Associations between ultra-processed food consumption, sleep quality, and chronotype

Abstract

This study examined the associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, sleep quality, and chronotype. This cross-sectional study included 200 healthy adults, with data collected on demographic-health characteristics, anthropometric measurements, UPF consumption using the Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF), sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and chronotype using the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Participants’ mean age was 25.9±9.4 years; 54% were female. High UPF consumption was observed in 72.0% of participants, 74.0% had poor sleep quality, and 75.5% were classified as having an intermediate chronotype. High UPF consumers had higher PSQI scores (p=0.014) and lower MEQ scores (p=0.034) compared to low UPF consumers. In regression analyses, age was the only significant predictor of high UPF consumption; each one-year increase was associated with a 6% decrease in the likelihood of high consumption (OR=0.94, 95%CI:0.91–0.97, p<0.001). Sleep quality and chronotype were not independently associated with UPF consumption. In conclusion, high UPF consumption was common among the participants in this study and was inversely associated with age, whereas sleep quality and chronotype were not independent predictors. These findings underscore the need for further longitudinal studies to clarify the relationships between UPF consumption, sleep quality, and chronotype in diverse age groups.

Keywords

• Highly processed foods
• Sleep quality
• Chronotype
• Circadian rhythm
• Dietary behaviour
• Nutritional epidemiology

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