Short, M. A., Gradisar, M., Lack, L. C., Wright, H. R., Dewald, J. F., Wolfson, A. R., & Carskadon, M. A. (2012). A cross-cultural comparison of sleep duration between U.S. and Australian adolescents: The effect of school start time, parent-set bedtimes, and extracurricular load. Health Education & Behavior, 40(3), 323-30.
Full text
Abstract
Study Objective
To test whether sleep duration on school nights differs between adolescents in Australia and the United States and, if so, whether this difference is explained by cultural differences in school start time, parental involvement in setting bedtimes, and extracurricular commitments.
Participants
Three hundred eighty-five adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (M = 15.57, SD = 0.95; 60% male) from Australia and 302 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years (M = 16.03, SD = 1.19; 35% male) from the United States.
Methods
Adolescents completed the School Sleep Habits Survey during class time, followed by an 8-day sleep diary.
Results
After controlling for age and gender, Australian adolescents obtained an average of 47 minutes more sleep per school night than those in the United States. Australian adolescents were more likely to have a parent-set bedtime (17.5% vs. 6.8%), have a later school start time (8:32 a.m. vs. 7:45 a.m.), and spend less time per day on extracurricular commitments (1 h 37 min vs. 2 h 41 min) than their U.S. peers. The mediating factors of parent-set bedtimes, later school start times, and less time spent on extracurricular activities were significantly associated with more total sleep.
Conclusions
In addition to biological factors, extrinsic cultural factors significantly affect adolescent sleep. The present study highlights the importance of a cross-cultural, ecological approach and the impact of early school start times, lack of parental limit setting around bedtimes, and extracurricular load in limiting adolescent sleep.
Keywords
Adolescent; cross-cultural; extracurricular activities; parent-set bedtime; school health; school start time; sleep duration
MeSH Terms
Adolescent
Australia
Cross-Cultural Comparison*
Female
Humans
Leisure Activities*
Male
Parenting*
Sleep*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Time Factors
Time Management
United States
Young Adult
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