Breakfast consumption was associated with suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt: a population-based cross-sectional study

Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 10:12:1410499. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1410499. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: Although several studies have explored the association between breakfast consumption and suicidal behaviors among children and adolescents, such associations have been less frequently reported among adults and seniors.

Method: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Hebei Province, China. A total of 21, 376 community residents aged 18 years and older were interviewed. This study evaluated the breakfast frequency per week (BFF), full breakfast frequency (FBF), suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts of the participants. Sociodemographic variables, living alone, and sleep quality were also measured.

Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts were 1.4, 0.3, and 0.2%, respectively. Compared to ≥6 days/week BFF, 2-3 days/week BFF was positively associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 1.93, p < 0.01), suicide plan (OR = 2.73, p < 0.05), and suicide attempts (OR = 3.46, p < 0.05). In addition, participants with 2-3 days/week FBF was also at higher risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 2.06, p < 0.001), comparing with never FBF.

Conclusion: The reported prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts were lower compared to other countries. Lower breakfast frequency was positively associated with suicidal behaviors, and participants with 2-3 days/week of full breakfast consumption were also at a higher risk of suicidal ideation.

Keywords: breakfast consumption; population-based study; suicidal ideation; suicide attempt; suicide plan.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Breakfast*
  • China / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Suicidal Ideation*
  • Suicide, Attempted* / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (71974114). The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication.