The Current Status of Insufficient Sleep Duration and Its Influencing Factors Among Children and Adolescents: A Household Based Cross-Sectional Study in Zhejiang Province, China

Purpose: Insufficient sleep duration is common among children and adolescents worldwide, and the decline of sleep duration during the recent years is troubling. This study aimed to learn the status of insufficient sleep duration and to explore its influencing factors among children and adolescents in Zhejiang Province, China.

Design and methods: A stratified sampling technique was employed in the present cross-sectional study. Demographic characteristics, sports time as well as sedentary behavior were investigated.

Results: A greater proportion of children than adolescents reported insufficient sleep duration (36.4% versus 19.2%, p = 0.001). For children, insufficient sleep duration was associated with age (OR = 1.290, 95%CI: 1.069-1.557), watching movies or TV shows with smartphones after school (OR = 3.098, 95%CI: 1.293-7.420), surf the internet after school (OR = 0.113, 95%CI: 0.013-0.969), walk to school (OR = 0.289, 95%CI: 0.105-0.793). For adolescents, insufficient sleep duration was associated with watch TV after school (OR = 0.379, 95%CI: 0.148-0.970), watching movies or TV shows with smartphones after school (OR = 4.744, 95%CI: 1.799-12.507), do homework after school (OR = 0.265, 95%CI: 0.086-0.813).

Conclusions: An unhealthy sedentary screen lifestyle profile may have influence on insufficient sleep duration. Urgent actions are needed to improve sleep duration among children and adolescents.