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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2024; 17(03): e235-e243
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1780501
Original Article

Association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and Sleep Quality among Lebanese University Students

Zeina El-Ali 
1   Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Tripoli, Lebanon
,
James R. Hebert 
2   Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
3   The Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
,
Michael D. Wirth
2   Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
3   The Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
4   Department of Nutrition, Connecting Health Innovations LLC (CHI), Columbia, SC, United States
5   Department of Biobehavioral Health and Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
,
Rosy Mitri
1   Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Tripoli, Lebanon
› Author Affiliations Funding Source Dr. Hébert and Dr. Wirth were funded, in part, by the US National Cancer Institute grant U01 CA272977.
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Abstract

Objective The association between sleep quality and overall health has been extensively examined. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between sleep and the inflammatory potential of the diet. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to explore the association between the scores on the Energy-Adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and sleep quality in Lebanese university students.

Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with students attending the Tripoli campus of Beirut Arab University. A total of 270 students aged between 17 and 25 years were randomly selected. All students filled out a multicomponent questionnaire that included an assessment of their sleep quality using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and of their physical activity level using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The scores on the E-DII were calculated based on a validated food frequency questionnaire.

Results Individuals in the highest (most proinflammatory) quartile of the E-DII were at an increased risk of having poor overall sleep quality compared with the lowest quartile (odds ratio [OR] = 2.86; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.27–6.44). Regarding the individual domains of sleep quality, subjects in quartiles 3 and 4 of the E-DII were at an increased risk of having poor sleep efficiency compared with those in quartile 1 (OR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.12–5.54; and OR = 2.52, 95%CI: 1.13–5.62 respectively). However, individuals in quartile 3 were at a reduced risk of having daytime dysfunction compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR = 0.44; 95%CI: 0.23–0.83).

Conclusion The inflammatory potential of the diet seems to be related to sleep quality in our sample of Lebanese university students. Future prospective studies are required to further explore this association.

Keywords

sleep quality - inflammation - diet - university students

Author's contribution

Zeina El-Ali and Rosy Mitri designed and conducted the study, performed the statistical analyses of study data, interpreted the results of the analyses and wrote the manuscript. James R. Hebert and Michael D. Wirth computed the DII and E-DII scores, contributed to the statistical analyses of study data, interpreting results of analyses, and writing the manuscript.




Publication History

Received: 26 June 2023

Accepted: 22 September 2023

Article published online:
10 May 2024

© 2024. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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