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Vol. 7, No. 1, 2025, pp. 57-64 ISSN 2656-6052 (online) | 2656-1107 (print) 
      http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eshr/index                                                   eshr@ikm.uad.ac.id 

 

 

    10.26555/eshr.v7i1.12716 

 

 

 

57 

 

 

 

 
Research Article 

Overview of Nutritional Status, Breakfast Habits, and 
Nutritional Knowledge among University Students 
Afaf Syaima1, Dewi Yully Wulandari1, Intan Gandini1, Hoirun Nisa1,* 
1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Science, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif 

Hidayatullah Jakarta 
 
*Correspondence: hoirun.nisa@uinjkt.ac.id. Phone: +6282113645593 
 
Received 4 Feb 2025; Accepted 19 Feb 2025; Published 5 March 2025 
 

ABSTRACT 

Background: Nutrition-related issues can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, with a 
rising prevalence of malnutrition among young adults. Breakfast habits and nutrition-related 
knowledge significantly influence an individual's nutritional status. This research aims to  
describe  breakfast  habits,  nutritional  knowledge,  and  nutritional  status among  students  
of  the  Faculty  of  Health  Sciences  at  UIN  Syarif  Hidayatullah  Jakarta  from 2020 to 
2022. 
Method: This was a quantitative study that employed a cross-sectional. The study includes 
469 students from the Faculty of Health Sciences at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 
selected through stratified random sampling based on the year of admission. Data were 
analyzed using univariate methods to observe the frequency distribution of nutritional 
status, breakfast habits, and nutrition knowledge among the students. 
Results: The findings indicate that a significant proportion of students have underweight 
nutritional status (30.3%), engage in irregular breakfast habits (56.7%), and consume 
breakfast after 9:00 AM (44.8%). Additionally, many students do not include staple foods in 
their breakfast (45.2%) and lack sufficient nutrition knowledge (43.9%). 
Conclusion: The study reveals ongoing nutritional challenges among students, including 
underweight status and obesity. Corresponding with these issues, some students exhibit 
irregular breakfast habits and delay breakfast until after 9:00 AM. Furthermore, 45.2% of 
students omit staple foods from their breakfast, and 43.9% possess inadequate nutrition 
knowledge. Future research should explore the relationship between breakfast habits, 
nutrition knowledge, and individual nutritional status to provide more comprehensive 
insights. 

 
Keywords: Nutritional Status; Breakfast Habits; Nutrition Knowledge; Students  
 
 
 

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https://doi.org/10.26555/eshr.v3i1.3629
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INTRODUCTION 

Nutrition is an essential aspect of life that can influence an individual's health conditions, 
including during adulthood.1 The intake of nutrients adults consume is a crucial factor affecting 
their nutritional status. Consuming nutrients over the requirements can lead to overnutrition, 
while insufficient nutrient intake can result in undernutrition.2 Nutritional issues are highly 
complex and a significant cause of death and diseases worldwide. According to World Health 
Organization data, 1.9 billion adults are overweight, and 462 million people are underweight.3 
In 2018, the prevalence of obesity in Indonesia increased to 21.8% compared to 2013, while 
undernutrition (thinness) was 9.3%.4 Individual nutritional status is influenced by various 
factors, especially dietary patterns and nutrition-related knowledge. Dietary patterns include 
habits such as having breakfast. 

Previous research on students shows that the habit of skipping breakfast has a significant 
relationship with the nutritional status of students. Students who skip breakfast can increase 
the prevalence of nutritional problems by 1.83 times. This study found that the prevalence of 
students who were not accustomed to breakfast and had nutritional problems was 53.2%.5 
Breakfast plays a crucial role in determining an individual's nutritional status. It is a vital source 
of the body's nutrients, including proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Individuals who skip 
breakfast tend to feel hungrier in the afternoon and evening compared to those who have 
breakfast. This is because skipping breakfast tends to increase energy intake, leading 
individuals to eat more during the day and night. Fear of weight gain is also a common reason 
for skipping breakfast. Consistently skipping breakfast reduces nutrient intake, leading to an 
unbalanced diet.6 

Nutritional knowledge indirectly influences an individual's nutritional status. This happens 
because nutritional knowledge provides information for healthy food choices.7 An individual's 
nutritional ability affects attitudes and behaviours in food selection, ultimately influencing their 
nutritional status.8 This aligns with research on health students in 2020, showing a correlation 
between nutritional knowledge and an individual's nutritional status. Lower nutritional 
knowledge is associated with less balanced food selection behaviour.9 The habits of having 
breakfast and nutritional knowledge in students are essential factors to consider. Skipping 
breakfast can lead to increased consumption during subsequent meals, potentially causing fat 
accumulation and an increased risk of nutritional problems. On the other hand, individuals with 
good nutritional knowledge are likely to understand proper eating behaviours.10 Therefore, this 
research aims to describe breakfast habits, nutritional knowledge, and nutritional status 
among students of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta from 
2020 to 2022 as a case study in higher education.  

