Are sleep and breakfast behaviours predictors of active or independent commuting to school in Spanish youth?

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite increasing interest in the association between active commuting to school (ACS) and health-related behaviors, the existing literature presents inconsistent findings regarding the relationships between ACS and preceding behaviors such as sleep duration and daily breakfast consumption. The current study aimed to analyze the associations between the mode of commuting to school and independent mobility to school with sleep duration and daily breakfast consumption among Spanish children and adolescents, and the secondary aim was to conduct this analysis separately by gender. Methods It was a cross-sectional study conducted in 27 schools from 11 Spanish cities involving 226 children (6–11 years) and 1155 adolescents (12–17 years). Mode of commuting to school, independent mobility to school (yes/no), sleep duration (adequate/non-adequate), and daily breakfast consumption (yes/no) were self-reported. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions examined these associations across age groups and gender. Results The results showed that children with adequate sleep duration were more likely to actively commute to school (OR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.06 to 8.40), with stronger associations in boys (OR: 6.26, 95% CI: 1.32 to 29.8). Regarding adolescents, those who consumed breakfast daily were more likely to commute independently to school (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.07). No other significant associations were observed in children and adolescents (all, p > 0.05). Conclusions Based on our findings, there may be a tendency for preceding behaviours, such as adequate sleep duration and daily breakfast consumption, to influence whether children and adolescents commute to school actively or passively, and whether they do so independently or with adult supervision. Programs promoting these behaviors should involve families, schools, and communities to support healthier lifestyles and enhance the well-being of children and adolescents.