Association between Physical Activity and Sleep Difficulties among Adolescents in Germany: The Role of Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

We examined sleep difficulties among adolescents in Germany and the association with physical activity (PA). Furthermore, we analyzed whether the association varied with the socioeconomic status (SES) among adolescent girls and boys in Germany. Using data from the German Health Interview Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) study (Wave 2), 6599 adolescents aged 11 to 17 years were included in the analyses. We conducted sex-stratified logistic regression analyses. Dependent variables were unrecommended sleep duration (defined as a duration of sleep that does not meet the recommended duration), sleep-onset difficulties, trouble sleeping, and daytime sleepiness. Most adolescent girls and boys reported sleep difficulties. While no associations between PA and sleep difficulties were observed, a significant interaction between PA and SES was found for sleep duration in boys and daytime sleepiness in girls. Thus, adolescents with low SES had fewer sleep difficulties if they met the recommendation for PA, compared with those in other SES groups. In Germany, a large proportion of adolescents have sleep difficulties. We found that the experience of sleep difficulties varied according to PA, sex, and the family SES. Future sleep promotion programs should consider these differences.

Electronic Devices and Social Networks Use Out of School and Sleep Conditions: What is the Role of Sports?

“…In fact, our data corroborated with others several studies and con rmed that more than half of teenagers did not sleep well and may showed several consequences of non-good sleep conditions. Independently of the discrepancy of numbers caused by the different methods used to measure sleep conditions several studies corroborating with our data and showed a higher number of teenagers who did not sleep well and did not show sleep quality (10)(11)(12).…”

“…Despite of the most common relationship of different electronic devices with sleep time our data additionally suggest that cellphones are the ones that were also associated with sleep quality (11,12,27) followed by play video games in boys and higher time spent in WhatsApp in girls. In our study sleep quality variables considering questions about sleeping problems, necessity of naps during the day, waking up during sleep at night, di culty to return to sleep when waking up during sleep time and to snore.…”

“…In our study sleep quality variables considering questions about sleeping problems, necessity of naps during the day, waking up during sleep at night, di culty to return to sleep when waking up during sleep time and to snore. Thus, our data suggest(s) that sleep quality of youth seems to be also conditioned by daily time spent in cellphones, video games and social networks in girls (10,11), and showed several differences between boys and girls. For example, playing video games did not show association with non-sleep quality in girls.…”

“…Several physiology responses of physical activity in sleep conditions have been showed (9). However, the results seem to be inconsistent (3,9,11) and frequently showed a weak association. However, as we found in our data, several studies appointed some evidence that a longer sleep duration was associated with less sedentary time and a higher proportion of daily physical activity (9).…”

“…Concerning several biological, social, and environmental factors associated with sleep conditions (4), daily time spend on physical activity, sports practice and sedentary behaviors have been pointed out as modi able risk factors for time and quality of sleep since youth (9)(10)(11). Maybe because we live in a society of an intense work/study and technological leisure routine included numerous hours in screen electronic devices, and consequently, low time involved in physical activities (7).…”