METHOD 

This study was quantitative observational analytical research using a cross-sectional study 
design. The population consists of students from the Faculty of Health Sciences at UIN Syarif 
Hidayatullah Jakarta from 2020 to 2022, including three study programs, with 980 students. 
The sample size was calculated using a formula for testing the difference in proportions, with 
a significance level of 95% and a test power of 80%, resulting in 469 respondents. 

Stratified Random Sampling selected the sample within the three Study Programs of the 
Faculty of Health Sciences based on the entry year. Stratified Random Sampling was chosen 

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due to the population's non-homogeneous and proportionally stratified nature. In the initial 
stage, a sample framework was created based on attendance data of students from the years 
2020 to 2022 in three study programs (public health, pharmacy, and health sciences) at the 
Faculty of Health Sciences UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Subsequently, proportional 
calculations were conducted for the sample size from each entry year in the three study 
programs. The final stage involved selecting samples through simple random sampling from 
each entry year in these three study programs. The chosen selections must meet the inclusion 
criteria defined in this research, i.e., active undergraduate students at the Faculty of Health 
Sciences UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. 

Data collected in this study include individual characteristics (age, gender, study program, 
entry year), nutritional status (height and weight), nutritional knowledge, and breakfast habits. 
Data was collected using a Google Form questionnaire distributed through a WhatsApp group. 
The dependent variable in this study was nutritional status determined by the Body Mass Index 
(BMI) anthropometric index. BMI was calculated by comparing weight and height (weight (kg) 
/ height (m)²). Respondents' nutritional status was categorized into four categories: 
underweight if BMI is <17.00-18.49, normal if BMI is 18.50-25.00, overweight if BMI is 25.10-
27.00, and obese if BMI is >27.00.11 

The independent variables in this study included individual characteristics (age, gender, study 
program, entry year), nutritional knowledge, and breakfast habits. The nutritional knowledge 
questionnaire consists of 10 questions, with 1 point for each correct answer. Nutritional 
knowledge is categorized as good if the score is 7-10 with correct answers, sufficient if the 
score is 6-7 with correct answers, and inadequate if the score is <6. The breakfast habit 
variable refers to the routine consumption of a primary meal (such as rice, bread, etc., not 
snacks) every morning around 06:00 - 09:00 before engaging in activities. Respondents' 
breakfast habits were categorized as regular if they consume breakfast ≥4 times a week and 
irregular if they consume breakfast <4 times a week. 

Data analysis for this study used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 
software, employing univariate analysis to observe the distribution of independent and 
dependent variables. The research was conducted from September to December 2023 and 
obtained ethical approval with Un.01/F.10/KP.01.1/KE.SP/10.08.013/2023 from the Faculty of 
Health Sciences Ethics Committee UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. 

RESULTS 

In total, 469 respondents participated in this study. The nutritional status of the respondent is 
presented in Figure 1. Respondents who have a nutritional status of normal (50.10%), thin 
(30.30%), fat (8.70%) and obese (10.90%). The other characteristic respondent is shoes in 
Table 1. The largest proportion of age is <20 years (68.0%), while 32.0% is age ≥20 years. 
Based on gender, the largest proportion is female (88.1%), while 11.9% is male. Meanwhile, 
based on the year of study, the largest proportion is 2021 (35.8%), while 2020 and 2022 are 
29.2% and 35.0%, respectively. 

 
 

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Figure 1. Frequency Distribution of Respondents' Nutritional Status 

 
                   Table 1. Frequency Distribution of Respondent Characteristics 

Variable  n = 469  % 

Age (Year) 
< 20  
≥ 20  

Gender 
Men  
Women 

Academic Batch 
2020 
2021 
2022 

                   
319 
150 

 
56 
413 

 
137 
168 
164 

 
                   68.0 

32.0 
 

11.9 
88.1 

 
29.2 
35.8 
35.0 

 
The frequency results of breakfast habits and nutritional knowledge of respondents in Table 2 
show that respondents have irregular breakfast habits (43.3%), have breakfast after 09:00 AM 
before activities (44.8%), and do not have breakfast with staple foods (45.2%). Additionally, 
most respondents have insufficient nutritional knowledge (43.9%). 

Table 2. Frequency Distribution of Respondent Breakfast Habits and Nutritional Knowledge 

Variable  n = 469  % 

Breakfast Habits 
Regular 
Irregular 

Breakfast Time 
< 09.00 AM 
≥ 09.00 AM 

Breakfast with Staple Foods 
Yes 
No 

Nutritional Knowledge 
Good 
Bad 

 
266 
203 

 
259 
210 

 
257 
212 

 
263 
206 

 
56.7 
43.3 

 
55.2 
44.8 

 
54.8 
45.2 

 
56.1 
43.9 

 

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DISCUSSION  

The research results show that there are (30.3%) of respondents have an underweight 
nutritional status, and (10.9%) have an obese nutritional status. This indicates that dietary 
problems among students still exist. Nevertheless, some respondents have normal nutritional 
status (50.1%). These findings align with research conducted at several institutions, indicating 
that most students have normal dietary status.6,12 Nutritional problems occur due to an 
imbalance between the intake of nutrients and the body's metabolic needs. Nutritional status 
is the balance between nutrient intake from food and metabolic conditions in the body.13  

