2.5. Statistical Analysis
inflammation
INFLAMMATION
Basic descriptive statistics were calculated as mean ± SD, unless otherwise indicated. The normality of the data distribution was assessed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, given the large sample size. This test confirmed the normal distribution of the obtained data, allowing for the use of parametric tests. Specifically, to assess the effect of the interventions on inflammation markers at the beginning and end of each intervention, a pre-specified, repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted. Time (final versus baseline) and intervention (breakfast 1, 2, or 3) were considered as within-subject factors. In this procedure, age, intervention order, and baseline values were treated as covariates, with treatment as a fixed effect. All statistical tests were performed with a significance level set at 