Nature and Science of Sleep (Sep 2021)
The Associations Between Objectively Measured Gait Speed and Subjective Sleep Quality in First-Year University Students, According to Gender
Abstract
Mario Kasović,1,2 Andro Štefan,1 Lovro Štefan1– 3 1Faculty of Kinesiology, Department of General and Applied Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, 10 000, Croatia; 2Faculty of Sports Studies, Department of Sport Motorics and Methodology in Kinanthropology, Masaryk University, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic; 3Faculty of Science, Department of Recruitment and Examination (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Brno, 625 00, Czech RepublicCorrespondence: Lovro ŠtefanFaculty of Kinesiology, Department of General and Applied Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, 10 000, CroatiaTel +385-9891-77-060Email [email protected]: To examine the associations between gait speed and sleep quality in first-year university students, according to gender.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 193 first-year university students [mean age±standard deviation (SD): 19.6± 1.1 years; mean height: 178.0± 10.5 cm; mean weight: 74.0± 11.0 kg; 26.9% women). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality questionnaire, with a lower score indicating “better” sleep quality. Gait speed was measured using the Zebris pressure platform. The associations were examined with generalized linear models and multiple regression analysis.Results: In the unadjusted model, faster participants had significantly “better” sleep quality (β=− 3.15, 95% CI − 3.82 to − 2.47, p< 0.001). When the model was adjusted for sex, age, body-mass index, self-rated health, smoking status, and psychological distress, faster participants remained having “better” sleep quality (β=− 2.88, 95% CI − 3.53 to − 2.22, p< 0.001).Conclusion: This study shows that sleep quality can be predicted by gait speed in the first-year university students.Keywords: youth, biomechanics, sleep, relationship
