Psychological distress mediates the association between daytime sleepiness and consumption of sweetened products: cross-sectional findings in a Catholic Middle-Eastern Canadian community

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine the associations between consumption of sweetened products, daytime sleepiness (DS) and psychological distress (PD) in a Catholic Middle-Eastern Canadian community, and to test the hypothesis that the association between DS and consumption of sweetened products is mediated by PD.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingA Catholic Middle-Eastern Canadian community.Participants186 men and women aged between 18 and 60 years.Primary and secondary outcome measuresSweetened product consumption was measured using a food frequency questionnaire (total sugars/day). DS and PD were measured using standardised questionnaires. The generalised linear model was used to estimate associations between sweetened product consumption, age, sex, self-reported body mass index, DS and PD. Baron and Kenny's four-step approach in addition to the Sobel test were used to establish mediation.ResultsAverage DS score was 8.2 (SD=4.5) with 19.5% having excessive scores (>12). Mean PD score was 20.8 (SD=6.2) with 11.8% having high distress scores. Average consumption of sweetened products was 15.5 g/day (SD=13.9). Baron and Kenny's three steps to establish partial mediation were confirmed. First, DS was associated with consumption of sweetened products (p<0.03). Second, DS and PD were correlated (r=0.197; p<0.04). Third, PD was associated with consumption of sweetened products (p<0.01) when both PD and DS were entered as predictors in a multivariate regression. However, Baron and Kenny's fourth step to establish complete mediation was not met. The effect of DS on consumption of sweetened products controlling for PD was reduced, but it was not zero. Finally, the Sobel test was significant (2.14; p<0.03).ConclusionsThe association between DS and consumption of sweetened products in the Catholic Middle-Eastern Canadian community is partially mediated by psychological distress. Further work should test this mediation relationship in larger samples and verify the potential effects of other sleep variables in this relationship.

The Effects of Sleep Quality and Resilience on Perceived Stress, Dietary Behaviors, and Alcohol Misuse: A Mediation-Moderation Analysis of Higher Education Students from Asia, Europe, and North America during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Like poor sleep quality, insufficient sleep also results in poor dietary behaviors [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. This may be explained by the fact that, like poor sleep quality, insufficient sleep also amplifies the brain’s reward system [ 49 , 50 ].…”

Probable insomnia is associated with future total energy intake and diet quality in men

“…The hedonic motivation to eat has been suggested as another promising explanation in recent studies. Moubarac et al (35) showed that the relation between daytime sleepiness and sweetened-food consumption was mediated by psychological distress, possibly suggesting that individuals with psychological distress are selecting energy-dense food items as a way to alleviate their stresses and improve their moods or increase their energy levels (31). Moreover, several studies have reported an increase in brain sensitivity toward a food-related reward (e.g., unhealthy food options) after sleep restriction (36,37).…”

Sleep patterns, diet quality and energy balance

“…mood). Interestingly, a recent study reported that psychological distress mediates the association between daytime sleepiness and the consumption of sweetened products in adults [55]. One explanation in support of this mediating model is that individuals who experience daytime sleepiness may consume energy-dense foods to upgrade their energy level or to alleviate their negative mood or psychological distress.…”