Perceptions, Barriers, and Breakfast Consumption Habits Among University Students in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background University students often skip breakfast due to academic demands and lifestyle habits. However, evidence on breakfast consumption among university students in the United Arab Emirates remains limited, highlighting the need for locally relevant data. Aim This study aimed to investigate breakfast consumption patterns among medical and non-medical university students in the UAE, with a particular focus on eating habits, consumption frequency, dietary choices, perceived barriers, energy levels, and the relationship between breakfast consumption and body mass index (BMI). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 405 medical and non-medical students aged 18 years and above from universities across the UAE during 2024-2025. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling through social media platforms and in-person invitations, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire after obtaining approval from the University of Sharjah Research Ethics Committee. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and included descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman's rank correlation, and multivariable binary logistic regression. Results Medical students were significantly more likely to skip breakfast than non-medical students (38.2% vs. 25.2%, p = 0.005), mainly due to limited time and busy morning schedules. Both groups showed similar patterns in breakfast consumption frequency. Moreover, students who ate breakfast frequently (six to seven days per week) reported higher energy levels compared to those who ate breakfast less often. In our sample, BMI showed no significant relationship with breakfast consumption. While students from different majors demonstrated similar levels of knowledge, those who regularly ate breakfast exhibited better knowledge and more positive attitudes toward it. Finally, the findings indicated that greater knowledge about breakfast was associated with a more positive attitude. Conclusions The findings showed that breakfast skipping was more common among medical students than non-medical students and that more frequent breakfast consumption was associated with higher self-reported energy levels. Breakfast consumption was not significantly associated with BMI in this sample. Regular breakfast consumption was also associated with higher knowledge and more positive attitudes toward breakfast. These findings highlight the importance of addressing barriers to breakfast consumption among university students, particularly limited time and busy morning schedules. University-based strategies addressing these practical barriers may be considered, although their effectiveness should be evaluated in future intervention studies.