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Published on: June 12, 2020
Sleeping, TV, Cognitively Stimulating Activities, Physical Activity, and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Gabriela P Peralta1,2,3, Joan Forns1,2,3, Manuela García de la Hera3,4
1ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Adequate sleep and cognitive activities in early childhood are vital for healthy development. Insufficient sleep and less cognitive engagement are linked to increased attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and behavioral issues.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Behavioral Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Early childhood lifestyle factors may influence neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for identifying preventative strategies for behavioral and attention problems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between specific childhood activities at age 4 and the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and behavior problems at age 7.
- To investigate associations between sleep duration, TV watching, cognitive stimulation, and physical activity with ADHD symptoms and behavioral outcomes in children without ADHD at baseline.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 817 children from the Infancia y Medio Ambiente birth cohort, initially free of ADHD.
- Data collected at age 4 on sleep, TV, cognitive, and physical activities; ADHD symptoms and behavior problems assessed at age 7 using validated parent-report scales.
- Negative binomial regression models analyzed the associations between 4-year activities and 7-year outcomes.
Main Results:
- Longer sleep duration (over 10 hours/day) at age 4 was associated with lower ADHD symptom scores at age 7.
- Increased time in cognitively stimulating activities (over 1 hour/day) at age 4 correlated with lower scores for both ADHD symptoms and behavior problems at age 7.
- No significant associations were found between time spent watching TV or engaging in physical activity and the measured outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Shorter sleep duration and reduced engagement in cognitively stimulating activities in early childhood are associated with a higher risk of developing ADHD symptoms and behavior problems.
- Promoting adequate sleep and cognitive engagement may be important for preventing behavioral and attention issues in children.
Objective:
To analyze associations between time spent sleeping, watching TV, engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, and engaging in physical activity, all at 4 years, and (1) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and (2) behavior problems, both assessed at 7 years, in ADHD-free children at baseline.
Method:
In total, 817 participants of the Infancia y Medio Ambiente birth cohort, without ADHD at baseline, were included. At the 4-year follow-up, parents reported the time that their children spent sleeping, watching TV, engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, and engaging in physical activity. At the 7-year follow-up, parents completed the Conners' Parent Rating Scales and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, which measure ADHD symptoms and behavior problems, respectively. Negative binomial regression models were used to assess associations between the activities at 4 years and ADHD symptoms and behavior problems at 7 years.
Results:
Children (48% girls) spent a median (p25-p75) of 10 (10-11) hours per day sleeping, 1.5 (0.9-2) hours per day watching TV, 1.4 (0.9-1.9) hours per day engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, and 1.5 (0.4-2.3) hours per day engaging in physical activity. Longer sleep duration (>10 hours per day) was associated with a lower ADHD symptom score (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval, 0.95-1.00). Longer time spent in cognitively stimulating activities (>1 hours per day) was associated with lower scores of both ADHD symptoms (0.96, 0.94-0.98) and behavior problems (0.89, 0.83-0.97). Time spent watching TV and engaging in physical activity were not associated with either outcomes.
Conclusion:
A shorter sleep duration and less time spent in cognitively stimulating activities were associated with an increased risk of developing ADHD symptoms and behavior problems.
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