Original Article

Relationship of Breakfast Habits with Hypertension and Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study among Korean Adults and Older Adults

Abstract

Background: We examined the association of breakfast habits with hypertension and obesity risk among Korean adults and older adults, focusing on sex-based and age-based differences.
Methods: We collected data from 2,779 adults (1,380 men and 1,399 women, aged 19–64 years) and 623 older adults (289 men and 334 women, aged ≥65 years) from the 2015 Korea National Physical Fitness Project, an extensive survey organized biennially by the Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Institute of Sport Science.
Results: For women aged 19 to 64 yr, skipping breakfast was linked to an increased likelihood of developing both high blood pressure and obesity. For men aged 19–64 years, having breakfast irregularly or replacing it with snacks were linked to a reduced likelihood of hypertension, whereas skipping breakfast slightly elevated the risk. For older women aged above 65 years, irregular breakfast consumption or replacing it with snacks was linked to a heightened likelihood of developing hypertension. Nonetheless, there was no notable correlation identified between breakfast habits and obesity in men and older adults. In older men and women, consistent physical exercise proved to be an essential factor in mitigating the chance of hypertension.
Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance of sex- and age-specific public health strategies, with implications for public health interventions and guidelines that promote regular breakfast consumption and physical activity.

1. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023). Korea Health Statistics 2022: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IX-1).
2. World Health Organization (2024). Obesity. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1
3. Smith KJ, Gall SL, McNaughton SA, et al (2010). Skipping Breakfast: Longitudinal Associations with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr, 92(6):1316-25.
4. Odegaard AO, Jacobs DR, Steffen LM, et al (2013). Breakfast Frequency and De-velopment of Metabolic Risk. Diabetes Care, 36(10):3100-6.
5. Ma X, Chen Q, Pu Y, et al (2020). Skipping Breakfast is Associated with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Obes Res Clin Pract, 14(1):1-8.
6. Li Z, Li H, Xu Q, et al (2022). Skipping Breakfast is associated with Hyperten-sion in Adults: A Meta-Analysis. Int J Hypertens, 2022:7245223.
7. Lee TS, Kim JS, Hwang YJ, et al (2016). Habit of Eating Breakfast is Associated with a Lower Risk of Hypertension. J Lifestyle Med, 6(2):64-7.
8. Yoon SR, Choi M, Kim OY (2021). Effect of Breakfast Consumption and Meal Time Regularity on Nutrient Intake and Cardiometabolic Health in Korean Adults. J Lipid Atheroscler, 10(2):240–50.
9. American Heart Association (2024). High Blood Pressure. Available from: http://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure
10. The Korean Society of Hypertension (2024). Hypertension Treatment Guidelines. Available from: http://www.koreanhypertension.org
11. Korea Institute of Sport Science (2016). 2015 National Physical Fitness Survey Final Results Report. Seoul: Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
12. World Health Organization and Regional Office for the Western Pacific (2000). The Asia-Pacific Perspective: Redefining Obesity and Its Treatment. Sydney: Health Com-munications Australia.
13. Ofori-Asenso R, Owen AJ, Liew D (2019). Skipping Breakfast and the Risk of Car-diovascular Disease and Death: A Sys-tematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies in Primary Prevention Settings. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis, 6(3):30.
14. Spruill TM (2010). Chronic Psychosocial Stress and Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep, 12(1):10-6.
15. Taylor SE, Klein LC, Lewis BP, et al (2000). Biobehavioral Responses to Stress in Females: Tend-and-Befriend, Not Fight-or-Flight. Psychol Rev, 107(3):411-29.
16. Moreno LA, Rodriguez G (2007). Dietary Risk Factors for Development of Childhood Obesity. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 10(3):336-41.
17. Calhoun DA (2017). Sleep Disorders and Hypertension Risk. J Hum Hypertens, 31:371-2.
18. Seals DR, Silverman HG, Reiling MJ, et al (1997). Effect of Regular Aerobic Exer-cise on Elevated Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women. Am J Cardiol, 80(1):49-55.
19. Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, et al (2005). Breakfast Habits, Nutritional Status, Body Weight, and Academic Per-formance in Children and Adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc, 105(5):743-60.
20. Johnson NA, Sultana RN, Brown WJ, et al (2021). Physical activity in the manage-ment of obesity in adults: A position statement from Exercise and Sport Sci-ence Australia. J Sci Med Sport, 24(12):1245-54.
21. Ma Y, Bertone ER, Stanek EJ, et al (2003). Association Between Eating Patterns and Obesity in a Free-Living US Adult Population. Am J Epidemiol, 158(1):85-92.
22. Villareal DT, Apovian CM, Kushner RF, et al (2005). Obesity in older adults: tech-nical review and position statement of the American Society for Nutrition and NAASO, The Obesity Society. Am J Clin Nutr, 82(5):923-34.
Files
IssueVol 54 No 1 (2025) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
Keywords
Adult Body mass index Breakfast Hypertension Obesity
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Park S, Roh S-Y, Kim S-Y. Relationship of Breakfast Habits with Hypertension and Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study among Korean Adults and Older Adults. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(1):175-185.