Health Effects of Plant-Based Diets in University Life: A Comprehensive Study on the Constipation, Sleep and Obesity
Abstract
Background: Plant-based diets have gained popularity due to their nutrient density and potential to reduce chronic disease risk. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between diet quality and plant-based diets consumed with constipation, sleep duration and obesity in university students.
Methods: In this study conducted between September and October 2024, 676 students were recruited as participants and data on socio-demographic information, daily sleep duration, presence of constipation, 24-hour food consumption record and food consumption frequency were collected. Diet Quality Index (DQI) and Plant-Based Diet Index (PBDI) were calculated from food consumption record and frequency data.
Results: Constipation was present in 14.5% of the participants and the BMI of the participants was 21.84±3.47 kg/m2. There was a significant relationship between age and constipation (P=0.013) and a weak negative relationship between age and sleep duration and PBDI (r=-0.103, P=0.007; r=-0.077, P=0.045, respectively); A weak negative correlation was found between BMI and PBDI and DQI (r=-0.092, P=0.016; r=0.173, P=0.000, respectively); a significant correlation was found between the presence of constipation and gender and income level (P=0.047; P=0.013, respectively).
Conclusion: PBDI and DQI were associated with lower BMI and emphasised the potential of alternative nutritional models in the fight against obesity. The lack of an association between PBDI, DQI and sleep duration and constipation suggests that further research is needed. This study emphasises the importance of healthy eating and lifestyle interventions, but its design limits causal conclusions and requires further research.
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10. Brown FC, Buboltz WC Jr, Soper B (2006). Development and evaluation of the Sleep Treatment and Education Pro-gram for Students (STEPS). J Am College Health, 54(4): 231–237.
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12. Raley HR, Naber JL, Cross S, Perlow MB (2016). The Impact of Duration of Sleep on Academic Performance in University Students. Madridge J Nurs, 1(1): 11-18.
13. Zhu Y, Zheng Q, Huang L, et al (2023). The effects of plant-based dietary patterns on the risk of developing gestational di-abetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS One, 18(10): e0291732.
14. Haines PS, Siega-Riz AM, Popkin BM (1999). The Diet Quality Index revised: a measurement instrument for popula-tions. J Am Dietetic Assoc, 99(6), 697–704.
15. Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Rimm EB, et al (2016). Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies. PLoS Med, 13(6):e1002039.
16. Arslan D, Hisar K (2016). Determination of the constipation status of the university students staying at girls' dormitory. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin, 15: 330-335.
17. Chu L, Zhou H, Lü B, Li M, Chen MY (2012). An epidemiological study of functional bowel disorders in Zhejiang college students and its relationship with psychological factors. Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi. 51(6): 429-32.
18. Hossain M, Ahmmed F, Khan M, et al (2022). Impact of Prolonged COVID-19 Lockdown on Body Mass Index, Eating Habits, and Physical Activity of Univer-sity Students in Bangladesh: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Front Nut, 9:873105.
19. McCrea G, Miaskowski C, Stotts N, Macera L, Varma M (2009). A review of the liter-ature on gender and age differences in the prevalence and characteristics of constipation in North America. J Pain Symptom Manag, 37(4): 737-45.
20. Stewart R, Moore M, Marks R, Hale W (1992). Correlates of constipation in an ambulatory elderly population. Am J Gastroenterol, 87(7): 859-64 .
21. Ohayon MM, Carskadon MA, Guillemi-nault C, Vitiello MV (2004). Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy individ-uals: developing normative sleep values across the human lifespan. Sleep, 27(7):1255-73
22. Evans MA, Buysse DJ, Marsland AL, et al (2021). Meta-analysis of age and actigra-phy-assessed sleep characteristics across the lifespan. Sleep, 44(9):zsab088.
23. Yang S, Li S, Guo F, Zhou D, Sun X, Tai J (2022). Association of sleep duration with chronic constipation among adult men and women: Findings from the Na-tional Health and Nutrition Examina-tion Survey (2005–2010). Front Neurol, 13:903273.
24. Gwee K (2011). Disturbed Sleep and Dis-turbed Bowel Functions: Implications for Constipation in Healthy Individuals. J Neurogastroenterol Motil, 17: 108 - 109.
25. Chiba M, Tsuda S, Tozawa H (2022). Effi-cacy of a Plant-based Diet (Semi-lacto-ovo-vegetarian Diet) for Treating Con-stipation. Recent Progress in Nutrition, 2(2):012.
26. Yang J, Wang HP, Zhou L, Xu CF (2012). Effect of dietary fiber on constipation: a meta analysis. World J Gastroenterol, 18(48):7378-83.
27. Kahleova H, Fleeman R, Hlozkova A, Ho-lubkov R, Barnard ND (2018). A plant-based diet in overweight individuals in a 16-week randomized clinical trial: meta-bolic benefits of plant protein. Nutr Di-abetes, 8(1):58.
