Background/objectives: Food-insecure individuals are at risk for poor health outcomes, including substandard sleep health. A possible association of food insecurity with sleep regularity has not been explored, and factors contributing to the relationship between food insecurity and sleep are not well understood. This cross-sectional study explored the relationship between food insecurity and sleep regularity and identified specific nutrients that mediated the association.
Methods: This study used dietary intake, interview, physical examination, actigraphy, and laboratory data from NHANES 2011-2014 to assess the possible correlation between food insecurity and sleep in a sample of U.S. adults (n = 6730). Mediation analysis was conducted to determine specific serum biomarkers and intake of nutrients that indirectly contributed to the relationship.
Results: Food insecurity was negatively correlated with sleep regularity. Dietary intake of fiber; vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, and K; β-carotene; zinc; copper; and potassium and serum concentrations of palmitoleic acid had significant indirect effects on this association. The low/marginal food security group under-consumed vitamin K, and the very low food security group under-consumed vitamin K and zinc. Among food-insecure, income-eligible adults, those who received benefits from food assistance programs consumed significantly less fiber and β-carotene and exhibited significantly higher serum concentrations of palmitoleic acid than non-participants.
Conclusions: Food insecurity predicted sleep regularity, and this relationship was mediated by dietary intake and serum concentrations of specific nutrients, underscoring the role of nutrition security when evaluating potential health impacts for adults experiencing food insecurity.
Keywords: NHANES; SNAP; fatty acids; food assistance programs; food insecurity; health disparity; macronutrients; micronutrients; nutrition security; sleep regularity index.