title: Breakfast cereal is associated with a lower prevalence of obesity among 10-12-year-old children: the PANACEA study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Eating behaviours and obesity status among children have already been evaluated in several studies, with conflicting results. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation of breakfast cereal with childhood obesity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A representative sample of 700 children (323 male) selected from 18 schools located in Athens greater area were enrolled. Children and their parents completed questionnaires that evaluated dietary habits and physical activity. We also retrieved information about the type of breakfast most frequently consumed. Height and weight of the children was measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Simple and multiple logistic regression methods were used in order to determine the relationship between cereal intake for breakfast and obesity. Some boys (8.6%) and girls (9.0%) were obese, whereas 33.9% of boys and 22.1% of girls were overweight. For boys, the adjusted odds ratio for breakfast cereal intake for being overweight or obese was 0.54 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45-1.29), while for girls it was 0.41 (95% CI: 0.21-0.79). Moreover, the odds ratio of overweight/obesity for boys who ate daily breakfast was 0.51 (95% CI: 0.25-1.05), and for girls was 0.27 (95% CI: 0.12-0.64), adjusted for physical activity and other potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data provide evidence that breakfast cereal as a most frequent choice, and daily consumption of breakfast, are inversely associated with the prevalence of overweight or obesity in 10-12-year-old children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition-Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. d.b.panagiotakos@usa.net
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antonogeorgos
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Anthracopoulos
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konstantinidou
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fretzayas
authors.forename: Kostas N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Priftis
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002523:Edible Grain; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence