The Influence of Substance Use on Sleep Duration Among South Korean Adolescents by Sex: A Secondary Analysis.
Sophia Jihey Chung, Jiwon Choi
PMID 39868880WHAT IT FOUND
For male adolescents, neither tobacco nor alcohol use was linked to sleep duration.
For female adolescents, alcohol use was linked to shorter sleep, and age was the strongest factor overall.
Key findings
01Alcohol use was associated with shorter sleep duration among female adolescents, but not among male adolescents.
02Age was the strongest predictor of sleep duration in both male and female adolescents, and older age was associated with less sleep.
03Depression was associated with shorter sleep duration among female adolescents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional secondary analysis, so it cannot show that alcohol caused shorter sleep or that changing alcohol use would improve sleep. Substance use and sleep were self-reported, and the paper notes possible social desirability bias. The groups who used substances were small: 77 male students reported smoking and 140 reported alcohol use; 17 female students reported smoking and 43 reported alcohol use. Only tobacco and alcohol were measured as substance use, so other substances that may affect sleep were not included. The sample was South Korean adolescents, so the associations may not transfer to other settings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that alcohol causes shorter sleep in female adolescents or that advising them to avoid alcohol will improve sleep. This was a cross-sectional survey with self-reported exposure, and only a small number reported alcohol use.