1049 Sleep Fragmentation And Sleep Restriction Are Associated With Increased Energy Intake Among Individuals Who Have Involuntarily Lost Their Jobs

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Obesity is a major public health concern disproportionately affecting people of lower socioeconomic status. Involuntary job loss is a predictor of economic hardship and unemployment has been associated with poor sleep quality. Little is known about daily sleep and energy intake in this high-risk population. We hypothesized that disrupted, short sleep would be associated with increased energy intake among individuals who experienced involuntary job loss within the last 90 days. Methods Complete baseline data were analyzed from the ongoing Assessing Daily Activity Patterns through occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study. Over the same two-week period, participants (n = 191; 117 female; 63 Hispanic) were instructed to complete 14 days of daily sleep diaries and up to three 24-hour dietary recalls, conducted by trained interviewers using the Nutrition Data System for Research. The primary sleep variable was a composite score summarizing standardized number of awakenings and reversed-scored total sleep time; higher scores represented worse sleep. Energy intake was estimated as average 24 hour reported kcals/day. Linear regression was employed with age, gender, and body mass index as covariates. Results Higher sleep composite scores were associated with higher self-reported intake in kilocalories (kcal), B = 84.83, SE = 38.01, t = 2.23, <i> p </i> < .05. Wake time after sleep onset, sleep onset latency, and sleep efficiency were not associated with energy intake. Interestingly, higher subjective sleep quality was associated with consumption of more average daily kcals. Conclusion In a sample population of adults experiencing stress and economic hardship related to job loss, sleep continuity and quantity were associated with higher energy intake. With further prospective support, these findings suggest that public health interventions for obesity may benefit from behavioral sleep intervention components targeting both sleep fragmentation and sleep restriction. Support #1R01HL117995-01A1