Factors associated with inadequate sleep among high school students in New Mexico: Data from the New Mexico Youth...

Insufficient sleep is linked to adverse health outcomes, and less than one-third of high schoolers achieve sufficient sleep. This study sought to identify factors associated with sufficient sleep in New Mexico high schoolers over the last decade, with attention to trends over time.

We used individual-level data from a representative sample of New Mexico high schoolers from five waves of the New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey. We generated figures depicting how the presence/absence of risk and resiliency factors related to reported achievement of sufficient sleep. We also used logistic regression models including survey weights to examine adjusted associations.

We included New Mexico high schoolers from 2015 (n = 11,310), 2017 (n = 13,371), 2019 (n = 14,440), 2021 (n = 12,317) and 2023 (n = 10,806). High schoolers with resiliency factors were consistently more likely to report sufficient sleep, and those with risk factors were consistently less likely to report sufficient sleep. Across all waves, feeling sad/hopeless (estimates ranged from prevalence odds ratio [POR] 0.53, 95%CI 0.45, 0.62 to POR 0.67, 95%CI 0.57, 0.80) and current alcohol use (POR 0.69, 95%CI 0.55, 0.86 to 0.86, 95%CI 0.74, 0.99) were associated with lower odds of sufficient sleep. Conversely, social support from adults (POR 1.22, 95%CI 1.01, 1.46 to POR 1.48, 95%CI 1.25, 1.75) and eating breakfast daily (POR 1.90, 95%CI 1.69, 2.14 to POR 2.07, 95%CI 1.80, 2.38) were associated with greater odds of sufficient sleep.

The modifiable risk and resiliency factors identified could be meaningful targets for future interventions to improve adolescent sleep duration.