Adherence to 24-h movement guidelines and cognitive difficulties in adolescents

Studies have identified sleep, screen time, and physical activity as independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in adolescents. However, little is known about how these factors interact to contribute to cognitive difficulties. This study aimed to investigate the association between 24-h movement guidelines and cognitive difficulties in adolescents. Data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance was used for analysis. Participants self-reported their screen time, sleep, and physical activity levels, and cognitive difficulty was assessed using a standardized protocol with a binary response (Yes or No). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between 24-h movement behaviours and cognitive difficulty, with results reported as the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). After controlling for covariates (e.g., sex, age), compared to adolescents not adhering to none of the 24-h movement guidelines, adhering to the screen time (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.37–2.05) and sleep guidelines (OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.08–1.61) were more likely to report no cognitive difficulties in adolescents, respectively. Adhering to all the 24-h movement guidelines was also likely to increase the odds of reporting no cognitive difficulties (OR = 3.38, 95%: 2.15–5.30). The study findings suggest that promoting better 24-h movement behaviours could be an effective approach to reducing cognitive difficulties in adolescents. Future studies should use improved study designs to confirm or refute these results. •Adhering to 24-h movement guidelines is associated with reduced risks of cognitive difficulties in adolescents.•Screen time and sleep duration may be more important of reducing cognitive difficulty in adolescents.•The association between physical activity and cognitive difficulties in adolescents should be further clarified.