Impact of Different Breakfast Habits Healthy, Unhealthy and Breakfast Skipping on Heart Rate Variability Amongst Adults

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of breakfast taking habits on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) amongst adults. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in department of Physiology, IIMC from September 2022 to August 2023. It included 216 healthy, unhealthy breakfast consumers and breakfast skippers. We used Breakfast Quality Evaluation questionnaire. The ECG of the participants was recorded using power lab data acquisition system. Heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed for frequency domain parameters including Low Frequency (LFnu), High Frequency (HFnu) and Low Frequency to High Frequency (LF/HF) ratio by software lab chart 8 pro on two consecutive days and average value was considered. One way ANOVA in SPSS version 25 was used to analyze data. Results: LFnu was significantly low in healthy than unhealthy breakfast consumers (p=0.028) and skippers (p<0.001). Significantly low LFnu found in unhealthy breakfast consumers than skippers (p=0.033). A significantly high HFnu found in healthy breakfast consumers than skippers (0.022). LF/HF ratio was significantly low in healthy than unhealthy breakfast consumers (p=0.002) and skippers (p<0.001). Results were considered significant at 95% CI. Conclusion: The breakfast taking habits of healthy, unhealthy and breakfast skipping had impact on HRV. Healthy breakfast was associated with increased HRV as compared to unhealthy and breakfast skipping.