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Markers of poor sleep quality increase sedentary behavior in college students as derived from accelerometry

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Abstract

Purpose

Sleep is essential for overall health and can impact academic performance. Prior research reports reduced sleep time in college students. Poor sleep may impact physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior, or vice versa, but has not been examined extensively in this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine markers of sleep quality, PA, and sedentary behavior in college students using objective means.

Methods

A convenience sample of college students underwent body composition analysis and 7-day objective PA and sleep assessment via accelerometry.

Results

Among 81 college students (53 women), there was no association between total sleep time (TST) and weekly average PA. TST was negatively associated with sedentary minutes per day, sedentary bouts per day, and total time in sedentary bouts per day. Greater sedentary bouts per day and average sedentary minutes per day were seen in those with a TST < 6 h, with no difference in body composition. Further, TST was negatively associated with sedentary minutes accumulated on the subsequent day, for all 7 days.

Conclusion

In a primarily residential college student cohort, poor sleep is associated with sedentary behavior more than PA. These students, who require a high amount of transport PA to and from campus during the week, are compensating by sleeping more and moving less on the weekend.

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Funding

The Morrison-Bruce Center for the Promotion of Physical Activity for Girls and Women provided financial support for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology Human Performance Laboratory, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807, USA

    Trent A. Hargens, Matthew C. Scott, Valerie Olijar, Matthew Bigman & Elizabeth S. Edwards

Authors
  1. Trent A. Hargens
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  2. Matthew C. Scott
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  3. Valerie Olijar
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  4. Matthew Bigman
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  5. Elizabeth S. Edwards
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Correspondence to Trent A. Hargens.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Hargens, T.A., Scott, M.C., Olijar, V. et al. Markers of poor sleep quality increase sedentary behavior in college students as derived from accelerometry. Sleep Breath 25, 537–544 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-020-02190-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-020-02190-2

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