Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41235928›Full record

ArticleJournal of sleep research2026

Longitudinal and Bidirectional Relationships Between Sleep, Emotional Wellbeing and Weight Status in Childhood and Adolescence: Growing Up in Scotland Cohort Analysis.

Emma Louise Gale, Joanne Elizabeth Cecil, Andrew James Williams

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of sleep research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Emma Louise GaleSchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4266-6041
Joanne Elizabeth CecilSchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4779-6037
Andrew James WilliamsSchool of Health in Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2175-8836

Funding

University of EdinburghUniversity of St Andrews
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Poor sleep and emotional wellbeing, which often decline during puberty, are associated with declines in metabolic health and are key determinants of childhood obesity. The aim of the study was to explore bidirectional associations between sleep, emotional wellbeing and obesity from ages 8 to 14 using the Growing Up in Scotland cohort. Secondary analyses were conducted on data from sweeps 7-10 (ages 8-14). Sleep duration was caregiver-reported at age 8 and self-reported at 14. Obesity was assessed using BMI percentiles (BMIp), derived from objective height and weight at ages 8, 10, 12 and 14. Emotional wellbeing was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire caregiver-report at 10 and 12 years, and self-report at 14 years. Pearson correlations and adjusted regressions examined associations between sleep, BMIp and emotional wellbeing from ages 8 to 14. Analyses included 4157 participants (50.2% male). Shorter sleep at 8 years was associated with higher BMIp at 12 years (β = -0.172, CI (95%) = -0.335, -0.116, p < 0.001) and poorer emotional wellbeing at 10 (β = -0.120, CI (95%) = -0.179, -0.034, p < 0.001) and 12 years (β = -0.101, CI (95%) = -0.164, -0.026, p < 0.001). Poorer emotional wellbeing at 10 (β = -0.116, CI (95%) = -0.232, -0.093, p < 0.001) and 12 years (β = -0.194, CI (95%) = -0.328, -0.174, p < 0.001) predicted shorter sleep at 14 years. Higher BMIp at 8 years was associated with shorter sleep at 14 years (β = -0.182, CI (95%) = -0.359, -0.111, p < 0.001). Poorer emotional wellbeing at 10 years was associated with higher BMIp at 14 years (β = 0.142, CI (95%) = 0.074, 0.629, p = 0.13). Bidirectional associations emerged between short sleep and emotional wellbeing and higher BMIp. Poor emotional wellbeing was associated with subsequent obesity; but not bidirectionally. These interactions should inform the design of health interventions for 8-14-year-olds.

Indexed as

Body WeightEmotionsPediatric ObesitySleepAdolescentBody Mass IndexChildCohort StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleScotlandSurveys and Questionnairesbody mass indexlongitudinalmental healthpaediatricpubertysecondary data analyses

Identifiers

PMID41235928
PMCPMC13193402

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.