Abstract

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of male middle school students'eating school breakfast on their attitudes toward breakfast and school breakfast. In addition, the effect of school breakfast on breakfast-related eating behaviors and academic achievement was investigated. The study subjects were selected from a male middle school located in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Breakfast was provided at the school for 7 weeks during the 2nd semester of the year 2006. Two sophomore classes were selected for the experimental study. All the students from one class (n = 34; School Breakfast Eaters) have eaten school breakfast while none of the students from the other class (n = 33; School Breakfast Non-eaters) have done so. About two weeks after the school breakfast service was terminated, questionnaires were distributed to the two classes and the responses were analyzed. The results showed that School Breakfast Eaters had more positive attitudes toward breakfast and school breakfast than School Breakfast Non-eaters. In addition, School Breakfast Eaters perceived the positive effect of eating breakfast on their school life more highly than School Breakfast Non-eaters. However there was no significant difference between the two groups in their breakfast eating behaviors in terms of breakfast skipping when the breakfast service was not available. No significant difference was found between the two groups with regards to math score variation before and after school breakfast service. In conclusion, school breakfast for 7 weeks had positive effects on male middle school students'attitudes toward breakfast and school breakfast, although the effect was not confirmed in their breakfast-related eating behaviors after the school breakfast service was terminated.

• Keywords: school breakfast service; breakfast effect; attitude toward breakfast; breakfast skipping