Skipping breakfast and eating late dinners may increase the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures, according to a Japanese study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Researchers analysed data from 927,130 Japanese adults with an average age of 66.6 years; 54.7 per cent of participants were women. The study aimed to investigate whether lifestyle habits, particularly dietary behaviour, contribute to osteoporotic fractures—specifically hip, forearm, vertebral and humeral fractures.
Over a median follow-up period of 2.6 years, there were 28,196 reported cases of major osteoporotic fractures.
Results showed that skipping breakfast increased a person’s risk of osteoporotic fractures by 18 per cent, smoking raised the risk by 11 per cent, and eating dinner late increased it by 8 per cent. Individuals who both skipped breakfast and ate late dinners saw their risk rise by 23 per cent. Additional lifestyle factors associated with a higher risk of fractures included daily alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity and poor sleep quality.
One possible explanation for the increased risk is that people who skip breakfast may consume fewer essential bone-supporting nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D.
“These results suggest that preventing osteoporosis and fractures requires not only healthy eating habits but also a broader effort to improve overall lifestyle behaviour,” the lead researcher said.