title: Proposal for a Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) for children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To propose and apply an instrument to assess the breakfast quality of children and adolescents in the Mediterranean area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, cross-sectional survey of breakfast consumption using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ administered at school by trained dietitians between Tuesday and Friday. A Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) score was developed, assigning a positive value to the consumption of cereals, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, MUFA, Ca and compliance with energy recommendations, and to the absence of SFA and trans-rich fats. Data were analysed by Student's t test and ANOVA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Schools in Granada and Balearic Islands (Spain).
  
  
  METHODS
  All schoolchildren (n 4332) aged 8-17 years at randomly selected and representative schools between 2006 and 2008, stratified by age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Breakfast was not consumed by 6·5 % of participants. BQI score was highest for children aged 7-9 years and decreased with age (P = 0·001). Females scored higher in all age groups. The lowest score was in males aged 14-17 years and the highest in females aged 7-9 years (P = 0·006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed BQI appears useful to estimate the breakfast quality of schoolchildren and to form a basis for nutrition education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monteagudo
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palacín-Arce
authors.forename: Maria del Mar
authors.initials: Mdel M
authors.lastname: Bibiloni
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Josep A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tur
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olea-Serrano
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mariscal-Arcas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D062408:Breakfast; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D004046:Dietetics; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009753:Nutritive Value; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012574:Schools; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables