Association between Dietary Energy Density with Mental Health and Sleep Quality in Women with Overweight/Obesity

Abstract

Objectives : Mental health, sleep quality and dietary intake are interlinked. Impairment of mental health and low sleep quality may contribute to obesity through the consumption of diets high in energy density. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether dietary energy density (DED) influences mental health. This study aimed to examine the association of DED with mental health indices, including depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality in overweight/obese women. Results: After adjustment for age, BMI, and physical activity, subjects in the highest quartile of DED had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but lower serum triglyceride, than those in the lowest quartile (p <0.05). DED was significantly associated with increased odds of stress in the crude (OR =2.15, 95%CI: 1.01-4.56, p= 0.04) and adjusted model for age, BMI, and physical activity (OR = 2.56, 95%CI: 1.13-5.79, p=0.02). No significant relationship was observed between DED and depression, anxiety and sleep quality.