Relationships between College Students’ Sedentary Behavior, Sleep Quality, and Body Mass Index

Wenxi Liu, Qin Yuan, Nan Zeng, Daniel J. McDonough, Kun Tao, Qingwen Peng and Zan Gao
Additional contact information
Wenxi Liu: College of Kinesiology and Health Science, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418008, China
Qin Yuan: College of Kinesiology and Health Science, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418008, China
Nan Zeng: Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
Daniel J. McDonough: School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
Kun Tao: College of Kinesiology and Health Science, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418008, China
Qingwen Peng: College of Kinesiology and Health Science, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418008, China
Zan Gao: School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: Purpose: Sedentary behavior (SB), sleep efficiency (SE), sleep duration (SD), and body mass index (BMI) are crucial determinants of an individual’s health. However, empirical evidence regarding associations between these factors in young adults living in China remains unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between accelerometer-measured SB, SE, SD, and BMI in Chinese college students. Methods: Two-hundred and twenty college students (115 females, Mean age = 20.29 years, SD = 2.37) were recruited from a south-central Chinese university. Participants’ SB (daily % time spent in SB), SE (number of minutes of sleep duration/number of minutes in bed), and SD were assessed via wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X Link accelerometers for one week. Body weight was measured using a digital weight scale, height was measured using a stadiometer, and BMI was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m 2 ). Results: Participants’ average time spent in SB was 76.52% (SD = 10.03), SE was 84.12% (SD = 4.79), and BMI was 20.67 kg/m 2 (SD = 3.12), respectively. Regression analyses indicated that SB (? = ?0.17, p = 0.01) and BMI (? = ?0.20, p < 0.01) negatively predicted SE. In addition, BMI negatively predicted SD (? = ?0.22, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Prolonged SB (e.g., screen viewing, smartphone use, and computer playing) and higher BMI may link to shorter sleep duration and lower sleep efficiency in Chinese young adults. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to further confirm these findings. Given that increased BMI status and SB may relate to adverse health outcomes, more population-based intervention strategies seeking to lower BMI and reduce SB (e.g., nutrition education and physical activity promotion) are needed in this population.

Keywords: accelerometer; sedentary behavior; sleep; body mass index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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