The Study
High prevalence of low dairy calcium intake and association with insomnia, anxiety, depression and musculoskeletal pain in university students from Jordan
This study found that students who ate less dairy also tended to have more trouble sleeping or feel more anxious, but it didn't prove that eating less dairy made them feel that way. It's like noticing that people who wear sneakers often run — but that doesn't mean sneakers make you run.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at college students in Jordan and found most didn't drink enough milk or dairy to get enough calcium, and many had trouble sleeping, felt anxious, or had body pain.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Detailed descriptions of individual patients or small groups. Valuable for identifying new conditions or side effects, but cannot establish generalizable conclusions.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The link between low calcium and sleep problems is small but real — it’s one of many factors, like stress and smoking, that might make sleep worse.
- 296.5% of students got less than 1000 mg of calcium daily; 15.6% had severe insomnia; those with worse sleep had lower calcium, more anxiety, more depression, and more pain.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Public Health Nutrition
Year
2020
Authors
M. Alkhatatbeh, Hala N Khwaileh, K. Abdul-Razzak
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.