TABLE 1.
Age-standardized baseline participant characteristics by breakfast consumption in 29,206 US men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study1
| Breakfast consumers | Breakfast nonconsumers | |
| n | 24,173 | 5033 |
| Age (y) | 58.2 ± 9.22 | 57.8 ± 8.7 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.4 (2.9) | 26.0 (3.0) |
| Family history of diabetes (%) | 13 | 13 |
| Current smoking (%) | 5 | 15 |
| Physical activity (MET-h3/wk) | 38.3 ± 41.7 | 34.4 ± 40.5 |
| Alcohol intake (g/d) | 10.4 ± 13.3 | 13.9 ± 16.8 |
| Energy intake (kcal/d) | 2006 ± 574 | 1910 ± 598 |
| Dietary glycemic load | 128 ± 44 | 112 ± 45 |
| Dietary glycemic index | 53.2 ± 3.2 | 52.2 ± 3.6 |
| Cereal fiber intake (g/d)4 | 6.5 ± 3.7 | 4.4 ± 2.8 |
| Prudent dietary score (percentage above the median)5 | 53 | 33 |
| Western dietary score (percentage above the median)6 | 50 | 55 |
| Coffee intake (includes decaffeinated), servings/d | 1.8 ± 1.6 | 2.3 ± 1.9 |
| Eating occasions (times/d) | 3.0 ± 0.7 | 2.0 ± 0.7 |
| Eat before breakfast (%) | 0 | 4 |
| Eat between breakfast and lunch (brunch) (%) | 7 | 21 |
| Eat lunch (%) | 93 | 77 |
| Eat between lunch and dinner (%) | 12 | 11 |
| Eat dinner (%) | 98 | 93 |
| Eat before going to bed (%) | 43 | 47 |
| Eat after going to bed (%) | 1 | 2 |
| Snacks (%)7 | 51 | 62 |
Compared with breakfast consumers, men who skipped breakfast had a slightly higher BMI, smoked more, exercised less, consumed more alcohol and less cereal fiber, and drank more coffee. Also, men who skipped breakfast tended to have poorer diet quality as reflected by a lower prudent dietary pattern score and a higher Western dietary pattern score than did breakfast consumers (all P < 0.05).
Mean ± SD (all such values).
MET-h, metabolic equivalent task hours.
Nutrient intakes were energy-adjusted.
In general, a higher prudent dietary score indicated better diet quality.
In general, a higher Western dietary score indicated worse diet quality.
Defined as eating at other occasions beyond the 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). On average, 43% of the sample snacked 1 time/d, and 11% of the sample snacked ≥2 times/d.