Associations between self-reported sleep measures and dietary behaviours in a large sample of Australian school students (n = 28,010)

Abstract

This study examined the associations between self-reported sleep timing and quality, and the frequency of breakfast and junk food consumption in 28,010 Australian school students (mean ± SD age = 13.3 ± 1.2 years, 51% male). After controlling for age, sex and socioeconomic status, regression analyses revealed that the odds of missing breakfast were significantly higher in children who reported poor sleep or later bedtimes, while the odds of junk food consumption were significantly higher in children reporting later weeknight bedtimes (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that sleep timing and quality influence the dietary choices of adolescents.