Sleep Quality and Quantity and Associated Factors Among High School Students From South Texas

Background: Insufficient and poor quality sleep among adolescents affects not only the cognitive functioning, but overall health of the individual. Existing research suggests that adolescents from varying ethnic groups exhibit differing sleep patterns. However, little research focuses on sleep patterns and associated factors (i.e. tobacco use, mental health indicators) among Hispanic youth.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the STARRS (South Texas Adolescent Rural Research Study) project. The study population (n= 2,344) included students in grades 9-12 who attended one of the three public high schools along the Texas-Mexico border in 2003. Data were collected via a web-based, confidential, self-administered survey. Separate logistic regression models were constructed to identify factors associated with reduced (<8 hours/night) and poor quality sleep on average during weeknights.

Results: Of participants, 49.5% reported reduced sleep while 12.8% reported poor quality sleep. Factors significantly (p<0.05) associated with reduced and poor quality sleep, respectively, were often feeling stressed or anxious (OR=2.65; 5.49), being born in Mexico (OR=0.77; 0.65; ), using a computer/playing video games 15+ hours per week (OR=1.12; 2.29), working (OR=1.24; 1.37), being a current smoker (OR=1.61; 2.16), and drinking alcohol 10+ days during the last 30 days (OR=1.8; 2.14).

Discussion: Subsequent prospective research with Hispanic youth is warranted to identify mechanisms for ensuring that these youth attain adequate and quality sleep. The potential impact of sleep on prevalent chronic disease indicators (e.g., diabetes, obesity) in this population should also be explored.