Abstract Body: Background: Breakfast skipping is common among college students and has been linked to adverse weight and psychological outcomes. African American adolescents and young adults experience disproportionately higher rates of overweight and obesity than White peers (24.2% vs. 16.1%), particularly among women. Although depression prevalence was lower among Black youth, symptom severity and chronicity are often greater. Recent evidence suggests breakfast non-eaters have 24% higher odds of obesity than who takes breakfast. Mississippi has the highest obesity rate and 10% higher among Blacks than Whites. Despite unique sociocultural and environmental factors in the Southern US, limited research has examined the diet, mental health and weight status associations among African Americans in this region.
Purpose: To examine associations of breakfast skipping with mental health status and overweight/obesity among African American college students in the Southern U.S., controlling for soda, alcohol, smoking, e-vape, and physical activity.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling at a historically Black college in Mississippi. A CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System–adapted survey was administered (Nov 2023–Feb 2024). Participants self-reported height, weight, and mental health. Missing data (8%) were imputed. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression in SPSS (α=0.05).
Results: Among 396 African American students (mean age 25.2±8.4 years; 79% female), 25.5% skipped breakfast, 25.8% reported poor mental health most of the time, mean BMI was 30.7 kg/m², 22.7% were overweight, and 45.2% were obese. Breakfast skipping was correlated with mental health status (p=.001) and BMI status (p=.05). Females were 46.4% more likely to be obese (p=.036) and more likely to report poor mental health (p=.022). Breakfast skippers were 71.8% more likely to report poor mental health (p<.001) but 5% less likely to be obese (p=.87) compared with non-skippers, after adjusting for health risk behaviors.
Conclusion: Among African American college students in South, breakfast skipping was significantly associated with poorer mental health but not with weight status, even after adjustment. These findings, which diverge from prior obesity research, underscore the need for further studies in Southern US populations to explore how environmental factors and dietary patterns contribute to disproportionately high obesity rates.