The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 1 The Effects of Skipping Breakfast on the Academic Performance among students in Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS IIUM) Alhafizah A. Ramos Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic University Malaysia
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The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance
This study investigates the effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance among students in Centre for Foundation Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS IIUM). This study has provided the answers for the research question like, what is the importance of breakfast, what is the trend of skipping breakfast among students and what are the effects of skipping breakfast, what is the relationship of the effect skipping breakfast on the academic performance among student in CFS IIUM and do the students aware with the importance of breakfast. Primary data were collected by randomly distributing questionnaires to 20 students in CFS IIUM in the morning. A simple IQ test also attached in the questionnaire to test their focus and memory on the morning they answer the questionnaire. The result of this study is, 55% of the respondents skipped the breakfast and 20% from the breakfast skipper failed the test compare to breakfast eater, only 15%. Since the IQ test was about to examined their focus and memory, it can be analysed that breakfast skipper has lack focus and weak memory as many of them fail the test. As a conclusion, students who skip the breakfast tend to have a weak memory and lack focus. This can affect their academic performance as memory and focus is very important to excel in the study. Skipping breakfast gives negative effects to the academic performance.
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The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 1
The Effects of Skipping Breakfast on the Academic Performance among students in
Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS IIUM)
Alhafizah A. Ramos
Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic University Malaysia
The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 2
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance among
students in Centre for Foundation Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS
IIUM). This study has provided the answers for the research question like, what is the
importance of breakfast, what is the trend of skipping breakfast among students and what are the
effects of skipping breakfast, what is the relationship of the effect skipping breakfast on the
academic performance among student in CFS IIUM and do the students aware with the
importance of breakfast. Primary data were collected by randomly distributing questionnaires to
20 students in CFS IIUM in the morning. A simple IQ test also attached in the questionnaire to
test their focus and memory on the morning they answer the questionnaire. The result of this
study is, 55% of the respondents skipped the breakfast and 20% from the breakfast skipper failed
the test compare to breakfast eater, only 15%. Since the IQ test was about to examined their
focus and memory, it can be analysed that breakfast skipper has lack focus and weak memory as
many of them fail the test. As a conclusion, students who skip the breakfast tend to have a weak
memory and lack focus. This can affect their academic performance as memory and focus is very
important to excel in the study. Skipping breakfast gives negative effects to the academic
performance.
Keywords: Effects of skipping breakfast, Skipping Breakfast, Academic performance, focus,
memory, breakfast.
The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 3
Table of Contents
Pages
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………… 2
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… 4
Literature Review …………………………………………………………………….... 6
Methodology ……………………………………………………………………….. 9
Findings ……………………………………………………………………….. 12
Discussion ……………………………………………………………………….. 16
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….. 17
References ……………………………………………………………………….. 19
Appendices ……………………………………………………………………….. 22
The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 4
Introduction
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2010, p.918), ‘meal’ can be
defined as an occasion when people sit down to eat food, especially breakfast, lunch or dinner.
There are five most common set meal times in the Western world yet are practiced nationwide.
They are breakfast, lunch, tea break, dinner and supper.
Apparently, dinner are always become the largest or the main meal of the day (Martin &
Chaney, 2006) but according to Davis (2004) one should “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a
prince and dinner like a pauper” (p.446). Her words tell us that breakfast is very important and
we need to eat more during breakfast compare to other meals. Many other nutritionists also
emphasize the importance of breakfast such as McAllister (2004), Wright and Larsen (2011),
Greene, Merendino and Jibrin (2009) because we need more energy in the morning than at night
due to the active tasks that we need to perform in the day (Wright & Larsen, 2011). Wright and
Larsen (2011) also stated that, “Studies shows that people who take breakfast perform better at
all task, have more energy throughout the day and tend to weigh less” (p.274).
