INTRODUCTION:

As nutritionist Adelle Davis said “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”. Breakfast is widely regarded as the most important meal of the day, providing essential nutrients and energy for optimal physical and mental performance.

However, breakfast skipping has become a common phenomenon among young adults, particularly students. Breakfast skipping has been linked to various negative health outcomes, including impaired cognitive functions, decreased productivity and poor dietary habits. Nursing students face unique challenges that may contribute to breakfast skipping including, demanding academic and clinical schedules, early morning clinical rotations, poor dietary habits and food preferences¹.

NEED OF THE STUDY:

Adolescents belonging to the age group of 15-21 years have a higher incidence of poor health, poor health attention and high risk of deficiency is seen, thus later corresponding to low literacy and learning level². Anemia is widely prevalent in young adolescent’s girls with the highest prevalence in India. According to NFHS – 3, 57.9% of girls were anemic of which 54.6% in urban areas and 59% in rural areas³.

Considering the previous study report, structured teaching programme on negligence of breakfast was the cost effect tool to promote knowledge about the problem of neglecting breakfast among the students. So, the researcher had planned to conduct the study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme regarding the knowledge on negligence of breakfast among the B.sc nursing students⁴.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

A study to assess the effectiveness of educational programme on knowledge and practice regarding consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students of selected college at kottayam.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To assess the knowledge and practice regarding the consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students before educational programme.

2. To determine the effect of educational programme on knowledge and practice of nursing students regarding consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students.

3. To find the association between pretest score of student’s knowledge and practice on consequences of breakfast skipping with selected demographic variables.

HYPOTHESIS:

H₀₁: There will be no significant difference between pre-test and post- test knowledge scores on consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students.

H₁: There will be a significant difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores on consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students.

H_02: There will be no significant difference between pre-test and post-test practice scores on consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students.

H₂: There will be a significant difference between pre-test and post-test practice scores on consequences of breakfast skipping among nursing students.

H₀₃: There will be no significant association of pre-test knowledge and practice score on consequences of breakfast skipping with selected demographic variables.

H₃: There will be a significant association of pre-test knowledge and practice scores on consequences of breakfast skipping with selected demographic variables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Research design:

A quantitative research approach using one group pre test post test design was employed in this study.

SETTING OF THE STUDY:

Present study is conducted at Little Lourdes college of nursing at Kottayam district. The college consists of four batches of B.Sc. Nursing students. The setting was selected for the study because of familiarity, easy accessibility, feasibility and availability of subjects.

Population:

* Target population: 4^th and 6^th semester students currently enrolled in B.Sc nursing course in the selected nursing college in Kerala.

* Accessible population: 4th and 6^th semester nursing students currently enrolled in B.Sc nursing course in selected nursing college at Kottayam district.

Sample size:

Sample is the subset of population which can be worked up on by researcher during study. Sample size is 40 selected randomly from 4^th and 6^th semester B.Sc nursing residing in hostel provided by the institution.

Sampling technique:

A convenient sampling technique is used in this study.

Criteria for sample selection:

● Inclusion criteria:

Those who are studying in 4^th and 6^th semester.

Those who resides in the hostel

Those who are willing to participate

● Exclusion criteria:

Those who belong to other semester

Those who are absent at time of data collection

Those who are day scholar

Those who are not willing to participate.

Method of data collection:

Selection of tool:

The tool considered in the study is a demographic Performa and a structured questionnaire schedule.

Description about the tool:

Tool 1: Demographic Performa which contains 6 questionnaires

Tool 2: structured knowledge questionnaire contain 20 questions related to importance of breakfast, cause, consequences and prevention of breakfast skipping

Tool 3: self-reported practice checklist contains 10 questions.

Knowledge score:

Good: 15-20, Average: 11-14, Poor: 0-10

Practice score:

Satisfactory: 9-10, not satisfactory: 0-8

Frequency and Percentage distribution of sample Characteristics:

Table 1: The tabulated distribution of demographic variables.

