Breakfast consumption is inversely associated with primary headaches in university students: The MEPHASOUS study

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the association between breakfast consumption pattern and primary headaches in a large population of university students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on the MEPHASOUS dataset that contained the information of 83,677 university students, aged >18 years, from 28 provinces of Iran. Dietary intakes and breakfast consumption pattern were assessed using a validated self-administered dietary habits questionnaire. Primary headaches were determined according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 (ICHD-3) criteria. Binary logistic regression in different adjusted models was used to assess the association between breakfast consumption and primary headaches. Results: The mean age of participants was 21.50 +/- 4.01. Primary headaches were prevalent among 9% of university students. A significant inverse association was seen between breakfast consumption and odds of primary headaches [odds ratio (OR): 0.57, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.51-0.62]. This association remained significant even after taking potential confounders into account; such that students who consumed breakfast frequently had 26 % lower odds of primary headaches compared with those who consumed it <1 day/week (OR: 0.74, 95 % CI: 0.65-0.85). Moreover, such a significant inverse association was observed in female students (OR: 0.54, 95 % CI: 0.49-0.61) as well as those with BMI < 25 kg/m(2) (OR: 0.68, 95 % CI: 0.58 0.79). However, it became non-significant in male students and those with overweight or obesity. Conclusion: We found that frequent breakfast consumption is associated with a decreased odds of primary headaches in female students and those with BMI < 25 kg/m(2). Further prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Automated summary

The study revealed that frequent breakfast consumption is associated with decreased odds of primary headaches in female students and individuals with a BMI < 25 kg/m². Further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.