Nutritional status reflects an individual's body condition influenced by food consumption, 
absorption, and utilization of nutrients. The mismatch between food consumption and body 
needs can cause nutritional problems, both excess and deficiency.14 Respondents with 
underweight dietary status may be due to inadequate eating patterns during breakfast, 
impacting nutritional adequacy. Long-term breakfast habits play a role in influencing an 
individual's nutritional status.15 

This research was conducted at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Faculty of Health Sciences, 
with samples from the 2020 to 2022 cohorts totalling 469 students. Information about 
respondent characteristics was obtained based on the data. It was found that most 
respondents were under 20 years old, accounting for 68%. This age shows that most students 
fall into the young adult category. In the book Moesijanti Soekarti et al. (2011), balanced 
nutritional needs are needed in adulthood, especially to maintain health, prevent disease and 
inhibit the development of degenerative diseases. If nutritional needs are not met, it can affect 
changes in the body, such as body composition, weight, bone mass, and physical activity.16 
In this study, it was found that poor nutritional status was dominated by women (83.8%) 
compared to men (16.2%). This result is consistent with another study conducted by Putra et 
al. (2018), which found that women with poor nutritional status were higher than men, with a 
proportion of women 88% and men 12%.6 

The research results show that there are still some respondents with irregular breakfast habits, 
amounting to (43.3%). Through interviews with respondents who do not have breakfast 
regularly, it was found that most of them are boarding students. This is supported by other 
research stating that some students living in boarding houses skip breakfast before morning 
classes due to laziness and limited time to buy food. Meanwhile, students living with their 
parents are more likely to have breakfast because meals are prepared by their parents.6 
Another study found that the main reasons for subjects not having breakfast were lack of time, 
feeling rushed to school, and a tendency to follow a weight-loss diet.17 

Breakfast is eating and drinking from waking up until 9 AM, aimed at meeting a portion of daily 
nutritional needs (15-30%) to achieve a healthy, active, intelligent, and productive life.11 The 
research results indicate that some respondents have breakfast after 9 AM. This is supported 
by other studies showing that most Bogor, West Java students have a habit of having 
breakfast after 9 AM.12 A good breakfast is considered to be done in the morning, starting from 
waking up until 9 AM, not close to lunchtime, and done regularly every day before starting 
other activities.15,18 

The type of food consumed during breakfast significantly determines the quality of breakfast 
and the energy derived from it. The research results also show that the majority of respondents 

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have breakfast with staple foods (54.8%), and there are (45.2%) of other respondents who 
have breakfast with alternative foods. Breakfast with staple foods fulfils the minimum 
nutritional composition needs, as staple foods play a crucial role in a balanced meal, including 
carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein, meeting the body's needs for vitamins and minerals.6 
However, alternative foods such as bread, tubers, or cereals can also be used for breakfast. 
Nevertheless, these alternative foods contain more carbohydrates and fewer nutrients.18 

The selection of food during breakfast is also influenced by nutritional knowledge. Someone 
with good nutritional knowledge will be selective in choosing the right type of food for daily 
breakfast, considering the minimal nutrients the body needs. However, the research results 
find that 43.9% of respondents need more nutritional knowledge. Nutritional knowledge is an 
individual's knowledge related to nutrition science, such as food sources and nutrient 
content.19 Poor nutritional knowledge will affect a person's actions in meeting nutritional needs 
through food consumption to achieve good nutritional status. Therefore, nutritional knowledge 
is crucial for students in the late adolescence age group. During this age group, the need for 
nutrients increases to assist in the growth and development process, accompanied by lifestyle 
changes that affect eating habits, making them vulnerable to nutritional problems. With good 
nutritional knowledge, students can pay attention to the quality and quantity of their food.20 

CONCLUSION 

This study found that nutritional problems still exist among students, with underweight 
nutritional status at (30.3%) and obesity at (10.9%). In line with the identified dietary issues, 
the research results also revealed that some students have irregular breakfast habits (43.3%) 
and have breakfast after 09:00 AM (44.8%). Additionally, (45.2%) of students do not have 
breakfast with staple foods, and (43.9%) have insufficient nutritional knowledge. Efforts must 
be made to improve students' nutritional status by improving good eating habits and increasing 
awareness of healthy eating patterns. Students should get used to having breakfast regularly 
before 09.00 WIB with a menu based on balanced nutrition guidelines or “isi piringku”. In 
addition, it is important to implement healthy eating habits that align with balanced nutrition 
needs. Further research should explore the factors influencing students' breakfast habits and 
their impact on nutritional status. 

Acknowledgement 

We express our gratitude to the Faculty of Health Sciences UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.  

Declarations 

Authors' contribution 
A.S., D.Y.W., and I.G. collected and analyzed the data sample. All authors, such as A.S., 
D.Y.W., I.G., and H.N., contributed in designing the study, interpreting results, and writing the 
final manuscript. 
 

Funding statement 

This study did not receive any specific funding from any sponsors 

 

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Conflict of interest 
There is no conflict of interest in this research.  

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