Keywords
telenutrition - sleep quality - nutrition - mental health
Introduction: College students often face sleep disturbances due to academic pressure and the need
to adhere to early morning class schedules. Guidance on sleep hygiene and healthy
eating can contribute to improving both the quality and duration of sleep.
Objective: To assess the effect of a clinical and nutritional intervention aimed at improving
the sleep quality of students at a Federal University.
Methods: A longitudinal study involving students enrolled in undergraduate courses at UFF
(Niterói/RJ), approved by the Ethics Committee/UFF (CAAE: 69467323.8.0000.5243). Students
participated in a hybrid format, with remote and in-person activities. After registration,
volunteers completed questionnaires via Google Forms: Insomnia Severity Index (ISI),
BECK Anxiety Scale, Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), and PSQI. Students accessed recorded
videos of up to 60 minutes via Google Classroom, available for 4 weeks, covering topics
such as sleep regulation, foods that facilitate or hinder sleep, healthy eating, food
labels, and behavioral aspects of sleep hygiene. In the 5th week, participants were
re-evaluated using the SHI.
Results: The study included 84 students (Fem: 63), most of whom had minimal to mild anxiety
(n=52) and subclinical to moderate insomnia (n=66). The average PSQI score was 6.4±5.7,
indicating poor sleep quality, with an average sleep duration of 5.8 hours and a 47-minute
sleep latency. The SHI score decreased after the telemedicine intervention but was
not statistically significant (SHI – Initial 37.8 vs. Final 34.52, p=0.447). However,
a notable reduction in screen use and improved consistency in sleep timing was reported
by participants.
Conclusion: In this study, predominantly involving women and conducted over a short period, changes
in sleep habits were identified in participant reports but not in the statistical
test. Further investigation is needed to identify more resistant habits to enhance
the intervention. Analysis is ongoing.
