Food Insecurity and Sleep-Related Problems in Adolescents: Findings from the EHDLA Study

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2024 Jun 27

PMID 38931314

Authors

Edina Maria de Camargo

Hector Gutierrez-Espinoza

Jose Francisco Lopez-Gil

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: The current research aimed to investigate the connection between food insecurity and sleep issues among Spanish adolescents aged from 12 to 17 years from the (Region of Murcia, Spain).

Methods: Data from the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities Study, which included a sample of 836 adolescents (55.3% girls), were analyzed. Food insecurity was evaluated using the Child Food Security Survey Module in Spanish (CFSSM-S), while sleep-related problems were evaluated using the Bedtime problems, Excessive daytime sleepiness, Awakenings during the night, Regularity and duration of sleep, and Sleep-disordered breathing (BEARS) sleep screening tool. Generalized linear models were employed to explore the association between food insecurity and sleep-related issues.

Results: Compared with their counterparts with food security, adolescents with food insecurity had greater probabilities of bedtime problems (24.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 16.9% to 33.0%, = 0.003), excessive daytime sleepiness (36.4%, 95% CI 27.5% to 46.3%, < 0.001), awakenings during the night (16.7%, 95% CI 10.8% to 25.1%, = 0.004), and any sleep-related problems (68.1%, 95% CI 57.5% to 77.1%, < 0.001).

Conclusions: This study suggests that food insecurity is related to greater sleep-related problems among adolescents. Implementing strategies to mitigate food insecurity may contribute to improved sleep health among adolescents, highlighting the importance of integrated public health interventions.

References

Morin V, Hozer F, Costemale-Lacoste J . The effects of ghrelin on sleep, appetite, and memory, and its possible role in depression: A review of the literature. Encephale. 2018; 44(3):256-263. DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2017.10.012. View

He J, Xiao Y, Zhang Y, Wang H, Ganson K, Nagata J . Food insecurity is related to eating disorder psychopathology beyond psychological distress in rural Chinese adolescents. Int J Eat Disord. 2024; 57(8):1716-1724. DOI: 10.1002/eat.24227. View

Connell C, Nord M, Lofton K, Yadrick K . Food security of older children can be assessed using a standardized survey instrument. J Nutr. 2004; 134(10):2566-72. DOI: 10.1093/jn/134.10.2566. View

Drewnowski A . Food insecurity has economic root causes. Nat Food. 2022; 3(8):555-556. PMC: 9362113. DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00577-w. View

Rodriguez I, Ballart J, Pastor G, Jorda E, Arija Val V . [Validation of a short questionnaire on frequency of dietary intake: reproducibility and validity]. Nutr Hosp. 2008; 23(3):242-52. View

de Camargo E, Chen S, Jimenez-Lopez E, Victoria-Montesinos D, Smith L, Lopez-Gil J . Food insecurity and academic performance in Spanish adolescents: Results from the EHDLA study. Heliyon. 2024; 10(8):e29489. PMC: 11053195. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29489. View

Rytter M, Kolte L, Briend A, Friis H, Christensen V . The immune system in children with malnutrition--a systematic review. PLoS One. 2014; 9(8):e105017. PMC: 4143239. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105017. View

Loopstra R, Tarasuk V . Severity of household food insecurity is sensitive to change in household income and employment status among low-income families. J Nutr. 2013; 143(8):1316-23. DOI: 10.3945/jn.113.175414. View

Owens J, Dalzell V . Use of the 'BEARS' sleep screening tool in a pediatric residents' continuity clinic: a pilot study. Sleep Med. 2005; 6(1):63-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2004.07.015. View

10.

Osei Bonsu E, Afetor M, Munkaila L, Okwei R, Nachibi S, Adjei B . Association of food insecurity and sleep difficulty among 189,619 school-going adolescents: a study from the global in-school students survey. Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1212254. PMC: 10369053. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1212254. View

11.

Shankar P, Chung R, Frank D . Association of Food Insecurity with Children's Behavioral, Emotional, and Academic Outcomes: A Systematic Review. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2017; 38(2):135-150. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000383. View

12.

Ravikumar D, Spyreli E, Woodside J, McKinley M, Kelly C . Parental perceptions of the food environment and their influence on food decisions among low-income families: a rapid review of qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):9. PMC: 8727174. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12414-z. View

13.

Berge J, Fertig A, Trofholz A, Neumark-Sztainer D, Rogers E, Loth K . Associations between parental stress, parent feeding practices, and child eating behaviors within the context of food insecurity. Prev Med Rep. 2020; 19:101146. PMC: 7334818. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101146. View

14.

Thomas M, Miller D, Morrissey T . Food Insecurity and Child Health. Pediatrics. 2019; 144(4). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-0397. View

15.

Kotchick B, Whitsett D, Sherman M . Food Insecurity and Adolescent Psychosocial Adjustment: Indirect Pathways through Caregiver Adjustment and Caregiver-Adolescent Relationship Quality. J Youth Adolesc. 2020; 50(1):89-102. PMC: 7520077. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-020-01322-x. View

16.

Hall M, Buysse D, Nofzinger E, Reynolds 3rd C, Thompson W, Mazumdar S . Financial strain is a significant correlate of sleep continuity disturbances in late-life. Biol Psychol. 2007; 77(2):217-22. PMC: 2267650. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.10.012. View

17.

Shtasel-Gottlieb Z, Palakshappa D, Yang F, Goodman E . The relationship between developmental assets and food security in adolescents from a low-income community. J Adolesc Health. 2015; 56(2):215-22. PMC: 4306814. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.10.001. View

18.

Gallegos D, Eivers A, Sondergeld P, Pattinson C . Food Insecurity and Child Development: A State-of-the-Art Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(17). PMC: 8431639. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18178990. View

19.

Lopez-Gil J, Smith L, Victoria-Montesinos D, Gutierrez-Espinoza H, Tarraga-Lopez P, Mesas A . Mediterranean Dietary Patterns Related to Sleep Duration and Sleep-Related Problems among Adolescents: The EHDLA Study. Nutrients. 2023; 15(3). PMC: 9919059. DOI: 10.3390/nu15030665. View

20.

Peuhkuri K, Sihvola N, Korpela R . Diet promotes sleep duration and quality. Nutr Res. 2012; 32(5):309-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2012.03.009. View