Association between eating at night and skipping breakfast with anxiety symptoms among freshman in colleges in Yunnan Province

Abstract

Objective To study the association between eating at night and skipping breakfast with college students’ anxiety symptoms, and to provide reference basis for preventing and alleviating college students’ anxiety symptoms.

Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 9 960 freshman from three universities in Kunming and Dali, Yunnan Province. The dietary frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate the dietary behavior of college students. The Anxiety Scale of the Chinese 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to evaluate the anxiety symptoms of college students. The association of late night snack and breakfast skipping with the association of anxiety symptoms in college students used generalized linear model and Logistic regression model.

Results The proportion of college students who reported eating at night and breakfast skipping in the last month was 72.5%(7 217/9 960) and 61.6% (6 131/9 960) respectively. The detection rate of anxiety symptoms in college students was 28.9% (2 875/9 960). There was a statistical significance between eating at night with anxiety symptoms ( OR = 1.40-2.54), and breakfast skipping with anxiety symptoms ( OR = 1.23-1.60) ( P<0.05). The interaction between eating late at night and breakfast skipping was positively correlated with college students’ anxiety symptoms (multiplicative interaction, β = 0. 06, 95% CI = 0. 02-0.10, P<0.01; additive interaction, OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.59-2.51, P<0.01).

Conclusion The study suggests that the college students who eat at night and frequently skipped breakfast are more likely to have anxiety symptoms. It suggested to promote the formation of healthy eating habits of college students, so as to reduce the occurrence of anxiety sympotoms.

Abstract

【摘要】 目的 研究云南大一年级学生吃夜宵和不吃早餐交互效应与焦虑症状的关联, 为预防和减轻大学生的焦虑症状提供参考依据。 方法在云南省昆明和大理整群选取3所高校的9 960名一年级大学生, 使用膳食频率调查表评估大学生饮食行为, 使用中文版21条目抑郁-焦虑-压力量表的焦虑分量表评估大学生的焦虑症状, 使用广义线性模型和Logistic回归模型分析吃夜宵和不吃早餐的交互效应与大学生焦虑症状的关联。 结果最近1个月平均每周大学生吃夜宵和不吃早餐的比例分别为72.5%(7 217/9 960)和61.6%(6 131/9 960), 大学生焦虑症状检出率为28.9%(2 875/9 960)。吃夜宵与大学生焦虑症状的关联有统计学意义( OR =1.40~2.54), 不吃早餐与大学生焦虑症状的关联有统计学意义( OR =1.23~1.60) ( P值均<0.05)。吃夜宵和不吃早餐交互效应与大学生的焦虑症状呈正相关(相乘交互效应, β = 0.06, 95% CI =0.02~0.10, P<0.01;相加交互效应, OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.59~2.51, P<0.01)。 结论吃夜宵且不吃早餐的云南大学生焦虑症状更明显。应促进大学生健康饮食习惯的养成, 以减轻焦虑症状的发生。