(P02-005-25) Poor Sleep Quality Is Associated With Emotional and Uncontrolled Eating in Saudi Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: Poor sleep quality has been linked to unhealthy eating behaviours, such as emotional and uncontrolled eating, which are key contributors to obesity. With rising obesity rates among Saudi young adults, understanding the relationship between sleep quality and eating behaviours is crucial. This study aims to investigate the relationship between sleep quality, eating behaviours, and obesity in Saudi young adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study at Umm Al-Qura University involved 217 participants (71.3% female, mean age 21 years). Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI, global score 0-21, >5 indicating poor sleep) and Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18, assessing cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating). Higher TFEQ-R18 scores indicate greater cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, or emotional eating in eating patterns. Anthropometric measurements were taken to categorise BMI. Associations were assessed using multiple regression analysis with backward elimination.

Results: The mean PSQI score was 5.47 ± 2.94, indicating poor sleep quality. Cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating scores averaged 45.6, 29.6, and 33.7, respectively. In adjusted analysis, poor sleep quality was significantly associated with higher uncontrolled eating (β=0.025, p=0.034). Daytime dysfunction from poor sleep quality was associated with increased uncontrolled eating (β=4.102, p=0.004) and emotional eating (β=6.937, p=0.005). No significant associations were found between sleep quality and cognitive restraint (p= 0.065) or BMI (p=0.877).

Conclusions: While sleep quality impacts eating behaviours, it does not directly correlate with obesity in this young adult population. Future research should explore larger longitudinal studies and potential clinical applications, such as incorporating sleep quality assessments in nutritional evaluations.

Funding Sources: The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.