Objectives: Involuntary job loss is a stressful life event that can result in changes in nutritional intake. Both insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also are associated with alterations in dietary intake, but the extent to which this occurs in those who have experienced involuntary job loss is unclear. This study assessed nutritional intake in recently unemployed persons with insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea in comparison to those without a sleep disorder.
Methods: Participants from the Assessing Daily Activity Patterns through Occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study were screened for sleep disorders using the Duke Structured Interview for Sleep Disorders. They were classified as having OSA, acute or chronic insomnia or no sleep disorder. Dietary data was collected using United States Department of Agriculture Multipass Dietary recall methodology.
Results: A total of 113 participants had evaluable data and were included in this study. The cohort was comprised mainly of women (62%) and 24% were non-Hispanic white. Participants with OSA had a higher BMI compared with no sleep disorder (30.6 ± 9.1 vs 27.4 ± 7.1 kg/m2, p≤0.001). Those with acute insomnia had significantly decreased consumption of total protein (61.5 ± 4.7 vs. 77.9 ± 4.9 g, p≤0.05) and total fat (60.0 ± 4.4 vs. 80.5 ± 4.6 g, p≤0.05). Among the participants with chronic insomnia, there was little overall difference in nutrient consumption compared to the no sleep disorder group although there were several gender specific differences. There were no overall differences between participants with OSA in comparison to no sleep disorder, but women consumed less total fat (89.0 ± 6.7 vs. 57.5 ± 8.0 g, p≤0.01). The Healthy Eating Index of all groups was below the average value of Americans.
Conclusion: Unemployed persons compared to those with sleep disorders differ in their consumption of major nutrients; the dietary composition of those with acute insomnia exhibited the greatest divergence. Additionally, the overall nutritional intake of recently unemployed persons is poor.
Keywords: diet; insomnia; nutrition; obstructive sleep apnea; unemployment.