| Autor: |
Luz CSDS; Department of Health, Life Cycles, and Society, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil., Fonseca AETPD; Department of Health, Life Cycles, and Society, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil., Santos JS; Department of Health, Life Cycles, and Society, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil.; Department of Theory and Foundations of Education, Education Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 80230-130, Brazil., Araujo JF; Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-900, Brazil., Duarte LL; Department for Health Sciences, Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas 44380-000, Brazil., Moreno CRC; Department of Health, Life Cycles, and Society, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil. |
| Abstrakt: |
There are several determinants of mental health symptoms, ranging from individual characteristics to social factors. Consistent with patterns in the general population, students with evening characteristics tend to exhibit more anxiety symptoms and poorer sleep quality compared to morning students. Meal timing also appears to affect sleep and may be associated with mental health symptoms. In this context, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the timing of the main and last meals of the day with sleep quality and anxiety levels, according to the chronotype of university students. This study was conducted in colleges in São Paulo, Brazil, and involved application of a questionnaire to 162 university students. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic information meal and study times, and included scales assessing eveningness and morningness, sleep quality, and anxiety. Students demonstrating a phase delay in both chronotype and dinner timing exhibited higher levels of anxiety compared to morning-type students. Although no associations were observed between meal timing and sleep quality, sleeping later was associated with poorer sleep quality. The study suggests that evening students and those who eat late at night are more prone to presenting mental health symptoms. More studies are needed to further investigate this association. |
