Relationship Between Sedentary Behaviors and Sleep Duration in University Students from Five ASEAN Countries

Sedentary behavior may negatively affect sleep.

This study aimed to assess the effects of sedentary behavior and its different domains on sleep duration in ASEAN university students.

A cross-sectional survey in 2015 included 3266 university students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, median age 20.0 years (interquartile range 3.0 years).

Overall, 50.8% of university students had normal sleep (7 - 9 hours), 44.8% short sleep (≤ 6 hours) and 4.4% long sleep (≥ 10 hours); 24.2% engaged in < 4 hours overall sedentary time a day, 43.3% in 4 to < 8 hours, 21.8% in 8 to < 11 hours and 11.8% in 11 or more hours overall sedentary behavior a day. In multinomial logistic regression analysis, ≥ 11 hours and more overall sedentary behavior a day, ≥ 4 hours overall internet use a day, ≥ 2 hours internet use for study a day, ≥ 5 hours internet for leisure, and ≥ 7 hours smartphone use a day were associated with short sleep. In addition, ≥ 5 hours internet for leisure, 2 - 3 hours internet use for study and 3 - 6 hours smartphone use a day were associated with long sleep. Overall, sedentary behavior was negatively associated with long sleep.

The study showed that sedentary behaviors and its different domains were associated with short sleep, while smartphone use, internet use for study and for leisure were positively, while overall sedentary behavior negatively associated with long sleep.