0837 Associations Between Sleep Health, Diet Quality and Movement Behaviors in a Community Sample of Preschoolers

Introduction Lifelong sleep, diet and movement behaviors are formed during the preschool (age 3-5) years. Inadequate sleep health (i.e., short duration, late bedtimes, low quality) and poor diet quality are independently associated with physical inactivity and subsequent risk of obesity development. Not known is how sleep health and diet quality may interact in association with movement behaviors (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] and sedentary behavior [SB]) during this critical period of the life course. This study explored the interaction between diet quality and sleep health on movement behaviors in a community sample of preschoolers. Methods Preschoolers from families living in Delaware communities wore an Actigraph on their waist for up to one-week (average wear time=6 days) to measure sleep health, SB, and MVPA. Sleep health metrics included sleep duration (minutes), timing of sleep onset and offset (hours), and sleep efficiency (percentage of time in bed spent asleep). Parents completed 3-days of dietary records for their child, and Nutrition Data Systems for Research (NDS-R) software was used to analyze these dietary records. Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) scores were derived (higher scores=better diet quality). Generalized Linear Models utilizing GEEs quantified the associations between sleep health and diet quality on SB and MVPA; and the interaction between diet quality and sleep health was explored. Models adjusted for age, sex, race, parent education, and BMI. Results In a sample of 24 preschoolers (mean age=4.6 years, SD=0.78; 50% male, 63% White, non-Hispanic), there was a significant interaction between diet quality and sleep timing on movement behaviors. Having an HEI-score above the sample median of 61 was associated with less SB (p< 0.001), but having a late bedtime (p< 0.001) and late wake time (p=0.004) tempered this association. Similarly, having an HEI-score above the median was associated with more MVPA (p< 0.001), but having a late bedtime (p< 0.001) and late wake time (p=0.03) tempered this association. Conclusion Our findings underscore the interdependence of health behaviors in preschoolers. Future integrated interventions may consider targeting multiple behaviors, including sleep timing, diet and physical activity, to impede early childhood obesity development. Support (if any) 2020 Center for Innovative Health Research Interdisciplinary GOLD Research Grant