Background/Objectives: Sleep-related problems are common among university students and are linked to adverse academic and health outcomes. This study evaluated the association between lifestyle medicine adherence and sleep-related problems among first-year Ecuadorian university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Quito, Ecuador, during the 2024–2025 academic year. First-year undergraduate students aged 16–35 years were recruited through a census-based, non-probability strategy (N = 2007). Lifestyle medicine adherence was assessed using the Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle Evaluation for University Students (U-SMILE), and sleep-related problems were defined using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure sleep domain (score ≥ 2), a symptom screen that is conceptually related to, but not identical with, the U-SMILE sleep quality domain. Multivariable binary logistic regression models were used and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related covariates. A post-hoc sensitivity analysis recomputed the global U-SMILE score after excluding the sleep quality domain. Results: The median age was 18.0 years, and 51.0% were female. Among participants with Level 1 sleep data (n = 1906), 47.8% were classified as having sleep-related problems. In the fully adjusted model (n = 1893), higher overall U-SMILE scores were associated with lower odds of sleep-related problems (odds ratio (OR) per 1 point = 0.93, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.91–0.94; OR per 1 SD = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.50–0.62). In a post-hoc sensitivity analysis, this association persisted after excluding the sleep quality domain from the global score (OR per 1 point = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.93–0.95; OR per 1 SD = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.60–0.73). Among non-sleep domains, the strongest associations were avoidance of substance use (OR = 0.87), social relationships (OR = 0.90), and nutrition (OR = 0.90); physical activity, nature engagement, and stress management were also significant. Conclusions: Higher lifestyle medicine adherence was associated with lower odds of sleep-related problems, including in post-hoc analyses when the sleep domain was omitted from the U-SMILE total. These findings support multidimensional lifestyle medicine approaches for sleep health promotion in university settings.
Doménica Yukling León-Chang, C. Miño, Rodrigo Yáñez-Sepúlveda et al.· Healthcare· 0 citations
Background: Screen-based distractions during meals are increasingly common during adolescence and have been linked to less healthy eating behaviors. Chronotype, an individual’s circadian preference for morningness or eveningness, is associated with differences in alertness, self-regulation, and recreational screen use across the day, which may in turn influence susceptibility to distractions during meals. However, the relationship between chronotype and eating distraction behaviors remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study examined the association between chronotype and eating distraction behaviors in Spanish adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 820 adolescents aged 12–17 years from the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) project. Chronotype was assessed using the Morningness–Eveningness Scale for Children and classified as evening, intermediate, or morning type. Eating distractions were evaluated using a composite score that included eating lunch or dinner while watching television, using mobile devices or social networks during meals, and eating while standing. Associations were examined using ordinal regression models (proportional odds), with eveningness as the reference category; both unadjusted and adjusted models are reported, with adjustment for relevant sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates. Results: In adjusted ordinal regression models with eveningness as reference, morningness was related to lower odds of being in a higher eating distractions category (odds ratio [OR] = 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.35–0.82; p = 0.004). Morningness was also associated with lower odds of a higher category of television viewing during meals (OR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.38–0.93; p = 0.024). No significant associations were identified for eating while using a phone or social networks or for eating while standing. Conclusions: Chronotype was independently associated with eating distraction behaviors in Spanish adolescents, with evening types showing a less favorable pattern. These findings suggest that circadian preference may be relevant when addressing mealtime behaviors during adolescence and could help inform future health promotion strategies.
M. Masache-Cruz, Fiorella Quiroz-Cárdenas, C. Miño et al.· Nutrients· 0 citations
Emotional eating was selectively associated with specific sleep-related problems, particularly bedtime difficulties and snoring, in a large sample of Spanish adolescents, with anger and anxiety showing the strongest associations.
Andrea Aquino-Blanco, M. López-Moreno, Rodrigo Yáñez-Sepúlveda et al.· European Journal of Pediatri...· 0 citations
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