Hygeia Public Health 2016, 51(2): 179-186pl

Sleep duration among students and its association with health behaviors

Magdalena Stalmach, Maria Jodkowska, Katarzyna Radiukiewicz, Anna Oblacińska

Instytut Matki i Dziecka w Warszawie

Summary
Introduction. Sleep is a separate factor that affects human health and well-being. Inadequate sleep duration adversely affects physical condition and psychological well-being and may interfere with many physiological processes. This is particularly worrying during puberty.
Aim. To estimate sleep duration among junior and senior high school students, and to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and health behaviors.
Material & method. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2014 in Warsaw among junior and senior high school students (n=407; 188 boys and 219 girls). A questionnaire completed by students was used to examine sleep duration during school days and the prevalence of behaviors (physical activity, participation in PE classes, watching television, using a computer, snacking, eating fast food meals, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between beneficial and risk behaviors and sleep duration (≥8 hours - sufficient, <8 hours - insufficient).
Results. The average sleep duration in the group was 7 hours 30 minutes, the boys slept about 12 minutes longer than the girls, the junior high school students about 36 minutes longer than the senior high school students (p<0,001). Sufficient sleep was declared by 57% of the junior high school students and by 23.3% of the senior high school students. Among the junior high school students sufficient sleep duration was associated with greater probability of regular participation in PE classes [OR=2.67; CI(1.35-5.27)], rare consumption of fast foods [OR=2.27; CI(1.01-5.10)] and using a computer [OR=2.15; CI(1.17-3.96)] and watching TV [OR=2.03; CI(1.04-3.96)] at most 2 hours per day.
Conclusion. Sleep duration decreased with the age of teenagers. Among the junior high school students sufficient sleep duration was associated with the occurrence of beneficial behaviors and limited-risk behaviors. Health education activities addressed to the youth should emphasize the important role of sleep and its relationship with beneficial health behaviors.

Key words:  sleep, health behaviors, youth