Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia

Background: This study aims to explore the association between sleep patterns in children and their exposure to phthalates to assess potential health implications. Methods: Participants (n = 60) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Consumer behavior scores (CBS) were ca...

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Main Authors: Martina Jahnátková, Henrieta Hlisníková, Ida Petrovičová, Branislav Kolena
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Toxics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/4/286
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author Martina Jahnátková
Henrieta Hlisníková
Ida Petrovičová
Branislav Kolena
author_facet Martina Jahnátková
Henrieta Hlisníková
Ida Petrovičová
Branislav Kolena
author_sort Martina Jahnátková
collection DOAJ
description Background: This study aims to explore the association between sleep patterns in children and their exposure to phthalates to assess potential health implications. Methods: Participants (n = 60) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Consumer behavior scores (CBS) were calculated. The Tanner scale was used to monitor the stages of puberty. First-morning urine samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results: The average sleep duration was 8 h and 44 min, with boys sleeping significantly longer (<i>p</i> = 0.01). Notably, 51.7% of participants reported sleeping less than 9 h. The nonlinear effects of phthalate metabolite in association with PSQI were observed for hydroxy-mono-isononyl phthalate (OH-MiNP, <i>p</i> = 0.003) and MnOP (<i>p</i> < 0.001), indicating that the relationship does not follow a simple linear pattern. Simple linear regression revealed a significant positive association between the Mono-n-octyl phthalate (MnOP) and PSQI scores (<i>p</i> = 0.016). After adjustment for place of residence, BMI, CBS, sex, and age, the significance of associations between phthalate metabolites and sleep quality diminished, necessitating cautious interpretation. No statistically significant associations between pubertal changes and the value of PSQI as well as phthalates were observed. Conclusion: Our results provide preliminary evidence of potential nonlinear associations that require validation in a larger cohort. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring phthalate exposure in children, as it may influence sleep patterns and overall health.
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spelling doaj-art-df124cd03da641a3b7c731d15cfacd732025-08-20T03:13:45ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042025-04-0113428610.3390/toxics13040286Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from SlovakiaMartina Jahnátková0Henrieta Hlisníková1Ida Petrovičová2Branislav Kolena3Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, SlovakiaInstitute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 13, 171 77 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, SlovakiaDepartment of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, SlovakiaBackground: This study aims to explore the association between sleep patterns in children and their exposure to phthalates to assess potential health implications. Methods: Participants (n = 60) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Consumer behavior scores (CBS) were calculated. The Tanner scale was used to monitor the stages of puberty. First-morning urine samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results: The average sleep duration was 8 h and 44 min, with boys sleeping significantly longer (<i>p</i> = 0.01). Notably, 51.7% of participants reported sleeping less than 9 h. The nonlinear effects of phthalate metabolite in association with PSQI were observed for hydroxy-mono-isononyl phthalate (OH-MiNP, <i>p</i> = 0.003) and MnOP (<i>p</i> < 0.001), indicating that the relationship does not follow a simple linear pattern. Simple linear regression revealed a significant positive association between the Mono-n-octyl phthalate (MnOP) and PSQI scores (<i>p</i> = 0.016). After adjustment for place of residence, BMI, CBS, sex, and age, the significance of associations between phthalate metabolites and sleep quality diminished, necessitating cautious interpretation. No statistically significant associations between pubertal changes and the value of PSQI as well as phthalates were observed. Conclusion: Our results provide preliminary evidence of potential nonlinear associations that require validation in a larger cohort. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring phthalate exposure in children, as it may influence sleep patterns and overall health.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/4/286phthalatessleep qualitypubertyendocrine disruptorsbiomonitoring
spellingShingle Martina Jahnátková
Henrieta Hlisníková
Ida Petrovičová
Branislav Kolena
Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia
Toxics
phthalates
sleep quality
puberty
endocrine disruptors
biomonitoring
title Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia
title_full Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia
title_fullStr Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia
title_short Exploring the Association Between Sleep Patterns, Pubertal Health, and Phthalate Exposure—Preliminary Results from Slovakia
title_sort exploring the association between sleep patterns pubertal health and phthalate exposure preliminary results from slovakia
topic phthalates
sleep quality
puberty
endocrine disruptors
biomonitoring
url https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/4/286
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