0176 Predictors of sleep duration among university students in Japan: Cross-cultural insights for developing sleep health interventions

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Inadequate sleep among university students, especially in Japan, contributes to low academic performance and mental health challenges. Sleep health, including adequate sleep duration and quality, may serve a protective role in promoting performance and full participation in daily life. We sought to identify factors explaining sleep duration in Japanese college students as potential targets for culturally sensitive sleep health promoting intervention. Methods Cross-sectional descriptive study of university students in Japan in 2021; N = 362 completed validated Japanese versions of the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness and Eveningness Questionnaire, Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale, and Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep. Indicators of sleep and PSQI subscales (except sleep duration), personality, depression, anxiety, time use, and participation quality were included in multivariate logistic regression modeling to explain less healthy (6 hours or less) versus healthier (more than 6 hours) sleep duration. Results Students were 20.0 (SD = 1.3) years, 86.4% female with a mean sleep duration of 400 (SD = 67) minutes. The mean PSQI score was 4.8 (SD = 2.5) indicating good sleep quality, though 41.4% of the sample reported sleeping 6 hours or less and these persons had lower sleep quality (PSQI; d = 1.20) compared to longer sleepers. Logistic regression explained category assignment (Chi-square = 68.978, df = 8, p <.001; Nagelkerke R-squared = .234). Longer sleepers were more likely to report greater sleep efficiency, less frequent sleep disturbances, lesser daytime dysfunction, shorter commuting times, a morning-like chronotype, greater participation quality, and a less agreeable personality type. Interestingly, longer sleepers reported less effective sleep hygiene practices. Conclusion Short sleep was common and associated with poor sleep quality. Longer sleepers were more likely to report optimal sleep health indicators and greater participation quality (i.e. engagement in meaningful activities). Counter-intuitive sleep hygiene findings indicate potential cultural variation in sleep timing, pre-sleep arousal, and environment regulation as targets for intervention. Sleep health promotion intervention should consider personality, chronotype preference and time use (e.g. meaningful activities, commuting) as factors promoting or inhibiting sufficient sleep duration and quality in university students. Support (if any) Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Japan