Food insecurity is associated with poor sleep outcomes among US adults.
BACKGROUND
Although food insecure (FI) adults are at risk of chronic conditions, little research attention is given to their health behaviors, such as sleep.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the associations between adult food security status and sleep duration, sleep latency, and sleep complaints reported to a health care professional.


METHODS
Our population-based sample included 5637 men and 5264 women (≥22 y) who participated in the NHANES 2005-2010. Food security status was assessed with USDA's 10-item adult Food Security Survey Module. Self-reported information about sleep duration, sleep latency, and sleep complaints to a health care professional were used as sleep outcomes. Multiple linear, stratified by sex, and logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between food security status and the 3 sleep outcomes.


RESULTS
Very low food secure (FS) women reported significantly shorter sleep duration than fully FS women (difference: -30 ± 5.2 min; P < 0.01); however, no relation to sleep duration was observed among men. Among men, participants who were marginally FS (4 ± 1.1 min), low FS (4 ± 1.7 min), and very low FS (5 ± 1.8 min) reported significantly longer sleep latency than fully FS men (P < 0.05), but no association with sleep latency was observed among women. The divergent patterns in sleep duration and latency were likely because of our reference groups reporting undesirable sleep outcomes; fully FS men reported inadequate sleep and fully FS women reported long sleep latency. Among both men and women, marginally FS (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.24, 2.16), low FS (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.30), and very low FS (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.36, 2.92) participants were more likely to report sleep complaints than their fully FS counterparts (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Poor sleep quantity and quality may predispose FI adults to adverse health outcomes.
Departments of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management.
Meng
M
Ding
Human Development and Family Studies.
Margaret K
MK
Keiley
Health Outcomes Research and Policy, and.
Kimberly B
KB
Garza
Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
Patricia A
PA
Duffy
Departments of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management zizzaca@auburn.edu.
Claire A
CA
Zizza
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
NHANES; adults; food insecurity; hunger; low income; sex; sleep