Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality and Physical Activity, but Not Sedentary Behaviour, Are Associated with Positive Mental Health in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation.

Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar,Anne Hin Yee Chu,Linda Wei Lin Tan,Falk Müller-Riemenschneider,Siow Ann Chong,Mythily Subramaniam,Rob M Van Dam

doi:10.3390/ijerph17228489

Abstract

Background: We assessed the associations of sleep, physical activity and sedentary behaviour with positive mental health (PMH) in the multi-ethnic population of Singapore. Methods: The Singapore Health 2 study is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey among residents aged 18–79 years. A PMH instrument was administered to 1925 participants to obtain total PMH and six sub-component scores. Self-rated sleep duration, sleep quality, sedentary behaviour and physical activity were assessed. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. Results: The mean age of the participants was 40.1 (SD 14.3) years. Sleep duration (≥8 h/night: β = 0.17,95% CI: 0.02–0.32; 7–< 8 h/night: β = 0.17,95% CI: 0.03–0.30 versus <6 h/night, p = 0.002), sleep quality (very good: β = 0.45,95% CI: 0.29–0.60; fairly good: β = 0.20,95% CI: 0.06–0.33 versus very/fairly bad; ptrend < 0.001) and physical activity (high: β = 0.19,95% CI: 0.05–0.32; moderate: β = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03–0.27 versus low; ptrend < 0.001) were directly associated with total PMH. Sedentary behaviour was not significantly associated with PMH. Sleep duration, sleep quality and physical activity were directly associated with the PMH sub-components ‘emotional support’ and ‘personal growth and autonomy’. Conclusions: Duration and quality of sleep and physical activity were directly associated with PMH in an urban Asian population. These findings support incorporating sleep and physical activity interventions to improve population mental health.

Highlights

About one third of the world’s population is estimated to have insufficient sleep and physical activity [1,2]
In Model 1, sleep duration, sleep quality and physical activity were significantly associated with higher total positive mental health (PMH), whereas sedentary behaviour was not significantly associated with total PHM
Our findings indicate that sleep duration, sleep quality and physical activity have a direct association with PMH in an adult urban multi-ethnic population in Asia

Summary

Introduction

About one third of the world’s population is estimated to have insufficient sleep and physical activity [1,2]. Substantial evidence links poor sleep duration and physical activity to adverse health outcomes [3,4]. Sleep durations of less than 6 h or more than 9 h per night are associated with obesity, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and other chronic conditions [5,6]. Sleep duration and quality have been linked to several mental conditions such as. We assessed the associations of sleep, physical activity and sedentary behaviour with positive mental health (PMH) in the multi-ethnic population of Singapore. Methods: The Singapore Health 2 study is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey among residents aged 18–79 years. Self-rated sleep duration, sleep quality, sedentary behaviour and physical activity were assessed.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion