Abstract
In Africa, mainly in urban areas, food consumption patterns are changing rapidly. This study examined the composition of school-children's breakfasts in Bamako, Mali, and what factors influence it. The studied population was 494 children chosen at random in second and sixth forms of state schools and medersas (private Islamic schools) after stratification according to district of residence, questioned concerning the kind of foods they ate at home for breakfast on the morning they were interviewed. A total 92.5% of the pupils had taken breakfast. Of these, 65% had a "traditional" breakfast including porridge and the previous day's leftovers, 18% an "occidental" one of coffee with milk and bread exclusively and 17% a "mixed" one. Statistical adjustment revealed that the composition of breakfast depended on the type of residential district, independent of the family's socioeconomic status (SES). The evolution of children's eating patterns appeared to be the result of "social modeling" within the district. The effect of the district on the composition of breakfast transcended strictly economic dimensions. Moreover, sixth form girls had an "occidental" breakfast more often than sixth form boys, regardless of which district they lived in. These future mothers may accelerate the evolution of food consumption patterns towards a "western" direction.