Interaction between skipping breakfast and depression on the incidence of metabolic syndrome among Brazilian adult graduates: six-year follow-up (CUME Study)

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2025 Jun 20:104202. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104202. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Skipping breakfast has been associated with MetS as well as depression. Our aim was to evaluate the association between skipping breakfast and the incidence of MetS in Brazilian adults as well as the potential interaction with depression in this relationship.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This longitudinal study included 4.287 participants (M= 1.319 and F= 2.968, mean age of 36 years) from the Cohort of Universities of Minas Gerais (CUME Study). The breakfast frequency was assessed through the baseline questionnaire, using the question “Do you eat breakfast?”. Participants who did not eat breakfast daily were considered as those who skipped breakfast. The incidence of MetS was determined based on self-reported associated risk factors, its absence in Q_0, and its presence as newly identified cases during cohort follow-up at 2, 4, and 6 year. Crude and adjusted Cox regression models were performed. After a mean 6-year follow-up, 215 incident cases of MetS (incidence of 5.0 %) were reported. At baseline, 1.897 (44.25 %) participants skipped breakfast at least once and 521 (12.15 %) cases of depression were identified. Participants who skipped breakfast had a 51 % higher risk of developing MetS (HR: 1.51, 95 % IC: 1.13-2.00) when compared to participants who consumed breakfast daily, after adjusting for confounding factors. Participants with depression who skipped breakfast exhibited a 118% higher risk (HR: 2.18; 95 % CI: 1.11-4.29) of developing MetS compared to those with depression who consumed breakfast daily.

CONCLUSION: Daily breakfast skipping could be a significant risk factor for MetS in Brazilian graduate adults, particularly among those with depression.

PMID:40908173 | DOI:10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104202