Associations Between Dietary Habits and Sleep Duration in Japanese Children: The Fukushima Health Management Survey.

BACKGROUND

Studies on the impact of dietary habits on sleep in children remain inconsistent. The study aimed to evaluate associations between dietary habits and sleep duration in Japanese children.

METHODS

Dietary habits and sleep time questionnaire data were available for 28,429 children from the Fukushima Health Management Survey, 2014-2019. Five dietary habit questions were asked of children aged 1-15 years, four additional questions of those aged 4-15 years, one additional question of those aged 7-15 years, and one additional question of those aged 13-15 years. Accordingly, dietary habit scores (score-5, score-9, score-10, and score-11) were calculated for the corresponding age groups. Linear mixed models were used to examine associations between dietary habits and sleep duration.

RESULTS

In the cross-sectional analysis, the coefficients (95% confidence intervals [CIs]), expressed as hours per score unit, for dietary habit score-5, score-9, score-10, and score-11 with sleep duration were 0.018 (0.012-0.025), 0.018 (0.011-0.025), 0.018 (0.011-0.024), and 0.024 (0.010-0.038), respectively. In the longitudinal analysis, associations of changes in score-5, score-9, and score-10 with changes in sleep duration were no longer statistically significant after multivariable adjustment. Among students aged 13-15 years, each one-point increase in score-11 was associated with higher odds of adequate sleep time (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.09).

CONCLUSIONS

Healthier dietary habits may be associated with longer sleep duration in Japanese children; however, the longitudinal findings did not provide sufficient evidence of an independent association over time.