Associations of Moderate-to-Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, Screen Time, and Sleep Quality in Young Adult

Faculty Mentor

Katie Taylor, Kristyne Wiegand

Presentation Type

Poster

Start Date

4-14-2026 2:00 PM

End Date

4-14-2026 4:00 PM

Location

PUB NCR

Primary Discipline of Presentation

Exercise Science

Abstract

Poor sleep quality is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease and mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression. Previous research has suggested that increased physical activity may be associated with improved sleep quality and mental health outcomes, but less is known about the role of screen time. PURPOSE: To determine associations among sleep quality, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviors (SB), and screen time in young adults. METHODS: Participants (n = 97; 24.0 ± 7.4 y; 60.8% female) were recruited to complete an online survey that measured levels of MVPA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), SB (Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire), and screen time behaviors using previously validated instruments. One-way independent ANOVAs were used to determine differences across tertiles of behavior. Bivariate correlations were used to determine relationships with an alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: There were positive correlations between sleep quality and total weekly SB time (r = .23, p = .04) and phone usage time (r = .24, p = .03). However, there were no relationships between sleep quality and time spent in MVPA (r = -.03, p = .79) or total weekly screen time (r = .13, p = .23). Further, there were no differences in sleep quality across tertiles of MVPA (p = .81), total weekly screen time (p = .80), or total weekly SB (p = .07). Sleep quality scores were lower (i.e., better sleep quality) in people who engaged in <6 hours/week of SB (5.9 ± 3.1) compared to those who engaged in >9 hours/week (7.9 ± 4.3), although these findings were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that total weekly SB time and phone usage time, but not time spent in MVPA, are related to sleep quality in young adults. This suggests that the more time spent in SB and phone usage, the higher the sleep health score (i.e., poor sleep quality). However, MVPA was not related to sleep quality in the current study. Future research would be beneficial to explore these findings using wearable technology to assess sleep quality and behaviors of physical activity and SB.

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Apr 14th, 2:00 PM Apr 14th, 4:00 PM

Associations of Moderate-to-Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, Screen Time, and Sleep Quality in Young Adult

PUB NCR

Poor sleep quality is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease and mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression. Previous research has suggested that increased physical activity may be associated with improved sleep quality and mental health outcomes, but less is known about the role of screen time. PURPOSE: To determine associations among sleep quality, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviors (SB), and screen time in young adults. METHODS: Participants (n = 97; 24.0 ± 7.4 y; 60.8% female) were recruited to complete an online survey that measured levels of MVPA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), SB (Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire), and screen time behaviors using previously validated instruments. One-way independent ANOVAs were used to determine differences across tertiles of behavior. Bivariate correlations were used to determine relationships with an alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: There were positive correlations between sleep quality and total weekly SB time (r = .23, p = .04) and phone usage time (r = .24, p = .03). However, there were no relationships between sleep quality and time spent in MVPA (r = -.03, p = .79) or total weekly screen time (r = .13, p = .23). Further, there were no differences in sleep quality across tertiles of MVPA (p = .81), total weekly screen time (p = .80), or total weekly SB (p = .07). Sleep quality scores were lower (i.e., better sleep quality) in people who engaged in <6 hours>/week of SB (5.9 ± 3.1) compared to those who engaged in >9 hours/week (7.9 ± 4.3), although these findings were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that total weekly SB time and phone usage time, but not time spent in MVPA, are related to sleep quality in young adults. This suggests that the more time spent in SB and phone usage, the higher the sleep health score (i.e., poor sleep quality). However, MVPA was not related to sleep quality in the current study. Future research would be beneficial to explore these findings using wearable technology to assess sleep quality and behaviors of physical activity and SB.