Fruit and Vegetable Consumption is Protective from Short Sleep and Poor Sleep Quality Among University Students from 28 Countries

Abstract

Introduction

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption and sleep duration and sleep quality in university students.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional study design, 21,027 university students with a median age of 20 years from 28 countries replied to self-reported measures of FV consumption and sleep duration and quality.

Results

The prevalence of short and long sleep was 38.9% and 12.8%, respectively, and the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 9.6% and restless sleep 19.7%. There was a linear decrease in the prevalence of short sleep with increasing FV consumption beyond ≥2 FV servings/day (vs 0–1 FV servings/day). Consuming 2 FV servings/day (vs 0–1 FV servings/day) was associated with a 21% decreased (ARRR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.70–0.80) and 7 or more FV servings/day with a 33% decreased odds (ARRR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.55–0.81) for short sleep. Consuming 5 FV servings/day (vs 0–1 FV servings/day) was associated with a 34% decreased (ARRR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.51–0.84) and 7 or more FV servings/day with a 34% decreased odds (ARRR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.50–0.88) for long sleep. In the final adjusted logistic regression model, consuming 3 FV servings/day (vs 0–1 FV servings/day) was associated with a 49% decreased (AOR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.42–0.0.62) and 7 or more FV servings/day with a 30% decreased odds (AOR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.53–0.93) for poor sleep quality. Consuming 5 FV servings/day (vs 0–1 FV servings/day) was associated with a 34% decreased odds (AOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.54–0.81) for restless sleep.

Conclusion

The study extended previous findings of an association between inadequate FV consumption and short sleep and an inverse association between FV consumption and poor sleep quality and restless sleep.

Keywords:

• fruit and vegetable consumption
• sleep duration
• sleep quality
• university students

Ethical Approval

The study was undertaken from 2013 to 2015. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed written consent was attained from all participating students, and ethics approvals were obtained from all participating universities: Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Cairo University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ethics Committee of the University of Yaoundé, National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board, Universidad de Pamplona Ethics Committee, St. George’s University Institutional Review Board, Ethics Committee of Institute of Technology and Institute of Sciences at GITAM (Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management) University, Félix Houphouët Boigny University Ethics Committee, University of the West Indies Ethics Committee, Kyrgyz State Medical Academy Ethics Committee, The Ethics Committee of the University of Health Sciences, Ethics Committee of the University of Antananarivo, University of Mauritius Research Ethics Committee, Research Ethics Committee of the University of Namibia, Ethics Review Committee Obafemi Awolowo University, Committee of theWestern Visayas Health Research, Ethics Committee of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Medunsa Research and Ethics Committee (MREC/H/275/2012), Committee for Research Ethics (Social Sciences) of Mahidol University (MU-SSIRB 2015/116) (B2), Ethics Committee Istanbul University, Ethics Committee of the Universidad Central de Venezuela, North South University research Ethics Committees, Research and Ethical Committee of University of Medicine 1, Committee of Research Ethics of Hanoi School of Public Health, Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, National Ethics Committee for Health Research at Institut National de la Santé Publique, and University of Malaya Medical Ethics committee (MECID 201,412–905).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest for this work.

Additional information

Funding

The study received partial support from the Department of Higher Education, South Africa.