Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Sleep Duration among U.S. Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) and poor sleep are public health problems with their own set of consequences. This study assessed whether TSE was associated with sleep duration among U.S. adolescents.

Method

We conducted a secondary analysis of 2013–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data including 914 nontobacco-using adolescents ages 16–19 years. TSE measures included cotinine and self-reported home TSE groups including no home TSE, thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure, and secondhand smoke (SHS)+THS exposure. Sleep duration was assessed in hours and categorically as insufficient sleep (<recommended hours), sufficient sleep (recommended hours), and excess sleep (>recommended hours). Weighted multiple linear regression and multinomial regression models were conducted.

Results

Adolescents with higher log-cotinine levels had higher number of sleep hours (β = 0.31, 95%CI = 0.02,0.60) and were at increased odds of reporting excess sleep (AOR = 1.41, 95%CI = 1.40,1.42), but were at reduced odds of reporting insufficient sleep (AOR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.87,0.89). Compared to adolescents with no home TSE, adolescents with home THS exposure and home SHS+THS exposure were at increased odds of reporting insufficient sleep (AOR = 2.27, 95%CI = 2.26,2.29; AOR = 2.75, 95%CI = 2.72,2.77, respectively) and excess sleep (AOR = 1.89, 95%CI = 1.87,1.90; AOR = 5.29, 95%CI = 5.23,5.34, respectively).

Conclusions

TSE may affect insufficient and excess sleep duration among adolescents. Eliminating TSE may promote adolescent respiratory and sleep health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The dataset was derived from sources in the public domain provided by the National Center for Health Statistics: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Default.aspx

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH Grant Number K01DA044313) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH Grant Numbers R21ES032161, R01ES030743, and R01ES027815). Dr Choi’s effort was supported by the Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The corresponding author affirms that she has listed everyone who contributed significantly to the work. The comments and opinions expressed belong to the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Government, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.