WESTERN DIETARY PATTERNS, SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS, AND SELF-REPORTED SLEEP DURATION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A MULTICENTER STUDY IN LATIN AMERICA

Ríos-Castillo I.; Parra-Soto S.; Morales G.; Araneda Flores J.; Murillo A.G.; Gomez G.; Carpio-Arias V.T.; Cavagnari B.M.; Nava-Gonzalez E.J.; Bejarano-Roncancio J.J.; Núñez-Martínez B.E.; Cordón-Arrivillaga K.; Meza-Miranda E.R.; Mauricio-Alza S.; Durán Agüero S.; Landaeta-Díaz L. · African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (2025) · DOI: 10.18697/ajfand.147.26340

Resumen

Changing dietary patterns, particularly the shift towards a Western diet (WD) high in sugar, fat, and salt, as well as the high availability of ultra-processed products, are impacting the nutritional status of the population; however, little is known about their relationship with sleep quality. The study aims to evaluate the association between dietary patterns and self-reported sleep duration among Latin American university students. A multicenter study of a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 4539 university students older than 18 years from ten Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Panama, and Peru. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, between November and December 2020. Participants in the study completed the survey independently, indicating that the survey was self-administered. Data regarding sociodemographic indicators, sex, sleep, physical activity, and smoking was obtained. In addition, the diet pattern, weight, and height were obtained by self-report. Dietary patterns were assessed using a self-administered multiple-choice question and subsequently classified into four predefined categories: Western diet, prudent diet, vegetarian diets, and other diets. The association between dietary patterns and self-reported sleep duration was assessed using multiple logistic regression models. Model 1 was adjusted for sociodemographic variables (sex, age, socioeconomic level, and country); model 2 additionally included smoking and physical activity; and model 3 further adjusted for nutritional status. Of the participants, 73.6% were women and 85.2% were between 18 and 25 years old. Most participants (74.0%) reported following a Prudent Diet and 11.6% reported Western diet. Adherence to a Western diet was significantly associated with higher odds of reporting sleep durations outside the recommended range, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, smoking, physical activity, and nutritional status. This association appeared stronger among women than men. The Western dietary pattern was significantly associated with higher odds of reporting sleep durations outside the recommended range among Latin American university students, particularly among female participants, older individuals, and those classified as obese. These findings may inform future public health policies and interventions aimed at healthier food environments.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener