Risk for sleep disorders among college freshmen may be a predictor of retention and academic success

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lynn Celmer, 630-737-9700, ext. 9364, lcelmer@aasm.org 

DARIEN, IL – A new study suggests that the risk for sleep disorders among college freshmen may be a predictor of retention and academic success.

Results show that students at risk for a sleep disorder were more likely to leave the institution over the three-year period, although this association was weakened when covariates were included. Risk for sleep disorder also predicted grade point average (GPA) at the end of the first and second years.

“A survey that screens for sleep disorders administered when students first enter college may identify a potentially modifiable risk factor for leaving before completing a degree,” said lead author Jane Gaultney, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Wednesday, June 10, in Seattle, Washington, at SLEEP 2015, the 29th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

The study group comprised of entering freshmen screened for risk for sleep disorders using a validated survey. Participants were examined over a three-year period to see if they were likely to leave the institution or have a lower GPA.

Abstract Title: Risk for Sleep Disorder Measured During Students’ First College Semester May Predict Institution Retention and Grade Point Average over a Three-Year Period, with Indirect Effects through Self-Efficacy
Abstract ID: 0229
Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 10
Presentation Type: Poster 89
Presentation Time: 10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

The SLEEP 2015 abstract supplement is available at https://journalsleep.org/ViewAbstractSupplement.aspx. 

For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or an AASM spokesperson, please contact AASM Communications Coordinator Lynn Celmer at 630-737-9700, ext. 9364, or lcelmer@aasm.org.

About SLEEP 2015
More than 5,000 sleep medicine physicians and sleep scientists will gather at SLEEP 2015, the 29th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), which will be held June 6-10 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. The scientific program will include about 1,200 research abstract presentations. The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society (www.sleepmeeting.org). 

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) improves sleep health and promotes high quality patient centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. With nearly 10,000 members, the AASM is the largest professional membership society for physicians, scientists and other health care providers dedicated to sleep medicine (www.aasm.org).