Effects of Food Insecurity and Dietary Factors on Sleep Quality and Perceived Stress
Authors: Ifraimov Elliott , Chowdhury Ushima , Nagorny Katerina , Livshits Sarah , Valerius Alexis , Castillo Gabrielle , Bubis Sabrina 
Published: May 2024

Food insecurity is a significant concern at a national level, with college students facing a disproportionate impact. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to reliable and nutritious food. The link between food insecurity and perceived stress has been documented in prior research; however, its impact on sleep quality has yet to be studied. Food insecurity may reduce the nutritional quality of their diet and increase stress levels, which may negatively impact their sleep. This study aims to assess the impact of food insecurity and diet habits on perceived stress and sleep quality. Our hypothesis is that individuals with high food insecurity and a low quality diet experience higher perceived stress levels and decreased sleep quality. An anonymous survey was distributed through several social media platforms to individuals over the age of 18. The survey included demographic questions and seven validated scales. The scales included the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Effciency, and Duration (SATED) Questionnaire, Health Promoting Activities Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Food Mood Questionnaire. These scales measured level of food insecurity, frequency of self-selected health activities, perceived stress, sleep quality, exercise habits, self-esteem, perceived stress, and dietary habits. Data from 561 individuals were analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coeffcient in IBM SPSS Version 28.0. The results reveal that feeling worried about having enough to eat was negatively correlated with sleep quality (r= 0-.177, p<0.01), sleeping between 6 and 8 hours a day (r= 0-.181, p<0.01), having confidence handling personal problems (r= -0.201, p<0.01), and consuming dark leafy vegetables (r= 0-.164, p<0.01). Feeling nervous and stressed was positively correlated with sleeping between 2am and 4am (r= 0.088, p<0.05) and negatively correlated with sleep satisfaction (r= 0-.335, p<0.01). Consuming fruits was positively correlated with sleep satisfaction (r= 0.112, p< 0.01), while consuming nuts was positively correlated with staying awake during the day (r= 0.136, p<0.01). The results suggest a strong relationship between food insecurity, diet quality, mental well-being, and sleep quality. Those who are food insecure are less likely to have adequate nutrition, which could raise their stress levels and increase diffculty sleeping. On the other hand, those who consume a well-balanced diet are more likely to have better quality sleep; however, it is worth noting that those who show signs of mental distress are less likely to have a good sleep quality.

No funding was provided for this research study.

This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.