Sl No:	Variables	Frequency	Percentage
1.	AGE
	19 Years	5	12.5%
	20 Years	15	37.5%
	21 Years	16	40%
	22 Years	3	7.5%
	23 Years	1	2.5%
2.	SEMESTER
	4^thSemester	17	42.5%
	6^th Semester	23	57.5%
3.	BED TIME
	9:00 -10:00 pm	6	15%
	10:01-11:00 pm	19	47.5%
	11:01-12:00am	13	32.5%
	After 12:00am	2	5%
4.	AWAKENING TIME
	4:00-5:00 am	0	0
	5:01-6:00 am	13	32.5%
	6:01-7:00 am	23	57.5%
	7:01-8:00 am	4	10%
5.	FASTING HABITS
	Weekly	2	5%
	Monthly	0	0
	Occasionally	19	47.5%
	Never	19	47.5%
6.	Previous Knowledge
	Yes	33	82.5%
	No	7	17.5%
	If yes,
	Internet	7	17.5%
	Family	22	55%
	Books	4	10%
	Friends	0	0

Table 2 shows the level of knowledge regarding breakfast skipping

Sl no.	Level of knowledge	Pre test		Post test
Sl no.	Level of knowledge	Frequency	Percentage	Frequency	Percentage
1.	Good	1	2.5%	39	97.5%
2.	Average	28	70%	1	2.5%
3.	Poor	11	27.5%	0	0

Table 3shows the level of practice regarding breakfast skipping

Sl no.	Level of Practice	Pre test		Post test
Sl no.	Level of Practice	Frequency	Percentage	Frequency	Percentage
1.	Satisfactory	16	40%	32	85%
2.	Not satisfactory	24	60%	6	15%

Table 4 shows the association between knowledge and demographic variables

Age	Good	Average	Poor	X²	df	Decision
19 years	0	3	2	41.84	8	Reject H₀, Significant
20 years	0	10	5
21 years	0	12	4
22 years	0	3	0
23 years	1	0	0

source	good	average	poor	X²	df	Decision
Internet	0	4	3	11.146	4	Reject,H₀,significant
Family	0	19	3
Books	1	3	0
Friends	0	0	0

Table 5 shows the association between practice and selected demographic variables

Fasting habit	Satisfactory	Not satisfactory	X²	df	Decision
Weekly	1	1	8.96	2	Reject H₀ Significant
Monthly	0	0
Occasionally	3	16
Never	12	7

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The demographic analysis (Table 1) revealed that majority of participants was at the age group of 21 years (40%) and major students was from 6th semester (57.5%).Most students awakened at the time of 6:01-7:00 am (57.5%) and most students bed time was at 10:01-11:00 pm(47.5%).Most students had previous knowledge regarding breakfast skipping (82.5%) and the source was from family (55%).

Table 2 shows that before the structured teaching programme 11(27.5%) had poor knowledge,28(70%)had average knowledge and 1(2.5%).After the STP the no one had poor knowledge,1 (2.5%) and 39(97.5%) had good knowledge.

Table 3 shows that before the STP 16(40%) had satisfactory score and 24(60%) had not satisfactory score. After the STP 6 (15%) had not satisfactory score and 32 (85%) had satisfactory score.

Table 4 and 5 reveals that there is a significant association between demographic variables and knowledge and practice. Here alternative hypotheses are accepted.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS:

Nursing education:

It should emphasize the importance of balanced nutrition and regular meals including breakfast. Education must highlight evidence-based findings on how breakfast skipping affects metabolism, cognitive performance, and long-term health. Nursing students should be trained to critically analyze research on dietary behavior and understand how such behaviors impact individuals.

Nursing administration:

Nursing administration should advocate for institutional policies that promote healthy eating habits, including access to nutritious breakfast options in schools, hospitals, and workplaces.

Develop protocols that incorporate nutritional assessment during routine check-ups.

Can design and implement health education campaigns or wellness programmes for staff, patients and the community on the importance of breakfast consumption.

Nursing research:

The study helped the researchers to develop insight regarding the trend towards breakfast skipping through structured teaching programe.

Large scale studies can be conducted in consideration of other contributing variables. The study serves as a basis for future nursing professionals to conduct similar studies regarding trend breakfast skipping.

CONCLUSION:

This study was to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programe on knowledge and practice regarding breakfast skipping among nursing of LLCON, kidangoor. The result study shows that the teaching programme was effective as the mean post test score increased after the STP. Thus the study was effective.

REFERENCES:

1. Anju Thakur. Asian Journal of Nursing Education and Research, 2025; 15(1).

2. Bonnie gance-cleveland motivational interviewing for adolescent obesity.American Journal of Nursing. 2013; 113(1): 11.

4. De Meglio G. Nutrition adolescence pediatric; Re-2000 January 21[1].

5. Jasmine Parimala, Jebalinu S. TNNMC, Journal of Pediatric Nursing; Volume-XII/Issue 1/Jan-Jun 2024.

Received on 26.08.2025 Revised on 27.09.2025

Accepted on 27.10.2025 Published on 21.02.2026

Available online from February 23, 2026

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2026;16(1):25-28.

DOI: 10.52711/2349-2996.2026.00006

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