Sleep patterns and risk of injury among adolescent farm residents

Background: Sleep patterns have been associated with decreased alertness among adolescents and to a limited extent, increased risk of injuries. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between sleep patterns and injury occurrence among adolescents aged 13 to 18 years living on farms in Colorado. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected Colorado farm residents aged 13 to 18 years was conducted between August 2003 and April 2004. A total of 262 youth completed the study. Information was obtained on injuries within the preceding year, sleep patterns, sleep hours, daytime sleepiness, and a number of social and demographic variables. Univariate analyses were done to describe relationships of study variables with injuries. Multivariate modeling was done to assess sleep patterns that were associated with injuries controlling for other variables. Results: Sleep patterns associated with increased risk of injuries (p <0.05) included oversleeping and having been late for class; falling asleep in afternoon classes; ever being up past 3 am; sleeping less than an average of 9.25 hours per night on weekends, and on school nights and weekends combined; and sleeping less than an average of 8.5 hours on weekends, and on school nights and weekends combined. Conclusions: Sleep patterns were significantly associated with occurrence of injuries.