Subjective daytime sleepiness, eating disturbances and body mass index in female students

Abstract

Introduction This report describes associations between subjective measures of sleepiness, eating disturbances and body mass index 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), arousability, coping, emotional expressivity, worry, neuroticism/extraversion, perceived physical/mental health, academic stress, positive/negative affect, pre-sleep arousal (cognitive/somatic), body mass index (BMI; KG/M2) and sleep-wake aspects including subjective sleep propensity/Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and perceived daytime sleepiness (PDS, four items: feel excessively sleepy during the day, being sleepy during the day is a problem, feel performance is impaired due to daytime sleepiness, feel the need to nap during the day). Results ESS and PDS correlated moderately with each other (r = .415, p 001). EAT-25 mean score was 24.25 (sd = 14.2). 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). Most students had very/good mental (75.7%) and physical health (82.7%). Logistic Regression analyses models showed that perceived daytime sleepiness/PDS (but not sleep propensity/ESS) and self-reported usual sleep duration were independent significant predictors of global eating disturbance (Odds ratio/OR = .57; p = .049). Daytime sleep propensity, perceived daytime sleepiness, and perceived physical health were independent significant predictors of high BMI (respectively, OR = 1.58; p = .004; OR = 0.62; p = .046; OR = 0.034; p = .002). Neither subjective sleep quality nor usual sleep duration were associated with BMI. Conclusion In young females, daytime sleep propensity/perceived sleepiness and perceived physical health were predictors of higher BMI. Perceived daytime sleepiness and usual sleep duration were both predictors of global disordered eating behaviours/attitudes.