The Association between Melatonin-Containing Foods Consumption and Students' Sleep-Wake Rhythm, Psychoemotional, and Anthropometric Characteristics: A Semi-Quantitative Analysis and Hypothetical Application.

Food is an important source of melatonin (MT), which belongs to a group known as chronobiotics, a class of substances that affect the circadian system. Currently, no studies have been conducted on how the consumption of foods containing MT (FMT) is associated with indicators characterizing the human circadian system. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that FMT consumption is associated with chronotype and social jetlag. A total of 1277 schoolchildren and university students aged M (SD) 19.9 (4.1) years (range: 16-25 years; girls: 72.8%) participated in a cross-sectional study. Each participant completed an online questionnaire with their personal data (sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, and academic performance) and a sequence of tests to assess their sleep-wake rhythm (the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire), sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and depression level (the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale). Study participants also completed a modified food frequency questionnaire that only included foods containing MT (FMT). They were asked how many foods containing MT (FMT) they had eaten for dinner, constituting their daily serving, in the past month. The consumption of foods containing MT (FMT) during the day (FMTday) and at dinner (FMTdinner) was assessed using this test. Multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the studied indicators. We found that higher FMTday values were associated with early chronotype (ß = -0.09) and less social jetlag (ß = -0.07), better sleep quality (ß = -0.06) and lower levels of depression (ß = -0.11), as well as central adiposity (ß = -0.08). Higher FMTdinner values were associated with a lower risk of central adiposity (ß = -0.08). In conclusion, the data obtained confirm the hypothesis that the consumption of foods containing MT (FMT) is associated with chronotype and social jetlag in adolescents and young adults.

Association between food addiction and time perspective during COVID-19 isolation.

PURPOSE: The concept of time perspective (TP) implies that a mental focus on past, present, or future affect a person makes decisions and take action. Inability to plan their life for a sufficiently long time perspective due to the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have a pronounced impact on a human's lifestyle influencing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, including eating behavior. This study tested two hypotheses: (a) that during COVID-19 isolation, the incidence rate of food addiction is increased, and (b) people with present TP are more likely exhibited signs of food addiction (FA). METHODS: The final study sample included 949 people, mean age 21.8 ± 7.8 years (range: 17-71 years, women: 78.3%). Each participant indicated their personal data and completed Yale Food Addiction Scale and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. RESULTS: There was an increased incidence rate of FA (OR = 1.678, 95% CI = 1.324, 2.148, p = 0.000) during COVID-19 isolation. Individuals with balanced, future, and past positive TP were less likely to exhibit symptoms of FA. Persons with past negative, and present hedonistic TP were more likely to exhibit signs of FA. CONCLUSION: There was an increased incidence rate of FA during COVID-19 isolation. Persons with shortened time horizon are more likely to exhibit symptoms of FA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Food addiction and weight in students with high academic performance.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationships between food addiction (FA), anthropometric characteristics and academic performance. DESIGN: The average age (sd) of the participants was 17·5 (sd 2·7) years (64·1 % female). Each study participant indicated their sex, height, weight and academic performance and completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale. SETTING: Syktyvkar, Kirov, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Russia; Aizawl, India. PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 3426 people. RESULTS: FA was found in 8·7 % of participants from Russia and 14·6 % from India. In schoolchildren but not in university students, high academic performance was associated with a higher incidence rate of FA detection (OR = 1·16, 95 % CI 1·07, 1·26) and a lower BMI (OR = 0·72, 95 % CI 0·56, 0·94). CONCLUSIONS: These data showed an increased incidence rate of FA detection in adolescents with high academic performance.

Food preferences and YFAS/YFAS-C scores in schoolchildren and university students.

PURPOSE: Food addiction (FA) is one of the causes of widespread obesity in modern society. It was shown that there is an age-associated increase in incidence rate of FA in adolescents/young adults. The purpose of this study was to analyze food preferences in schoolchildren and university students with FA. METHODS: High school and university students (N = 1607; age: 17.8 ± 2.7 years; girls: 77.0%) located in four settlements of Russia anonymously took part in the study. Study participants provided personal data (age, sex, height, and weight) and completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire. In addition, they indicated food products with which they had problems. RESULTS: The frequency of detection of FA among university students was twice as high as among schoolchildren. University students with FA were 20.2% more likely than schoolchildren to report the symptom 'use continues despite knowledge of adverse consequences,' and 13.7% more likely to report the symptom 'tolerance.' Schoolchildren and university students with FA most often noted that foods high in sugar and fat were problematic. University students with FA also reported that foods with a high carbohydrate content were problematic. CONCLUSION: In university students with FA, in comparison with schoolchildren with FA, there is an increase in list of problematic food products, mainly due to products with a high carbohydrate content. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Food addiction in young adult residents of Russia: Associations with emotional and anthropometric characteristics.

The incidence of food addiction (FA) and associations between FA and anthropometric and psycho-emotional characteristics of young Russian adults were studied. In this study, 1,237 students (age, M = 20.6, SD = 4.6 years; 79% females) of universities located in four cities of Russia were attended. They provided demographics and filled in the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Data were analysed via Chi-squared tests, logistic regression analysis, and an analysis of covariance. 13.2% of participants met diagnostic criteria for FA based on the YFAS. On average, the participants reported 2.6 FA symptoms (SD = 1.5). FA was more commonly detected in females (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.10, 3.15, p = .021). No relationship was found between age and the incidence of FA. Significant positive associations between FA, the severity of depression (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.91, 2.80, p = .000), and an emotional eating behaviour (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.76, p = .000) were found. The waist-to-height ratio was found to be the anthropometric indicator most closely associated with FA (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.27, 1.76, p = .000). HIGHLIGHTS: The prevalence of food addiction in the current sample was 13.2%. In young Russian adults, emotional eating behaviour and depression are associated with food addiction. In young Russian adults, the waist-to-height ratio is the anthropometric indicator most closely associated with food addiction.

Food addiction and symptoms of depression among inhabitants of the European North of Russia: Associations with sleep characteristics and photoperiod.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the sleep-wake rhythm characteristics of young persons with food addiction (FA) and symptoms of depression. A total of 2,360 young persons living in northern European Russia were included in the study. The average age of the respondents (± standard deviation [SD]) was 17.9 [4.6] years (66.6% female). Each participant provided personal data and filled in three questionnaires: the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Yale Food Addiction Scale. FA was detected in 8.9% of respondents, and moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression were detected in 16.7% of respondents. FA and depressive symptoms were more often detected in females. Age and body mass index were shown to be significantly associated with FA. There were positive associations between the time of sunrise and FA and depressive symptoms. Persons who had symptoms of depression also tended to have a later chronotype, lower sleep efficiency, later sleep onset, higher sleep inertia, and greater sleep latency on school days. A positive relationship between FA and the time of sleep onset on school days was also revealed. Thus, the results indicate that prolonged wakefulness in the evening after sunset was associated with FA.