Association of Adolescent Bullying Victimization with Meeting 24-hour Movement Behavior Recommendations: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Combined 2015–2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the association between bullying victimization and meeting recommendations for the 24-h movement behaviors of physical activity, screen use, and sleep in adolescents.

Methods

Participants were a sample of US adolescents from the 2015–2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 43,847; Mean age = 16.0 ± 1.2 years; 50.7% female). The bullying victimization variables included the bullying experiences at school and online. Weighted multivariable logistic regressions analyzed associations between bullying victimization and meeting recommendations for 24-h movement behaviors controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and weight status.

Results

Adolescents meeting non-academic screen and sleep recommendations had 25% (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.69–0.82) and 19% (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.74–0.89) lower odds to be bullied at school. Adolescents meeting non-academic screen recommendation had 27% lower odds (OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.58–0.91) of experience online bullying. Male adolescents who met physical activity, non-academic screen use, and sleep recommendations had lower odds of experience the bullying at school of 29% (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.59–0.85), 26% (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.61–0.90), and 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.55–0.86), respectively. Among the females, non-academic screen use was the only movement behavior yielded statistical significance, in that those who met the recommendation had 15% (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.73–0.98) lower odds of experience the bullying at school.

Conclusion

The presence of meeting 24-h movement behavior recommendations associates with a lower probability of bullying at school and online in adolescents. Interestingly, these associations tended to be stronger and more consistent in males compared to females.