Moderating effects of physical activity levels and academic achievement on the relationship between daytime sleepiness and emotional eating

Daytime sleepiness, physical inactivity, and emotional eating are common and interrelated health concerns during adolescence. This study examined the association between daytime sleepiness and emotional eating and tested whether physical activity and academic achievement moderated this association. The study was conducted with 698 secondary school students aged 11–14 years (12.1 ± 1.1 years). Data were collected using the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale, the Emotional Eating Scale for Children and Adolescents, and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children. Pearson correlation, hierarchical multiple linear regression, and moderation analyses using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro were performed. In the final hierarchical regression model, higher daytime sleepiness was associated with higher emotional eating (B = 0.81, β = 0.23, p < 0.001), whereas higher physical activity was associated with lower emotional eating (B = − 0.42, β = −0.14, p < 0.001). Academic achievement was not independently associated with emotional eating in the final model (B = − 0.09, β = −0.06, p = 0.147). The model explained 10% of the variance in emotional eating. In separate moderation models, the daytime sleepiness × academic achievement interaction (B = − 0.02, p < 0.001, ΔR² = 0.015) and the daytime sleepiness × physical activity interaction (B = − 0.04, p < 0.001, ΔR² = 0.016) were statistically significant. The association between daytime sleepiness and emotional eating was significant at low and mean levels of each moderator but was not statistically significant at high levels. Higher daytime sleepiness was associated with higher emotional eating, and this association varied significantly, although modestly, according to academic achievement and physical activity. These findings indicate that the daytime sleepiness–emotional eating association may differ across levels of these adolescent characteristics. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to clarify the direction of these associations and determine whether changes in physical activity or other relevant factors influence the relationship between daytime sleepiness and emotional eating.