Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep;124(9):1109-1117.e2.
doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.02.015. Epub 2024 Feb 28.

The Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Chronic Insomnia in the NutriNet-Santé Study

Pauline Duquenne  1 , Julia Capperella  2 , Léopold K Fezeu  2 , Bernard Srour  2 , Giada Benasi  3 , Serge Hercberg  2 , Mathilde Touvier  2 , Valentina A Andreeva  4 , Marie-Pierre St-Onge  5
Affiliations

The Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Chronic Insomnia in the NutriNet-Santé Study

Pauline Duquenne et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is on the rise worldwide, and it has been linked to numerous health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Few studies have focused on the effect of UPF consumption on sleep health and even fewer on chronic insomnia.

Objective: This study investigated the association between UPF intake and chronic insomnia in a large population-based sample.

Design: This was a cross-sectional analysis using the NutriNet-Santé study data, an ongoing Web cohort in France.

Participants/setting: Thirty-eight thousand five hundred seventy adult males and females who had completed a sleep questionnaire (2014) and at least two 24-hour dietary records were included in the analysis.

Main outcomes measures: Chronic insomnia was defined according to established criteria. Categorization of food and beverages as UPF was based on the NOVA-Group 4 classification.

Statistical analyses performed: The cross-sectional association between UPF intake and chronic insomnia was assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Results: Among the 38,570 participants (mean age, 50.0 ±14.8 years, 77.0% female) included in the analysis, 19.4% had symptoms of chronic insomnia. On average, UPF represented 16% of the total amount (g/day) of the overall dietary intake. In the fully adjusted model, UPF consumption was associated with higher odds of chronic insomnia (odds ratio [OR] for an absolute 10% greater UPF intake in the diet = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.09). Sex-specific OR for chronic insomnia for an absolute 10% greater UPF intake in the diet were 1.09 (1.01-1.18) among males and 1.05 (1.01-1.09) among females.

Conclusions: This large epidemiological study revealed a statistically significant association between UPF intake and chronic insomnia, independent of sociodemographic, lifestyle, diet quality, and mental health status covariates. The findings provide insights for future longitudinal research as well as nutrition- and sleep-focused intervention and prevention programs.

Keywords: Dietary intake; Epidemiological cohort; Insomnia; NOVA classification; Sleep disorders; Ultra-processed food.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Dr. St-Onge has provided consulting for Nestlé.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. World Health Organization (WHO). Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases: Report of a WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. WHO; 2003.
    1. World Health Organization (WHO). Healthy Diet. WHO; 2020.
    1. Yu E, Malik VS, Hu FB. Cardiovascular disease prevention by diet modification: JACC health promotion series. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(8):914–926. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mozaffarian D Dietary and policy priorities for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity: a comprehensive review. Circulation. 2016;133(2):187–225. - PMC - PubMed
    1. GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2019;393(10184):1958–1972. - PMC - PubMed