Abstract MP086: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Predictors of Poor Sleep Among Adolescent Girls and Young Adult Women

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 135; no. suppl_1
• Main Authors: Young, Deborah R, Troxel, Wendy, Sidell, Margo A, Grandner, Michael A, Mohan, Yasmina D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 07-03-2017
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/circ.135.suppl_1.mp086

Abstract only Sleep is important for the psychosocial and physical health of adolescents and young adults. Predictors of poor sleep include family demographics and living situation, neighborhood factors, psychosocial health and health behaviors. Previous studies have examined these associations across the range of adolescence, without considering how they may differ across adolescent stages or into young adulthood. We examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal predictors of poor sleep among a cohort of 474 girls at 3 distinct ages: 14, 17, and 22 years. We used the item “during the past week my sleep was restless” to define sleep quality. Responses were categorized as poor sleep “no” (restless sleep “rarely or none of the time” or “some or a little of the time”) or “yes” (restless sleep “a lot of the time” or most or all of the time”). Independent variables were chosen from previous research examining demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral predictors of sleep quality among adolescents; race/ethnicity, family structure, socioeconomic status, neighborhood crime, depressive symptoms (excluding the sleep item) (all assessed from self-report), and physical activity and sedentary time (assessed from accelerometers). About 46% of the cohort was white, 25% Black, and 20% Hispanic. At each age, about 25% reported poor sleep, with 50% reporting no restless sleep at any time and 4.2% reporting restless sleep at all 3 time points. Cross-sectional correlates are displayed in the Table. Fully-adjusted longitudinal predictors of restless sleep were higher depression scores (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.11) and fewer sedentary minutes (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.99, 0.99). Results demonstrate that sleep problems are prevalent across adolescence and persist into early adulthood. While correlates change over time, depressive symptoms and sedentary time are consistently predictive of sleep quality. Interventions that focus on improving mental health and increasing physical activity may also benefit sleep quality among adolescents and young adults.