Morningness-Eveningness, Chronotypes and Health-Impairing Behaviors in Adolescents

Abstract

The impact of diurnal preferences on health-related behaviors is acknowledged but relatively understudied. The aim of this study was threefold: (1) testing the measurement model of the Hungarian version of the reduced Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (Hungarian Version of the rMEQ); (2) estimating chronotypes and their prevalence; and (3) analyzing the relationship between morningness-eveningness/chronotypes and health-impairing behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity in adolescents. Self-reported data on the Hungarian version of the rMEQ, smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity obtained from Hungarian high-school students (ninth grade, N = 2565) were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), latent profile analysis (LPA), structural equation modeling, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). A one-factor model of morningness was supported, which included rising time, peak time, retiring time, and self-evaluation of chronotype. Morningness was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of smoking and alcohol use, and also with a lower level of physical inactivity. Using LPA, the authors identified three chronotypes: intermediate type (50.7%), morning type (30.5%), and evening type (18.8%). Compared to the evening-type participants, intermediate- and morning-type participants were significantly less likely to experiment with smoking, to smoke nondaily, and to smoke daily. Moreover, both intermediate- and morning-type students reported less lifetime alcohol use and less physical inactivity than evening-type students. Chronopsychological research can help to understand the relatively unexplored determinants of health-impairing behaviors in adolescents associated with chronotype.

Keywords:

• Adolescent
• Alcohol
• Chronotype
• Morningness-eveningness
• Physical inactivity
• Smoking

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This publication was made possible by grant 1 R01 TW007927-01 from the Fogarty International Center, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH. The European Union and the European Social Fund have also provided financial support to the project under the grant agreement no. TÁMOP 4.2.1./B-09/1/KMR-2010-0003.

The authors thank Nóra Mórocza for technical assistance with data collection.

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.