ABSTRACT
In the study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of nutrition status of university students on sleepiness and sleep quality.
The research was conducted between January and April 2017 with 920 students who were studying at three different faculties of a university in İstanbul and were willing to participate in the study. A questionnaire that assessed the students’ socio-demographic data, nutritional status, symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSAS), the Epworth Sleepiness scale (ESS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index (PSQI) were used in the study.
In the study 66.6% of the students were female, 33.4% were male and the average age was 22.66±4.86. The students with higher food consumption such as bread, pasta and rice were found to have higher PSQI and ESS scores and a significant difference was found between them (p<0.05). The study found that the total score of the students’ PSQI scale was 7.28±3.56 and the majority of students (88.5%) had poor sleep quality. Nevertheless, when the students ESS scores were assessed, it was determined that there was not OSAS risk in the majority (79.9%) of the students. A weak relationship was found between the PSQI and total score of the ESS in the positive direction; also as long as sleep quality deteriorated the daytime sleepiness was determined increased.
University students generally have poor sleep quality, but no risk for OSAS which can be said that the consumption of excess grain food reduces sleep quality and causes daytime sleepiness.
Keywords: Nutrition, sleep quality, sleepiness, Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome