The Impact of Unhealthy Eating Behaviors on Sleep Quality Among University Students: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Background: This study examined the impact of specific unhealthy eating behaviors on sleep quality (SQ) among university students. Understanding how dietary habits affect sleep during the significant lifestyle transitions that students experience during university life can inform health promotion strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among international university students using a self-administered questionnaire assessing dietary habits, meal timing, and sleep-related behaviors. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was utilized to assess sleep quality. Statistical analyses were performed to examine the relationship between eating patterns and overall sleep quality and its components. Results: More than half of the 385 students (51.7%) had poor sleep quality, as defined by the PSQI criteria. Daytime dysfunction was significantly more common among females than males (27.9% vs. 8.3%, respectively; p<0.001). Conversely, poor sleep efficiency was more prevalent among males than females (27.5% vs. 15.8%; p=0.008). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that, compared to students who did not frequently consume heavy evening meals, those who did were more likely to experience poor sleep quality (OR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.575-4.731). Similarly, those who frequently replaced regular meals with snacks were more likely to experience poor sleep quality than those who did not (OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.465-4.895). Finally, students who ate within three hours of bedtime had higher odds of poor sleep quality compared to those who had their last meal more than three hours before bedtime (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.173-3.629). Conclusion: Unhealthy dietary habits, such as consuming heavy evening meals, replacing meals with snacks, and a short meal-to-bedtime interval are significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Interventions promoting healthier dietary patterns and appropriate meal timing could help improve sleep and overall well-being in this population.