Project STARLIT: protocol of a longitudinal study of habitual sleep trajectories, weight gain, and obesity risk behaviors in college students

Abstract

BackgroundObesity in the United States is a serious and preventable health concern. Previous research suggests that habitual short sleep may influence obesity-risk behaviors, such as increased caloric intake, decreased physical activity and increased engagement in sedentary activities (e.g., media consumption, computer usage). Given that existing longitudinal research studies have methodological concerns preventing conclusive interpretations, Project STARLIT was designed to address these limitations and identify future intervention targets.MethodsA sample of young adults (n = 300) will be recruited during the summer prior to entering college. Participants will be screened for eligibility requirements prior to the inclusion in the Time 1 assessment though phone and in-person interviews. Once enrolled, participants will complete four assessments over a two year period (i.e., approximately 8, 16 and 24 months after Time 1). Each assessment will consist of one week of data collection including both objective (i.e., habitual sleep, physical activity, body fat composition) and subjective (i.e., sleep diary, 24-h food recall, technology use, and sleep-related beliefs/behaviors) measures.DiscussionProject STARLIT is designed to address methodological concerns of previous research. In addition to clarifying the relationship between habitual short sleep and weight gain among young adults, the proposed study will identify problematic obesity risk behaviors associated with habitual short sleep (e.g., increased caloric intake, physical/sedentary activity). The results will identify prevention or intervention targets related to obesity risk.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04100967, 9/23/19, Retrospectively registered.

Relationship between sleep habits and academic performance in university Nursing students

“…For this reason,the interest in establishing relationships between sleep and cognitive processes such as memory, learning ability and motivation, has gained attention during the last years. However, studies that relate sleep with academic problems are scarce, despite previous authors have shown that the reduction of sleep time in teenagers and university students was associated with poor academic performance, accidents and obesity [ 8 , 9 ]. Since good-quality sleep does not only imply sleeping well at night but also an adequate level of attention during the day for performing different tasks, appropriate sleep has an influence in efficient learning processes in university students [ 10 – 12 ].…”

Applications of the fourth-generation multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change toobesogenic behaviors in college students

“…7 The third reason for focusing on college students is because some of the obesogenic behaviors including physical activity, dietary habits, drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, and sleep patterns are getting formed during this time. [8][9][10] The final reason for focusing on college students is that obesogenic behaviors are widely prevalent among this age group. According to the American College Health Association's national survey done in 2018, it was found that only 42.6% of college students met the recommended physical activity guidelines, 24% reported sleep problems, and the majority were not consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables.…”