Major dietary patterns in relation to obesity and quality of sleep among female university students

Background: Few studies reported the association of dietary patterns with obesity, central adiposity, and quality of sleep. We aimed to investigate the association between major dietary patterns and anthropometric indices in relation to obesity and quality of sleep among female students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 245 female university students aged 18-38 years. To assess sleep quality, we used a self-reported Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Usual dietary intakes were assessed with the use of a 168 items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We used factor analysis to identify dietary patterns. Results: Four major dietary patterns were identified: mixed, high protein, Western, and healthy dietary patterns. After adjustment for energy intake, subjects in the upper tertile of the mixed dietary pattern were more likely to have a high quality of sleep than those in the first tertile (odds ratio [OR]: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.55). Individuals with greater adherence to Western dietary pattern had greater odds of having low quality of sleep compared to those in the first tertile (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.82). A healthy dietary pattern was associated with a higher quality of sleep; however, the association was no longer significant after adjustment for dietary energy intake. No significant association was found for high protein dietary patterns. Compared to the first tertile of the healthy dietary pattern, individuals in the upper tertile were less likely to be centrally obese (OR = 0.15; 95% CI = 0.50-0.52). Participants in the last tertile of the high protein dietary pattern were less likely to be generally obese (OR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.12-0.99), whereas those in the upper tertile of the Western dietary pattern were more likely to be generally obese (OR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.08-4.93). Conclusions: Adherence to a mixed dietary pattern was associated with a high quality of sleep; however, the result was not significant for a high protein dietary pattern. While the high protein dietary pattern was negatively associated with general and central obesity, students in the upper tertile of the Western dietary pattern were more likely to be generally obese. (c) 2020 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.