Does Sleep Mediate the Association between School Pressure, Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Psychological Symptoms in Early Adolescents? A 12-Country Study

Ann Vandendriessche, Ariane Ghekiere, Jelle Van Cauwenberg, Bart De Clercq, Karlien Dhondt, Ann DeSmet, Jorma Tynjälä, Maïté Verloigne and Benedicte Deforche
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Ann Vandendriessche: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ariane Ghekiere: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Jelle Van Cauwenberg: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Bart De Clercq: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Karlien Dhondt: Department of Psychiatry: Pedicatric Sleep Center, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ann DeSmet: Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Jorma Tynjälä: Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, PO Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Maïté Verloigne: Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Benedicte Deforche: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4K3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: This study examines the mediating role of sleep duration and sleep onset difficulties in the association of school pressure, physical activity, and screen time with psychological symptoms in early adolescents. Data were retrieved from 49,403 children (13.7 ± 1.6 years old, 48.1% boys) from 12 countries participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” 2013/2014 study. A validated self-report questionnaire assessed psychological symptoms (feeling low, irritability or bad temper, feeling nervous), school pressure, physical activity (number of days/week 60 min moderate-to-vigorous), screen time, sleep duration on week- and weekend days, and perceived difficulties in getting asleep. Multilevel mediation analyses were conducted. School pressure and screen time were positively associated with psychological symptoms, whereas physical activity was negatively associated. With the exception of sleep duration in the association between physical activity and psychological symptoms, all associations were significantly mediated by sleep duration on week- and weekend days and sleep onset difficulties. Percentages mediated ranged from 0.66% to 34.13%. This study partly explains how school pressure, physical activity, and screen time are related to adolescents’ psychological symptoms. Future interventions improving adolescents’ mental well-being could target schoolwork, physical activity, and screen time, as these behaviours are directly and indirectly (through sleep) related to psychological symptoms.

Keywords: mental health; adolescents; sleep (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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