The relationship between childhood sleep, emotional intelligence and Body Mass Index in school aged children

Eftychia Ferentinou; Ioannis Koutelekos; Evangelos Dousis; Eleni Evangelou; Despoina Pappa; Maria Theodoratou; Chrysoula Dafogianni; Eftychia Ferentinou; Ioannis Koutelekos; Evangelos Dousis; Eleni Evangelou; Despoina Pappa; Maria Theodoratou; Chrysoula Dafogianni

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2025006

AIMS Public Health

2025, Volume 12, Issue 1: 77-90. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025006

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Research article

The relationship between childhood sleep, emotional intelligence and Body Mass Index in school aged children

1.
Faculty of Nursing, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
2.
School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece

Received: 27 May 2024 Revised: 25 July 2024 Accepted: 10 October 2024 Published: 09 January 2025

Sleep duration and quality have been increasingly recognized as critical determinants of childhood obesity risk, with insufficient sleep linked to disruptions in appetite-regulating hormones and unhealthy weight gain trajectories. Emotional intelligence, which involves recognizing, understanding, and managing one's own emotions as well as those of others, has garnered attention for its potential impact on VARIOUS aspects of health and well-being, including weight management. Moreover, childhood obesity remains a significant public health concern worldwide, with multifaceted factors contributing to its prevalence and persistence. Research is starting to reveal how sleep patterns and emotional intelligence (ΕΙ) influence children's weight status. This study aims to investigate the relationship between childhood sleep patterns, EI, and body mass index (BMI) in school-aged children. Utilizing a sample of 614 children, aged 8–12 years (mean age 10.0 y), data on emotional intelligence scores, sleep duration and quality, and BMI measurements were collected and analyzed. The results reveal significant correlations among these variables, indicating that emotional intelligence may play a crucial role in both sleep patterns and BMI outcomes in children (Mean = 3.53, SD = 0.51 in total sample; Mean = 3.53, SD = 0.51 in overweight/obese). Specifically, higher emotional intelligence scores are associated with better sleep quality and duration, as well as healthier BMI levels (p ≤ 0.001). These findings underscore the importance of considering emotional well-being and sleep hygiene in the context of childhood obesity prevention and intervention efforts. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving these relationships and to develop targeted strategies for promoting emotional intelligence and healthy sleep habits in school-aged children.
- childhood obesity,
- sleep,
- emotional intelligence,
- childhood,
- body mass index
Citation: Eftychia Ferentinou, Ioannis Koutelekos, Evangelos Dousis, Eleni Evangelou, Despoina Pappa, Maria Theodoratou, Chrysoula Dafogianni. The relationship between childhood sleep, emotional intelligence and Body Mass Index in school aged children[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2025, 12(1): 77-90. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025006

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Abstract

Sleep duration and quality have been increasingly recognized as critical determinants of childhood obesity risk, with insufficient sleep linked to disruptions in appetite-regulating hormones and unhealthy weight gain trajectories. Emotional intelligence, which involves recognizing, understanding, and managing one's own emotions as well as those of others, has garnered attention for its potential impact on VARIOUS aspects of health and well-being, including weight management. Moreover, childhood obesity remains a significant public health concern worldwide, with multifaceted factors contributing to its prevalence and persistence. Research is starting to reveal how sleep patterns and emotional intelligence (ΕΙ) influence children's weight status. This study aims to investigate the relationship between childhood sleep patterns, EI, and body mass index (BMI) in school-aged children. Utilizing a sample of 614 children, aged 8–12 years (mean age 10.0 y), data on emotional intelligence scores, sleep duration and quality, and BMI measurements were collected and analyzed. The results reveal significant correlations among these variables, indicating that emotional intelligence may play a crucial role in both sleep patterns and BMI outcomes in children (Mean = 3.53, SD = 0.51 in total sample; Mean = 3.53, SD = 0.51 in overweight/obese). Specifically, higher emotional intelligence scores are associated with better sleep quality and duration, as well as healthier BMI levels (p ≤ 0.001). These findings underscore the importance of considering emotional well-being and sleep hygiene in the context of childhood obesity prevention and intervention efforts. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving these relationships and to develop targeted strategies for promoting emotional intelligence and healthy sleep habits in school-aged children.

Acknowledgments

The ELKE provided financial support for this study. (Special Account for Research Funding of the University of West Attica, Athens, Greece, grant number F0002).

Authors' contribution

Eftychia Ferentinou, Ioannis Koutelekos, Eleni Evangelou and Chrysoula Dafogianni designed, collected the data and supervised the study; Maria Theodoratou, Despoina Pappa and Evangelos Dousis carried out the statistical analysis, drafted the manuscript, reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of manuscript.

Conflict of interest

There is no conflict of Interest.

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