Do emotional exhaustion and eating habits predict university students' sleep quality? A study from the perspective of health and well-being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.116532Keywords:
Emotional exhaustion, eating habits, health and well-being, sleep quality, university studentsAbstract
Introduction: the university stage is characterized by academic, emotional, and social demands that often impact students’ overall health. Sleep quality, recognized as a key indicator of well-being, is closely linked to emotional and behavioral factors, making it necessary to identify which variables significantly predict it.
Objective: to determine whether emotional exhaustion and eating habits predict the sleep quality of Peruvian university students.
Methodology: a quantitative approach was adopted, using a non-experimental predictive design. The sample consisted of 506 university students who completed the Emotional Exhaustion Scale, the Eating Habits Questionnaire, and the Sleep Quality Questionnaire, all of which demonstrated adequate psychometric properties.
Results: the regression model was statistically significant (F= 156.595, p<0.01), explaining 38.1% of the variance in sleep quality (adjusted R²= 0.381). Both emotional exhaustion (β= -0.377, p<0.01) and eating habits (β= 0.377, p<0.01) significantly predicted sleep quality among university students.
Discussion: although some studies support these findings, further research is needed to explore the role of these variables in different educational and population contexts.
Conclusions: emotional exhaustion and eating habits significantly predict the sleep quality of Peruvian university students. This suggests that higher levels of emotional exhaustion are associated with lower sleep quality, whereas healthier eating habits are linked to more restorative sleep.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Edwin Gustavo Estrada-Araoz, Marisol Yana-Salluca , Judith Annie Bautista-Quispe , Jose Eli Churayra-Chura , Maysha Yeset Quispe-Loaiza, Haydee Clady Ticona-Arapa, Reynaldo Cutipa-Luque, Ronald Socrates Poma-Mollocondo

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