Sleep quality and perceived stress as related to hedonic hunger among university students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Objective The study aims to examine the relationship between sleep quality and stress levels in relation to hedonic hunger (HH) among university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain (BH). Design: A cross-sectional study design was applied using a self-administered standardized and validated online questionnaire. Setting/Participants: A total of 565 students from both countries were recruited. Measurements: Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS) and Power of Food Scale (PFS) were used to detect HH states, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale to assess sleep quality and sleep components, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess the stress levels, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to estimate physical activity levels among university students. Descriptive and analytical (simple, multiple linear, and logistic regressions) statistics were conducted to assess the relationships between sleep quality and perceived stress with hedonic hunger. Results A positive association was found between total PEMS and PFS scores with total PSQI score [β (95%Cl) = 0.14 (0.06 – 0.25), p=0.001; β (95%Cl) = 0.21 (0.45 – 1.04), p<0.001, respectively]. An increased likelihood of having poor sleep quality by 8% (OR= 1.08, p=0.02) and 43% (OR=1.43, p<0.001) for each one-unit increase of PEMS and PFS scores, respectively. A positive association was found between total PEMS and PFS scores with PSS score [β (95%Cl) =0.19 (0.26 – 0.63), p<0.001; β (95%Cl) =0.23 (1.04 – 2.22), p<0.001, respectively]. Conclusion Reduction in HH and low-stress levels may help in improving sleep quality among university students.