Sleep quality and eating behaviour in female students

Abstract

Introduction To study the association between sleep quality/quantity and eating behaviours in female university students. Materials and methods 520 females (mean = 19.3 years, sd = 1.31), completed a series of questionnaires that assessed eating behaviours (Eating Attitudes Test-25), sleep-wake aspects, arousability, coping, emotional expressivity, worry, neuroticism/extraversion, perceived physical/mental health, academic stress, positive/negative affect, pre-sleep arousal (cognitive/somatic arousal) and Body Mass Index (BMI; KG/M2). Results BMI mean score was of 20.7 (sd = 2.39; range = 14.5–34.7). 14,7% were classified as underweight (BMI 18.5), 81,8% normal weight (BMI of 18.5–24.9), 2,9% overweight (BMI of 25.0–29), and 0,6 obese (BMI ⩾ 30.0). EAT-25 mean score was 24.25 (sd = 14.2; range = 0–78). 55.8% usually slept 7–8 h a night, 9.1% slept more than 8 h and 8.7% usually slept 6 h or less. 66% considered their sleep as “Very good/Good”. Logistic Regression analyses models showed that neuroticism, sleep reactivity to stress and sleep quality were independent significant predictors of drive for thinness (respectively, Odds ratio/OR = 1.220; OR = 1.506; OR = 1.926). Pre-sleep somatic arousal, negative emotion expressiveness, perceived academic stress, sleep reactivity to stress and usual sleep duration were independent significant predictors of bulimic behaviours (respectively, OR = 1.285; OR = 1.290; OR = 1.183; OR = 0.823; OR = 0.356). Pre-sleep cognitive arousal, usual sleep duration and sleep quality were independent significant predictors of Social pressure to eat (respectively, OR = 1.714; OR = 3.810; OR = 1.537). Pre-sleep cognitive arousal, perceived daytime sleepiness and usual sleep duration were independent significant predictors of global eating disturbance (respectively, OR = 1.293; OR = 0.577; OR = 0.148). Conclusion In young females, usual sleep duration/quality, neuroticism, emotion expressiveness, perceived stress, sleep reactivity to stress and pre-sleep arousal were predictors of disordered eating behaviours/attitudes. Acknowledgements The co-operation of Professors and Students is gratefully acknowledged.