Unfortunately Sindeli (2007), in a report on The Future of Mealtimes, revealed that
breakfast is ‘the most missed meal in Europe’ (p.130). As stated before, breakfast is very
important. So there would be a lot of negative effects when we skip the breakfast. Copious
studies have been carried out to identify the negative effects of skipping breakfast on the study
performance among students. A study carried out by a student in Murdoch University, Australia,
did not find any relationship between skipping breakfast and academic performance (Khan,
2006). Meanwhile, Phillips (2005) found that students who ate breakfast had a higher success
rate on General Biology exams than those students who skip it.
The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 5
Breakfast is an important contributor to the overall dietary quality of a human (Evans,
2009). This finding is complementary to another research carried out by Nicklas, O’Niel and
Berenson (1998) where they concluded that, people who do not eat breakfast have a significantly
lower nutritional status than people who take breakfast. All these finding however need more in-
depth study to confirm whether skipping breakfast can give negative effects on the academic
performance of students.
This study is set up to identify the effects of skipping breakfast to the academic
performance of the students.
The objectives of the study are;
1. To find out the importance of breakfast,
2. To investigate the trend of skipping breakfast among students and the effects if they skip
the breakfast
3. To relate the effect of skipping breakfast and the academic performance among students
in the Centre for Foundation Studies International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS
IIUM).
4. To find out whether the students are aware with the importance of breakfast.
This study will provide answers to the following questions;
1. What is the importance of breakfast?
2. What is the trend of skipping breakfast among students and what are the effects of
skipping breakfast?
3. What is the relationship of the effect skipping breakfast and the academic performance
among student in CFS IIUM?
4. Do the students aware with the importance of breakfast?
The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 6
This study will be carried out in order to find out how skipping breakfast can affect the academic
performance of the students and to create awareness to them about how important breakfast is
and they should not abandon it.
Literature Review
As breakfast always pointed as the most important meal of the day by many authors,
nutritionist and researchers like Davis (2004), McAllister (2004), Greene, Merendino and Jibrin
(2009), hence there must be a vast number of benefits we can gain by practicing breakfast.
According to Duyff (2011), after eight to ten hours without food, our body needs to replenish its
blood sugar supplies. Most importantly, the brain needs a fresh supply of blood sugar to use as
its main energy source, because it doesn't have any storage capacity like the muscle do. That
means it needs to refuel each morning so it has the energy for sustained mental work. Our
muscles also need a fresh supply of blood sugar to help fuel our physical activity.
Schmieder (n.d.) also claimed that “Starting your day with a good breakfast boosts your
energy, increases your attention span, and heightens your sense of well-being. You’ll be in better
control of your emotions.” (One Step at a Time: What to Do, para. 1). Having breakfast can also
help us in losing weight (Schlundt, Hill, Sbrocco, Pope-Cordle & Sharp, 1992; Wyatt, Grunwald,
Mosca, Klem, Wing & Hill, 2002) and lower the risk of heart failure (Djoussé & Gaziano, 2007).
Numerous researches have been carried out to identify the trend of skipping breakfast
among children and adolescent. Phillips (2005) had carried out a research on breakfast trend
among students in his college in Texas and he found that 34% from his samples do not take
breakfast. An Australian finding also provides a report on the study of an Australian survey of
699 thirteen-year-olds concerning the extent of skipping breakfast indicated that approximately
12% of the sample skipped breakfast (Shaw, 1998). A researcher concluded in his study that the
The effects of skipping breakfast on the academic performance 7
younger the generation, the higher the rate of skipping breakfast (Zasshi, 2001). Therefore, we
can see here that the trend of skipping breakfast is high among teenagers whom are the students.
Skipping the breakfast might cause us to abandon all the benefits and importance. This
habit can promote the cardiovascular risk factors such as lack of exercise, smoking, high blood
pressure, and high serum total cholesterol (Zasshi, 2001). Hence, it may increase the risk of
having cardiovascular disease. Gaining weight is also one of the problem that can arouse when
we skip the breakfast (Berkey, Rockett,Gillman,Field & Colditz, 2003).
There are studies stating that breakfast can enhance the daily nutrient intake and
improvements in nutrient intake which can be associated with significant improvements in