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No gender difference in association between sleep quality and physical activity level of French students

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Abstract

Purpose

Sleep presents a bi-directional relationship with numerous health factors and is frequently altered in university students due to stress, higher workload or screen use. The regular practice of physical activity (PA) could be an alternative treatment to improve sleep quality. The aim of the study was to determine if the potential benefic effect of physical activity on sleep is sex dependent.

Methods

Between 2017 and 2019, 1696 students (20.3 ± 4.6 years old) from University of Littoral Côte d’Opale and of a couple of paramedical training sites participated in this study. They completed self-report questionnaires including Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Two groups were defined according to PA level (high vs. low subjective PA level). Two-way ANCOVA was performed to test between-group differences and to identify potential interaction between sex and physical activity level in PSQI score.

Results

Women have a significantly higher PSQI score than men (6.43 ± 3.16 v 5.10 ± 2.92; p < 0.001). They are also more likely than men to be below recommended PA levels (26.3%v 6.66%; p < 0.001). People who have high PA level have lower PSQI score than people with low PA level (p = 0.007). Moreover, there are no gender differences in relation to the association between sleep quality and physical activity level.

Conclusion

Students who were more active reported sleeping better than less active students, this relationship was found for women and men. Thus, to promote regular practice of physical activity is necessary to improve sleep quality.

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Acknowledgements

Facilities were provided by the University of the Littoral Opal Coast. We gratefully thank the sports department students who helped for the data collection.

Funding

The Universanté project was supported by the Mutualité Francaise (agency that participates in the French Health System) and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, in which the research was conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ. Lille, Univ. Artois, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, ULR 7369 - URePSSS - Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Sport Santé Société, F-59000, Lille, France

    Pauline Baron, Éric Hermand, Thierry Peze, Carl Kuehn, Olivier Dieu, Valentin Bourlois, Alessandro Porrovecchio & Rémy Hurdiel

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  1. Pauline Baron
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  2. Éric Hermand
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  3. Thierry Peze
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Correspondence to Pauline Baron.

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Permission to conduct the study was granted by the ethics committee of the University of Littoral Côte d'Opale.

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Students were informed of the scope of the study and volunteers received an information letter and signed a written consent form.

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Baron, P., Hermand, É., Peze, T. et al. No gender difference in association between sleep quality and physical activity level of French students. Sport Sci Health 19, 277–283 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-022-00920-5

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