Associations between muscle dysmorphia symptomatology and sleep duration and difficulty in the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors

Abstract

Objectives: Prior research has shown links between mental health symptomatology and poor sleep. However, associations between muscle dysmorphia symptomatology and poor sleep remain unknown, which was the aim of this study.

Methods: Data from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors (2021-2022) were analyzed (N = 912). Multinomial logistic regression analyses and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between muscle dysmorphia symptomatology and average sleep duration (5 hours or less, 6 hours, 7 hours, and 8 or more hours) and difficulty falling or staying asleep over a 2-week period.

Results: Findings indicated significant associations between muscle dysmorphia symptomatology and shorter sleep duration and greater sleep difficulty in both cross-sectional and prospective analyses.

Conclusions: The findings from this study underscore poor sleep as a correlate of muscle dysmorphia symptomatology among adolescents and young adults, emphasizing the need for screening and interventions in healthcare settings.

Keywords: Adolescents; Canada; Muscle dysmorphia; Sleep quality; Young adults.