Introduction: Insomnia and night eating is associated with weight gain in individuals with Severe Mental Illness (Palmese, et al., 2011). Poor sleep, night eating, and psychiatric medications may hinder weight loss which, in turn, can sustain obesity in individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
Purpose: The study examined the relationship of sleep and avoidance of night eating on weight loss in individuals who participated in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program for Weight Loss.
Question: Will self-report of the frequency of getting enough sleep and avoidance of night eating predict weight loss?
Design: This secondary analysis focuses on data from participants in a weight loss intervention group (N=34) after 3 month of intervention.
Methodology: Sleep and night eating scores from the Pender Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II and total score of the Night Eating Questionnaire, respectively, served as predictor variables. Changes in body weight from baseline to 3 months was the criterion variable.
Findings: No significant correlation (.354, p=0.24) was found between the Night Eating Questionnaire score and weight loss while report of sleep and weight loss were correlated (-3.44, p=0.05). Because scores on participants' perception of getting enough sleep and total score for the Night Eating Questionnaire were intercorrelated (-.507, p=0.09) and because only scores from 12 participants on the Night Eating Questionnaire were available, a bivariate regression was performed on weight loss and frequency of getting enough sleep. The frequency of getting enough sleep that accounted for weight loss was low (R2= .119).
Discussion: Self- report of getting enough sleep is a poor predictor of weight loss. Future studies examining weight loss in this population should use a more robust measure of sleep, and an increased sample size.University of Kansas School of Nursing. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Honors Progra
