Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sleep disturbances, and body mass index in college students
Alexa G Deyo1, Megan A Milligan1, Haley McBride1
1Department of Psychology, 352 Marley Education Center, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA.
Objective:
To examine whether body mass index (BMI), sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness differed by ADHD diagnostic status, and to investigate the role of sleep duration and daytime sleepiness in the ADHD-BMI relationship.
Participants:
Participants were 72,040 18-25-year-old respondents to the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment III (ACHA-NCHA III).
Method:
Welch's t-tests and a serial mediation model were conducted.
Results:
College students with ADHD (vs. without) reported significantly higher BMIs (t = -6.81, p < .001), shorter sleep duration (t = 9.31, p < .001), and more days experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness (t = -9.60, p < .001). Sleep duration and daytime sleepiness served as partial serial mediators of the ADHD-BMI relationship (p's of direct and indirect effects < .05).
Conclusion:
Sleep duration and quality may be promising targets for weight-related interventions, especially among college students with ADHD who are at an increased risk of higher weight status and sleep disturbances.
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