title: The effects of breakfast on short-term cognitive function among Chinese white-collar workers: protocol for a three-phase crossover study.
abstract: As the first meal of the day, breakfast plays an important role in supplying energy and nutrients, which are critical to working and learning activities. A three-phase crossover study was designed to investigate the effects of breakfast on cognitive function among Chinese white-collar workers. The planned study protocol is presented.
  
  
  
  A total of 264 participants aged 25-45 years will be recruited from Shenyang and Chongqing. Self-administered questionnaires will be used to collect information on age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, smoking habits, drinking habits, and breakfast behaviours. The participants will be randomly assigned to 3 equal-sized groups (Groups A, B, and C) and will be provided with a nutrition-adequate breakfast, a nutrition-inadequate breakfast, or no breakfast, respectively. Each participant will receive the breakfast treatment on the basis of assignment to one of three sequences (ABC/BCA/CAB). Each participant will complete a battery of cognitive tests assessing short-term memory, attention, and working memory 120 minutes after breakfast. Mood will be measured through a self-administered questionnaire assessing the dimensions of positive and negative frames of mind. Additionally, fasting blood glucose and postprandial 2-hour blood glucose levels will be tested with a blood-glucose meter (Roche ACCU-CHEK®-Performa). All the participants will take all the tests in three successive weeks, and the order of presentation will be counter-balanced across groups.
  
  
  
  The present study will be the first investigation of the effect of breakfast food type and quality on cognitive function amongst white-collar workers in China. We predict that a nutrition-adequate breakfast, compared with a nutrition-inadequate breakfast and no breakfast, will significantly improve short-term cognitive function. The results of this study should provide scientific evidence of the effect of breakfast quality on cognitive function and provide scientific data to inform nutrition education strategies and promote a healthy lifestyle.
  
  
  
  Chinese clinical trial registry (Primary registry in the WHO registry network) Registration number: ChiCTR-IPR-15007114 . Date of registration: August 25, 2015.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhenchuang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9678-6970
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ailing
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Liaoning Center for Disease Control and Prevention, He Ping District, Shenyang, 110058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dechun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Yu Zhong District, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China. mags@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guansheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D062408:Breakfast; D002681:China; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires