Skipping breakfast, poor sleep quality, and Internet usage and their relation with unhappiness in Japanese adolescents

The Association Between Breakfast Skipping and Positive and Negative Emotional Wellbeing Outcomes for Children and Adolescents in South Australia

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of child and adolescent breakfast skipping is concerning, and limited existing evidence suggests an association between skipping breakfast and negative emotional wellbeing outcomes. However, positive emotional wellbeing outcomes have been neglected from research in this space. Methods: This study explored child and adolescent breakfast skipping and associations with both positive and negative emotional wellbeing outcomes. We utilised existing population-level data (n = 80,610, aged 8-18 years) collected in 2023 via a statewide census among children and adolescents in South Australian schools, the Wellbeing and Engagement Collection. Results: Adjusted linear regression analyses indicated lower scores on positive wellbeing outcomes for students who skipped breakfast every day compared to students who never skipped breakfast, ranging from β = -0.19 for happiness (95% CI = -0.21, -0.17) to β = -0.23 for optimism (95% CI = -0.25, -0.21). Results also highlighted higher scores on negative wellbeing indicators, sadness (β = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.10, 0.15), and worries (β = 0.05 95% CI = 0.03, 0.08) among students who always skipped relative to those who never skipped breakfast. Conclusions: Findings support the potential for child and adolescent emotional wellbeing to be fostered through interventions designed to promote daily breakfast consumption. Future research focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding child and adolescent breakfast consumption behaviours is needed to inform the development of effective interventions to increase breakfast consumption.

Comparing the Effects of Adequate and Insufficient Sleep on the Mental Health, Behavioral Outcomes, and Daily Lives of South Korean Adolescents

Background/Objectives: Adequate sleep is critical for adolescents' physical and mental health. However, academic demands and lifestyle habits lead to insufficient sleep among many adolescents. This study examined the relationship between sleep patterns and general characteristics, health behaviors, and mental health among South Korean adolescents. Methods: Data were obtained from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, involving 21,283 students aged between 13 and 18 years. Self-reported sleep duration was categorized as adequate (8-10 h) or insufficient (less than 8 h on both weekdays and weekends), and 20 independent variables across demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, health-related behavioral, and psychological factors were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of insufficient sleep. Results: Insufficient sleep was more prevalent among female students (odds ratio [OR]: 2.064) and older students (OR: 16.588 for Grade 12 vs. Grade 7) and was associated with higher stress levels (OR: 4.338 for almost always vs. never), suicidal ideation (OR: 1.826), and unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol consumption (OR: 2.009), smoking (OR: 1.998), and smartphone overdependence (OR: 2.313 for severe vs. normal). In contrast, adolescents with adequate sleep reported greater happiness (OR: 4.167 for very much vs. not at all) and better academic performance (OR: 1.377 for very high vs. very low). Conclusions: The findings show that insufficient sleep significantly affects adolescent well-being, highlighting the need for tailored interventions and increased societal awareness. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying gender differences and weekday-weekend sleep disparities to enhance sleep quality in this population.

Examining the association of breakfast skipping with sleep disturbance, mental health, and health-related quality of life: data from the 2018 Korean community health survey

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between breakfast skipping and its effects on sleep disorders, mental health, and health-related quality of life among Korean adults.Methods: Utilizing data from the 2018 Korea Community Health Survey, this cross-sectional analysis included 173,272 adults aged 19 years and older. Instruments used for assessment included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression, the EuroQol 5-dimension (EQ-5D) for health-related quality of life, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep disorders. The complex sample logistic regression analysis was employed to adjust for potential confounders.Results: Breakfast skipping was found to be significantly associated with delayed mid-sleep time, an increased propensity for daytime sleepiness, and a notable decline in sleep quality. Additionally, it was linked to a significant increase in depression risk, compromised health-related quality of life, and elevated stress levels across both genders. All five dimensions of the EQ-5D were negatively impacted by breakfast skipping.Discussion: The findings highlight the detrimental effects of skipping breakfast on sleep patterns, mental health, and overall quality of life, stressing the importance of regular breakfast consumption for enhancing these health outcomes. The study suggests the need for further research to uncover the mechanisms behind these associations and to devise targeted interventions to mitigate the negative impacts of breakfast skipping.

Eating habits matter for sleep difficulties in children and adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Background

Sleep difficulties are a common sleep-related problem among children and adolescents. However, the association between eating habits and sleep difficulties has not been extensively studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between eating habits and sleep difficulties in children and adolescents.

Methods

This study utilized cross-sectional data from the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. A total of 213,879 young adolescents provided self-reported information on their weekday and weekend breakfast consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, sweet and soft drink consumption, and sleep difficulties. Covariates such as sex, age, family affluence, physical activity, and body mass index were also assessed. Multilevel generalized linear modelling was used to analyse the association between independent and dependent. Results were reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Of all study participants, approximately 50% were girls. Regression models indicated that more frequent breakfast consumption was associated with fewer sleep difficulties (e.g., consuming breakfast on weekdays for 5 days: OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.45-1.54). Fruit and vegetable consumption once a week or more was also linked to fewer sleep difficulties (all OR > 1.08, ≥ 1.07). In addition, consuming fewer sweets and soft drinks was generally associated with fewer sleep difficulties.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence supporting the association between healthier eating habits and reduced sleep difficulties in children and adolescents. Future research using longitudinal or experimental designs is encouraged to confirm or negate these findings. Additionally, this study offers practical guidance for nutritional counselling professionals and sleep health promotion practitioners.

Physical activity, sleep quality and life satisfaction in adolescents: A cross-sectional survey study

Background

Physical activity, sleep is an important component of adolescents' 24-h movement behavior, and life satisfaction predicts adolescent physical and mental health. However, few studies have explored the relationship between the two variables among Chinese high school students. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the relationship between sleep quality and life satisfaction among Chinese high school students.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2020 in five high schools in Xuchang City, China. High school students from senior 1 to senior 3 were asked to fill up a questionnaire of demographic characteristics and validated screen instructions for sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and life satisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale). The multivariate regression model was applied to explore the association between sleep quality and life satisfaction.

Results

A total of 1127 individuals (51.1% males) participated in this survey, and the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 42.3%. The mean score on the Satisfaction with Life Scale was 16.72 ± 5.67, according to the corresponding scoring criteria, with 15-19 being generally dissatisfied. After controlling for demographic variables, the contribution of subjective sleep quality (β = - 0.181, p < 0.01), sleep duration (β = - 0.080, p < 0.01) and daytime dysfunction (β = - 0.311, p < 0.01) to life satisfaction of high school students increased to 23.2%, indicating that subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, and daytime dysfunction were 22.9% predictive of life satisfaction among high school students. And also, physical activity on schooldays and weekend days were associated with better sleep quality and higher life satisfaction (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Among Chinese high school students, the prevalence of sleep problems was high, and the majority of students held moderate life satisfaction. Sleep quality was positively correlated with life satisfaction among Chinese high school students, with better sleep quality resulting in higher life satisfaction among students.

Energy Drinks Consumption Associated with Emotional and Behavioural Problems via Lack of Sleep and Skipped Breakfast among Adolescents

The aim of our study was to explore whether energy drink consumption is associated with both emotional and behavioural problems and whether this association might be mediated by amount of sleep and breakfast consumption among adolescents. The nationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, realised in 2018 in Slovakia in schools, was used to acquire needed data, with the research sample of 8405 adolescents from 11 to 15 years old (mean age = 13.43; 50.9% boys) who completed the questionnaires on their own in a presence of researchers and research assistants. Emotional and behavioural problems were assessed by a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, while energy drinks consumption, breakfast consumption and sleep duration was assessed by questions in line with the HBSC study protocol. Linear regression models assessed the associations between energy drinks consumption and emotional and behavioural problems. Mediation by sleep duration and breakfast consumption was assessed with parallel mediation models. Energy drink consumption was significantly associated with emotional (p < 0.001) and behavioural problems (p < 0.001), with higher consumption of energy drinks leading to more emotional and behavioural problems. Results from a parallel mediation analysis indicated that energy drink consumption is indirectly related to both emotional and behavioural problems through its relationship with the amount of sleep and breakfast consumption. Parents and professionals working with adolescents should be aware that unhealthy dietary habits and lack of sleep might be related to emotional and behavioural problems.