28. Remde A, DeTurk S, Almardini A, Steiner L, Wojda T (2022). Plant-predominant eating patterns – how effective are they for treating obesity and related cardi-ometabolic health outcomes? – a sys-tematic review. Nutr Rev, 80(5):1094–1104.
29. Jarvis SE, Nguyen M, Malik VS (2022). As-sociation between adherence to plant-based dietary patterns and obesity risk: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 47(12):1115-1133.
30. Boggs DA, Rosenberg L, Rodríguez-Bernal CL, Palmer JR (2013). Long-term diet quality is associated with lower obesity risk in young African American women with normal BMI at baseline. J Nutr, 143(10):1636-41.
31. Sundararajan K, Campbell MK, Choi YH, Sarma S (2014). The relationship be-tween diet quality and adult obesity: evi-dence from Canada. J Am Coll Nutr, 33(1):1-17.
32. Emmett C, Tinkler L, Khan U, Yiannakou Y (2018). PWE-129 Gender differences in patients with chronic constipation in a tertiary referral clinic. Gut, 67, A212.
33. Narayanan S, Anderson B, Bharucha A (2021). Sex and Gender-Related Differ-ences in Common Functional Gastroen-terologic Disorders. Mayo Clin Proc, 96(4):1071-1089.
34. Jamshed N, Lee ZE, Olden KW (2011). Di-agnostic approach to chronic constipa-tion in adults. Am Fam Physician, 84(3):299-306.
35. Wang P, Shen X, Wang Y, Jia X (2023). As-sociation between constipation and ma-jor depression in adult Americans: evi-dence from NHANES 2005-2010. Front Psychiatry, 14:1152435.
36. Finucane M, Stevens G, Cowan M, et al (2011). National, regional, and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: systematic analysis of health examina-tion surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-years and 9·1 million participants. The Lancet, 377: 557-567.
37. He J, Sun S, Lin Z, Fan X (2020). The asso-ciation between body appreciation and body mass index among males and fe-males: A meta-analysis. Body Image, 34:10-26.
2. Polianovskaia A, Jonelis M, Cheung J (2024). The impact of plant-rich diets on sleep: a mini-review. Front Nutr, 11:1239580.
3. Lai IJ, Chang LC, Lee CK, Liao LL (2021). Nutrition Literacy Mediates the Rela-tionships between Multi-Level Factors and College Students' Healthy Eating Behavior: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients, 13(10): 3451.
4. Mugie SM, Benninga MA, Di Lorenzo C (2011). Epidemiology of constipation in children and adults: a systematic review. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol, 25(1): 3-18.
5. Drossman DA (2016). Functional Gastroin-testinal Disorders: History, Pathophysi-ology, Clinical Features and Rome IV. Gastroenterology, S0016-5085(16)00223-7.
6. Sharma, A., & Rao, S. (2017). Constipation: Pathophysiology and Current Therapeu-tic Approaches. Handb Exp Pharmacol, 239: 59-74 .
7. Epstein, Lawrence J (2018). Sleep disorders: Types and approach to evaluation', in Francesco P. Cappuccio, and others (eds), Sleep, Health, and Society: From Aetiology to Public Health, 2nd ed. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198778240.003.0007, accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
8. McArdle N, Ward S, Bucks R, et al (2020). The prevalence of common sleep dis-orders in young adults: a descriptive population-based study. Sleep, 43(10): zsaa072.
9. Li L, Wang Y, Wang S, et al (2018). Preva-lence of sleep disturbances in Chinese university students: a comprehensive meta‐analysis. J Sleep Res, 27 (3): e12648.
10. Brown FC, Buboltz WC Jr, Soper B (2006). Development and evaluation of the Sleep Treatment and Education Pro-gram for Students (STEPS). J Am College Health, 54(4): 231–237.
11. Wang Y, Dai X, Zhu J, Xu Z, Lou J, Chen K (2023). What complex factors influence sleep quality in college students? PLS-SEM vs. fsQCA. Front Psychol, 14:1185896.
12. Raley HR, Naber JL, Cross S, Perlow MB (2016). The Impact of Duration of Sleep on Academic Performance in University Students. Madridge J Nurs, 1(1): 11-18.
13. Zhu Y, Zheng Q, Huang L, et al (2023). The effects of plant-based dietary patterns on the risk of developing gestational di-abetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS One, 18(10): e0291732.
14. Haines PS, Siega-Riz AM, Popkin BM (1999). The Diet Quality Index revised: a measurement instrument for popula-tions. J Am Dietetic Assoc, 99(6), 697–704.
15. Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Rimm EB, et al (2016). Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies. PLoS Med, 13(6):e1002039.
