title: Disordered eating behaviors and sleep disturbances.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate if disordered eating behaviors predicted the development of sleep disturbances. A total of 870 students participated at baseline, 592 one year later (T1) and 305 two years later (T2). The Eating Attitudes Test-40 was used to assess global disordered eating behaviors, dietary concerns (DC), bulimic behaviors (BB) and social pressure to eat (SPE). Sleep disturbances were assessed by two items related to difficulties initiating sleep (DIS) and maintaining sleep (DMS). A sleep disturbance index (SDI) was calculated by summing DIS and DMS scores. Results revealed that global disordered eating behaviors at baseline predicted DIS, DMS and SDI at T1 and T2. Students with increased BB and SPE scores at baseline were more likely to experience sleep onset and sleep maintenance difficulties in the long term. These results suggest that assessment and correction of eating behaviors might prevent sleep disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal. sbos@fmed.uc.pt
authors.forename: Sandra Carvalho
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Ana Telma
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Vasco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macedo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult