THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLEEP AND EATING PATTERNS AND BODY MASS INDEX AMONG FACULTY OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES STUDENTS AT ACHIEVERS’ UNIVERSITY, OWO.

Background: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among university students is a growing public health concern, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. Lifestyle behaviours such as irregular sleep patterns and poor eating habits have been identified as modifiable risk factors associated with unhealthy body weight. However, there is limited research examining the combined influence of these behaviours on Body Mass Index (BMI) among students in private tertiary institutions. This study investigates the relationship between sleep patterns, eating behaviours, and BMI among students of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences at Achievers University, Owo. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 167 undergraduate students selected through stratified random sampling across academic levels. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was employed to assess sleep duration, sleep quality, breakfast frequency, and late-night eating. Height and weight were self-reported for BMI calculation. Descriptive statistics summarized the variables, and Pearson’s correlation was used to examine associations between lifestyle variables and BMI. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean BMI was 24.56 kg/m², with 7.8% of students classified as underweight, 53.9% as normal weight, 23.9% as overweight, and 14.4% as obese. The average sleep duration was 6.55 hours, and most students rated their sleep quality as fair. Breakfast was consumed an average of 4.17 times per week, while late-night eating occurred on average 3.6 times weekly. Pearson correlation analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between BMI and sleep duration (r = –0.024, p = 0.763), sleep quality (r = 0.136, p = 0.080), breakfast frequency (r = –0.106, p = 0.173), or late-night eating (r = 0.049, p = 0.531). Conclusion: Although the findings indicated some behavioural trends such as lower breakfast frequency and higher late-night eating being linked to higher BMI none of the observed relationships were statistically significant. These results suggest that while unhealthy sleep and eating behaviours are prevalent, they may not independently predict BMI changes within this student population. Further longitudinal and multivariate research is recommended to better understand the complex interplay of lifestyle factors influencing body weight among Nigerian undergraduates. Key Abbreviations: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Body Mass Index (BMI), Health Belief Model (HBM), World Health Organization (WHO).