16. Arslan D, Hisar K (2016). Determination of the constipation status of the university students staying at girls' dormitory. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin, 15: 330-335.
17. Chu L, Zhou H, Lü B, Li M, Chen MY (2012). An epidemiological study of functional bowel disorders in Zhejiang college students and its relationship with psychological factors. Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi. 51(6): 429-32.
18. Hossain M, Ahmmed F, Khan M, et al (2022). Impact of Prolonged COVID-19 Lockdown on Body Mass Index, Eating Habits, and Physical Activity of Univer-sity Students in Bangladesh: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Front Nut, 9:873105.
19. McCrea G, Miaskowski C, Stotts N, Macera L, Varma M (2009). A review of the liter-ature on gender and age differences in the prevalence and characteristics of constipation in North America. J Pain Symptom Manag, 37(4): 737-45.
20. Stewart R, Moore M, Marks R, Hale W (1992). Correlates of constipation in an ambulatory elderly population. Am J Gastroenterol, 87(7): 859-64 .
21. Ohayon MM, Carskadon MA, Guillemi-nault C, Vitiello MV (2004). Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy individ-uals: developing normative sleep values across the human lifespan. Sleep, 27(7):1255-73
22. Evans MA, Buysse DJ, Marsland AL, et al (2021). Meta-analysis of age and actigra-phy-assessed sleep characteristics across the lifespan. Sleep, 44(9):zsab088.
23. Yang S, Li S, Guo F, Zhou D, Sun X, Tai J (2022). Association of sleep duration with chronic constipation among adult men and women: Findings from the Na-tional Health and Nutrition Examina-tion Survey (2005–2010). Front Neurol, 13:903273.
24. Gwee K (2011). Disturbed Sleep and Dis-turbed Bowel Functions: Implications for Constipation in Healthy Individuals. J Neurogastroenterol Motil, 17: 108 - 109.
25. Chiba M, Tsuda S, Tozawa H (2022). Effi-cacy of a Plant-based Diet (Semi-lacto-ovo-vegetarian Diet) for Treating Con-stipation. Recent Progress in Nutrition, 2(2):012.
26. Yang J, Wang HP, Zhou L, Xu CF (2012). Effect of dietary fiber on constipation: a meta analysis. World J Gastroenterol, 18(48):7378-83.
27. Kahleova H, Fleeman R, Hlozkova A, Ho-lubkov R, Barnard ND (2018). A plant-based diet in overweight individuals in a 16-week randomized clinical trial: meta-bolic benefits of plant protein. Nutr Di-abetes, 8(1):58.
28. Remde A, DeTurk S, Almardini A, Steiner L, Wojda T (2022). Plant-predominant eating patterns – how effective are they for treating obesity and related cardi-ometabolic health outcomes? – a sys-tematic review. Nutr Rev, 80(5):1094–1104.
29. Jarvis SE, Nguyen M, Malik VS (2022). As-sociation between adherence to plant-based dietary patterns and obesity risk: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 47(12):1115-1133.
30. Boggs DA, Rosenberg L, Rodríguez-Bernal CL, Palmer JR (2013). Long-term diet quality is associated with lower obesity risk in young African American women with normal BMI at baseline. J Nutr, 143(10):1636-41.
31. Sundararajan K, Campbell MK, Choi YH, Sarma S (2014). The relationship be-tween diet quality and adult obesity: evi-dence from Canada. J Am Coll Nutr, 33(1):1-17.
32. Emmett C, Tinkler L, Khan U, Yiannakou Y (2018). PWE-129 Gender differences in patients with chronic constipation in a tertiary referral clinic. Gut, 67, A212.
33. Narayanan S, Anderson B, Bharucha A (2021). Sex and Gender-Related Differ-ences in Common Functional Gastroen-terologic Disorders. Mayo Clin Proc, 96(4):1071-1089.
34. Jamshed N, Lee ZE, Olden KW (2011). Di-agnostic approach to chronic constipa-tion in adults. Am Fam Physician, 84(3):299-306.
35. Wang P, Shen X, Wang Y, Jia X (2023). As-sociation between constipation and ma-jor depression in adult Americans: evi-dence from NHANES 2005-2010. Front Psychiatry, 14:1152435.
36. Finucane M, Stevens G, Cowan M, et al (2011). National, regional, and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: systematic analysis of health examina-tion surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-years and 9·1 million participants. The Lancet, 377: 557-567.
37. He J, Sun S, Lin Z, Fan X (2020). The asso-ciation between body appreciation and body mass index among males and fe-males: A meta-analysis. Body Image, 34:10-26.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 54 No 2 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Plant-based diet Diet quality Constipation Sleep Obesity | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Toğuç H. Health Effects of Plant-Based Diets in University Life: A Comprehensive Study on the Constipation, Sleep and Obesity. Iran J Public Health. 2025;54(2):370-378.
