School breakfast programs show suggestive positive effects on academic performance, with clearest effects on mathematics and arithmetic grades in undernourished children¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2013 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Twenty-one of twenty-two studies indicated habitual breakfast and SBPs positively affect academic performance, with three studies observing clearest effects on mathematics grades. → Adolphus 2013 q2 i? Intervention studies showed SBP effects on mathematics grades after 3–6 month intervention periods in well-nourished, undernourished, and low SES children aged 7–10 years. → Adolphus 2013 (2)

Evidence¶

Adolphus 2013¶

Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., and Dye, L. (2013). The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00425

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review's synthesis of 22 studies employing academic performance measures (school grades or standardized achievement tests). It reports "Twenty-one studies demonstrated that habitual breakfast (frequency and quality) and SBPs have a positive effect on children and adolescents’ academic performance."

"Twenty-one studies demonstrated that habitual breakfast (frequency and quality) and SBPs have a positive effect on children and adolescents’ academic performance."

Adolphus 2013 (2)¶

Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., and Dye, L. (2013). The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00425

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review's synthesis of SBP intervention evaluations (attributed to Rahmani et al., 2011; Kleinman et al., 2002; Murphy et al., 1998): "Effects were demonstrable after an intervention period of 3–6 months," with mathematics grades the clearest outcome.

"Three intervention studies demonstrated positive effects of SBPs on school grades, particularly mathematics grades in both well-nourished, undernourished and low SES children aged 7–10 years. Effects were demonstrable after an intervention period of 3–6 months."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Quality of habitual breakfast, in terms of variety of food groups and adequate energy, is positively related to school performance
• Increased frequency of habitual breakfast is consistently positively associated with academic performance in children and adolescents — related
• Regular breakfast consumption is associated with increased odds of high academic achievement in Norwegian adolescent girls and boys, most strongly in girls — related
• Robust RCTs of school breakfast programs failed to find behavioral benefits, with low and variable attendance and a shift from at-home to at-school consumption limiting impact — related
• Breakfast consumption shows a mainly positive effect on on-task behavior in the classroom in children — related
• A low glycaemic load breakfast increases time on-task in young children, but the effect is short-lived and specific to the first observation period — related
• A binding SBP mandate increases milk and fruit consumption and decreases soda consumption, but its effects on attendance are imprecise, suggesting the achievement effect operates through improved nutrition — related
• A binding state mandate makes schools 33 percentage points more likely to offer the SBP, and SBP availability increases math, reading, and science achievement in ECLS-K data — related