A SURVEY OF BREAKFAST-EATING AMONG YOUNG SCHOOLCHILDREN IN NORTHEASTERN ONTARIO

Breakfast behaviours of young schoolchildren in the Porcupine Health U nit, Northeastern Ontario were assessed by application of the Halifax Breakfast Survey videotape administered in French or in English to 4,0 79 children in Grades 1 to 3 in 50 public and separate schools. six pe rcent of children had come to school without eating or drinking anythi ng on the morning of testing. Breakfast omission was significantly rel ated to grade with 7.5% of Grade 1 children skipping breakfast compare d with 5.1 and 5.2% in Grades 2 and 3, respectively. Anglophone school children were also significantly more likely to skip breakfast than ch ildren attending francophone schools. no other sociodemographic predic tors of breakfast omission were identified. Eight-four percent of chil dren consumed a breakfast including at least two food groups, one of w hich contained protein, while 55% reported the consumption of three fo od groups. These results are similar to those found in a Nova Scotia s tudy conducted in 1992 and raise questions about the need for breakfas t programs designed to reduce hunger in the classroom.