Computer use, sleep duration and health symptoms: a cross-sectional study of 15-year olds in three countries

Teija Nuutinen, Eva Roos, Carola Ray, Jari Villberg, Raili Välimaa, Mette Rasmussen, Bjørn Holstein, Emmanuelle Godeau, Francois Beck, Damien Léger, Jorma Tynjälä

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether computer use is associated with health symptoms through sleep duration among 15-year olds in Finland, France and Denmark.

    METHODS: We used data from the WHO cross-national Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study collected in Finland, France and Denmark in 2010, including data on 5,402 adolescents (mean age 15.61 (SD 0.37), girls 53 %). Symptoms assessed included feeling low, irritability/bad temper, nervousness, headache, stomachache, backache, and feeling dizzy. We used structural equation modeling to explore the mediating effect of sleep duration on the association between computer use and symptom load.

    RESULTS: Adolescents slept approximately 8 h a night and computer use was approximately 2 h a day. Computer use was associated with shorter sleep duration and higher symptom load. Sleep duration partly mediated the association between computer use and symptom load, but the indirect effects of sleep duration were quite modest in all countries.

    CONCLUSIONS: Sleep duration may be a potential underlying mechanism behind the association between computer use and health symptoms.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalInternational Journal of Public Health (Print Edition)
    Volume59
    Issue number4
    Pages (from-to) 619-628
    ISSN1661-8556
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Aug 2014

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