Food Related Behaviors and Sleep Quality in University Students: A Descriptive Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between food addiction, night eating status and sleep quality in students studying at different faculties or departments of various universities in Turkey. Methods: A total of 1044 students from 11 different departments/faculties were included. Night Eating Questionnaire, Yale Food Addiction Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale were applied to the students. Also, the dietary habits (main meal and snack consumptions, the meal they skipped and the reasons, duration of meals, consumption of tea and coffee etc.) of the students were questioned. Results: Significant relationships were found between BMIs, faculties/departments, use of antidepressants, skipping breakfast status and tea/coffee consumption of students. Moreover, there were significant differences between both food addiction status (p<0.001), night eating syndrome (p<0.001) and sleep quality. Students with poor sleep quality had more frequent night eating behavior and food selectivity. Conclusion: These findings suggest that for managing students’ eating problems like night eating and food addiction, their sleep quality should be improved, and vice versa.