Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of European Journal of Public Health, ckaf032. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf032 Dr. Valerie F. Pagnotta et al.
Points
- This study analyzed the relationship between poor sleep and unintentional injuries in adolescents from 46 countries, finding that 44% of adolescents reported at least one injury and 16.3%–48.3% reported poor sleep.
- The study identified a strong association between sleep difficulties, especially trouble falling asleep, and multiple injuries, with a prevalence ratio of 1.58, suggesting that poor sleep increases injury risk.
- Poor sleep was more common in girls, who also had a higher risk of multiple injuries, with 21.5% experiencing multiple injuries compared to boys, particularly among those with sleep difficulties.
- Inadequate sleep was more prevalent on school days (48%) than non-school days (13%), indicating that disrupted sleep patterns during school periods may contribute to higher injury risks among adolescents.
- The findings suggest that addressing sleep hygiene should be part of injury prevention strategies for adolescents, particularly girls. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind the higher injury risk.
Summary
This study examined the relationship between poor sleep and the risk of unintentional injuries among adolescents in 46 countries, using data from the 2017/2018 International Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. 239,816 adolescents (50.8% girls) aged 11, 13, and 15 years reported their sleep patterns, including difficulties falling asleep, insufficient sleep, social jetlag, and any medically treated injuries over the past year. The study found that 16.3%–48.3% of adolescents reported poor sleep indicators, while 44% experienced at least one injury. The highest injury risk was observed in adolescents who had difficulty falling asleep, with the strongest association found between sleep difficulties and multiple injuries (prevalence ratio: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.55–1.61).
Further analysis revealed that poor sleep was more common in girls, with these individuals also showing a higher risk for injuries, especially multiple injuries. Specifically, 21.5% of adolescents experienced multiple injuries, with the risk for injuries significantly greater in girls compared to boys across all sleep indicators. Additionally, inadequate sleep was notably higher among adolescents on school days (48%) than non-school days (13%). These findings suggest that sleep difficulties are an important risk factor for injuries, particularly among adolescent girls, highlighting a potential area for targeted interventions.
The study’s results have important public health implications, emphasizing the need to address sleep hygiene as part of adolescent injury prevention strategies. The data support the idea that improving sleep could reduce the risk of injuries, particularly in vulnerable populations such as adolescents with disrupted sleep patterns. Future research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and the reasons for the higher injury risk observed in girls.
Link to the article: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf032/8085114
References Pagnotta, V. F., Donnelly, P. D., Gobina, I., Elgar, F., Ng, K., & Pickett, W. (2025). Sleep difficulties as a consistent risk factor for medically treated injuries among adolescents in 46 countries. European Journal of Public Health, ckaf032. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf032
