Daytime sleepiness among adolescents in six Asian regions: a cross-sectional survey

This study aimed to examine the prevalence and compare the correlates of daytime sleepiness among adolescents in six Asia regions in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines and Thailand between 2015 and 2016, using the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS). Data were analyzed for 18,532 children aged 10–15 years. The overall median PDSS score was 15.0, and median scores differed significantly among the six regions. Individual characteristics significantly associated with higher daytime sleepiness were greater age, female, low body mass index, employment status, greater internet usage, living separately from parents, negative feelings regarding relationships with others, and lower parental education. In the binomial logistic regression, 10-year-old children were significantly less likely to have excessive daytime sleepiness than 12 to 15-year-old children. The findings suggest that daytime sleepiness in Asian adolescents differed by region and individual characteristics and increased with age in normal life. This study draws attention to an urgent need for policies related to daytime sleepiness in Asian adolescents that focus on regional profiles and individual characteristics.