Análise da relação entre qualidade do sono e comportamento alimentar de estudantes universitários

Abstract

Sleep is essential for life and plays a fundamental role in regulating physiological functions, including maintaining metabolic health through hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. For adults, 7 to 9 hours of sleep are recommended, with sleep deprivation being associated with health problems such as obesity and neuroendocrine changes. In academic settings, poor sleep quality is common and negatively impacts university students' eating behavior, increasing their propensity for unhealthy food choices and the risk of chronic diseases. Recent research reinforces this association and highlights the need for further studies to deepen this understanding. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and eating behavior in Nutrition students to better understand these behaviors in this population. A crosssectional study was conducted involving 72 undergraduate Nutrition students from the Federal University of Fronteira Sul (UFFS), Realeza-PR campus, with a mean age of 23,4 ± 6,15 years. Individuals under 18 years of age, those diagnosed with sleep, eating, or metabolic disorders, and those who provided inadequate responses were excluded. Three self-administered questionnaires were used: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-BR), and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21 (TFEQ-R21). Additionally, the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated to classify participants' nutritional status. To evaluate the correlation between sleep quality (SQ) and dimensions of eating behavior, Spearman's correlation test was applied. Student's t-test was used to compare means between groups at different educational stages, sleep quality, and eating behavior dimensions, with a 95% confidence interval (p < 0,05). Spearman's test was also employed to analyze relationships between BMI, sleep characteristics, and eating behavior dimensions. Participants had an average weight of 64,20 kg ± 15,08 and a mean BMI of 23,99 kg/m² ± 5,36 kg/m², reflecting significant diversity in nutritional status. Regarding SQ, the majority (81,95%) of students exhibited poor SQ, with a mean PSQI score of 6,79 ± 2,84. Analysis of eating behavior revealed means of 37,27 ± 27,34 for Cognitive Restraint (CR), 28,24 ± 27,64 for Emotional Eating (EE), and 25,46 ± 23,4 for Uncontrolled Eating (UE). No direct correlation was observed between SQ and the eating behavior of the students. However, the study identified a tendency toward UE among first-year students (t= -1,971, p= 0,053), suggesting challenges in adapting to university life. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between SQ and CR (t= 2,090; p= 0,04) and between BMI and CR (r = 0,553; p < 0.001), indicating that higher BMIs are associated with greater control over food intake.