0241 Relationship Between Sleep, Diet, And SES In Preschool-Aged Children

Abstract

Introduction: Sufficient sleep and a nutritious diet are both known to encourage children's physical growth and overall development. Previous research suggests an association between the above health factors. However, it is unclear which specific aspects of sleep quality are related to diet. We aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep quality measures and dietary habits in young children while considering the role of socioeconomic status. Method(s): Data was collected from 369 preschool-aged children (M age = 52.1 months, 46.4% female). Sleep quality was measured objectively through actigraphy watches worn for 16 days. Dietary habits were determined through questionnaires completed by the participant's primary caregiver. Questions probed child's average weekly consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fast food. Socioeconomic status, used as a covariate, was constructed using parent reports of income, education, and employment status. Result(s): Average sleep duration was positively associated with children's average weekly intake of fruits and vegetables (r = .17, p =.03; r =.15, p=.004, respectively) and negatively associated with average weekly intake of fast food (r =-.17, p=.001). Conversely, sleep onset was negatively associated with vegetable intake (r =-.12, p=.02) and positively with fast food consumption (r=.11, p=.04). Interestingly, average nap duration was negatively associated with weekly vegetable (r=-.11, p=.04) and fruit intake (r=-.14, p=.01). SES and age were included as covariates in all correlations. Conclusion(s): Preschool-aged children who consumed fruits and vegetables on a more frequent basis experienced longer overnight sleep bouts and earlier bedtimes, while more frequent consumption of fast food was related to shorter sleep bouts and later bedtimes. Children who consumed more fruits and vegetables also experienced shorter nap durations, possibly due to a decreased need to compensate for insufficient overnight sleep. SES did not explain the associations between these sleep measures and dietary habits, though other household factors could be responsible such as parenting style, household chaos, or limited access to nutritious foods.