The association between sleep quality and dietary behaviour with mental wellness in pregnant mothers in selected community clinics in Kuala Selangor

The prevalence of mental wellness among pregnant women is increasing globally and locally (Malaysia). Sleep quality and dietary behaviour are believed to be factors that contribute to mental wellness during pregnancy. However, there is a lack of studies that have been discovered in the Malaysian population on the association between sleep quality and dietary behaviour with mental wellness among pregnant women. Therefore, this study aims to determine the association between sleep quality and dietary behaviour with mental wellness among pregnant mothers in community clinics in Kuala Selangor. Mental wellness that was discussed in this study were depression, anxiety and stress. This cross-sectional and quantitative study involved 204 participants in Kuala Selangor. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Eating Behaviour and Pattern Questionnaire (EBPQ) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used to assess sleep quality, dietary behaviour and mental wellness. Binary regression investigated the relationship between sleep quality and dietary behaviour with mental wellness. This finding showed that sleep quality is significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress, with a P-value of 0.01, <0.01 and 0.03, respectively. Meanwhile, only eating behaviour under the low-fat eating construct recorded was significant with depression (P=0.014) and stress (P=0.022). However, anxiety reported no association with any eating behaviour constructs. In conclusion, there was an association between sleep and DAS and dietary behaviour and DS. Hence, early interventions were needed to combat the risk of prenatal depression through clinics, government, education and society.