUTO,² TOSHIHIRO MINAKAWA³ and TOSHIE SHIBATA⁴

¹Institute of International Education and Research, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan
²Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan
³Tochigi Fitness Club, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan
⁴Health and Welfare Section, Kaminokawa Town Public Office, Kaminokawa, Tochigi, Japan

Skipping breakfast has been considered a representative unhealthy behavior, but there is little information about the combined effects of breakfast skipping and other unhealthy health habits, especially smoking. First this cross-sectional study investigated unhealthy behaviors among breakfast skippers, and then examined the impact of the combined association of skipping breakfast and smoking on health. A total of 1,200 adults living in one Japanese community were sent questionnaires to elicit data on age, gender, breakfast-eating frequency, and other lifestyle habits. A total 603 of people returned their questionnaires (response rate: 50.3%), and 493 (230 men and 263 women) questionnaires were considered appropriate for analysis. Smoking rate in men (mean age, 53.7 years) and women (mean age, 50.4 years) was 41.3%, and 9.5%, respectively. Skipping breakfast was more prevalent in people under age 50 years (p < 0.001), and was related to other unhealthy behaviors. Binary logistic regression identified current smoking as the most significant factor related to breakfast skipping (3.10, 95%CI 1.50-6.39). Other factors included, age younger than 50 years (3.04, 95%CI 1.31-7.06) and poor sleeping quality (2.06, 95%CI 1.00-4.25). After examining the combined impact of skipping breakfast and smoking, the highest odds ratio for a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was found among those who smoked and skipped breakfast (4.68, 95% CI: 1.46-15.05). Moreover, skipping breakfast among non-smokers showed a high association with perceived stress (2.83, 95% CI: 1.05-7.61). In conclusion, the combined unhealthy behaviors of skipping breakfast and smoking are associated with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus.

Keywords —— skipping breakfast; smoking; sleeping; diabetes mellitus; health.

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2009, 218, 259-264

Correspondence: Midori Nishiyama, Institute of International Education and Research, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Shimotsuga, Tochigi, 321-0293, Japan.

e-mail: m-nishi@dokkyomed.ac.jp