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¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2–q3
Currency · newest study 2013 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Three recent RCTs found no significant effect of a 1-year SBP on SDQ-measured school behavior compared with control. → Adolphus 2013 q2 i? In both trials SBP attendance was low and variable, and the proportion of children eating breakfast daily remained unchanged while at-home breakfast decreased, suggesting substitution rather than increased consumption. → 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

q3 · i? · review · r3

The review's synthesis of three randomized control trials using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire after 1-year SBP interventions: "Both Ni Mhurchu et al. (2013) and Murphy et al. (2011) reported no significant effects of a 1 year SBP" on the five SDQ behavioral dimensions; equivalence was not tested.

"Both Ni Mhurchu et al. (2013) and Murphy et al. (2011) reported no significant effects of a 1 year SBP on hyperactivity, inattention, emotional symptoms, conduct and peer relationship problems, and pro-social behavior in children."

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 attributes the null RCT findings partly to implementation: "SBP attendance was low and variable, limiting the potential impact on behavior," with barriers including lack of parental and teaching support, social stigma, and transport issues.

"However, in both trials, SBP attendance was low and variable, limiting the potential impact on behavior."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Regular breakfast consumption is associated with increased odds of high academic achievement in Norwegian adolescent girls and boys, most strongly in girls — 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 low glycaemic load breakfast increases time on-task in young children, but the effect is short-lived and specific to the first observation period — reports the opposite
• Breakfast consumption shows a mainly positive effect on on-task behavior in the classroom in children — related
• Acute experimental studies show inconsistent effects of breakfast on classroom behavior, with three of seven showing an on-task advantage — reports the opposite
• Increased frequency of habitual breakfast is consistently positively associated with academic performance in children and adolescents — related
• Each year of attending a school with a binding SBP mandate increases math achievement by 0.572 points (2.7% of a standard deviation), reading by 0.470 points (2.0%), and science by 0.130 points (0.9%) — related
• A mid-morning snack benefits on-task behavior only for children who consumed a small breakfast, correcting the energy deficiency — related
• School breakfast programs show suggestive positive effects on academic performance, with clearest effects on mathematics and arithmetic grades in undernourished children — 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
• Quality of habitual breakfast, in terms of variety of food groups and adequate energy, is positively related to school performance — related