Aralıklı Oruç Diyeti Uygulayanların Uyku Kalitelerinin ve Bedenlerini Beğenme Durumlarının Değerlendirilmesi: Tanımlayıcı Kesitsel Çalışma

Abstract

Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular dietary approach and a common topic of consultation in family medicine. This study aimed to determine the sociodemographic characteristics, sleep quality, and body appreciation of individuals practicing intermittent fasting in Türkiye. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using face-to-face questionnaires. A total of 201 individuals aged 18 years and older who had been practicing intermittent fasting for at least one month and had a body mass index below 30 kg/m² were included (75.1% female; median age: 30 years). Data were collected between May 1, 2025, and August 1, 2025, and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0. No statistically significant association was found between the intermittent fasting model and either the total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (p=0.211) or the good/poor sleep quality categories (p=0.098). Poor sleep quality was numerically more frequent among participants following alternate-day fasting (66.7%) or the 5:2 model (100.0%) compared with those practicing time-restricted eating (44.8%); however, given the very small number of participants in the alternate-day fasting and 5:2 groups (n=6 and n=3, respectively), this difference should be interpreted with caution. The mean total Body Appreciation Scale score was 38.5±8.3; this score was significantly higher in participants practicing intermittent fasting for the first time (39.8) than in those who had practiced it more than once (37.9) (p=0.045). In contrast, no significant association was found between the total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score and the total Body Appreciation Scale score (p=0.942). This study evaluated the relationship between intermittent fasting, sleep quality, and body appreciation, and its findings may contribute to future studies with larger and more diverse populations.