ABSTRACT
Objective@#To explore the impact of sleep education programs on freshman sleep time, knowledge, attitudes, behavior and daytime sleepiness, so as to provide a reference for further improving the sleep status of college students.@*Methods@#By using the method of cluster sampling, freshmen were invited from a university in Beijing (288 at baseline, 187 at posttest and 108 at follow up for experimental group (EG); 207 at baseline and 105 at posttest for control group (CG). The sleep education content was embedded into other courses and implemented in a blending learning mode for EG, lasting 10 weeks, while the CG received no intervention. Both groups were assessed using questionnaires at both baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention, and reassessed at 9 months follow up after posttest for EG.@*Results@#After intervention, compared with CG, the weekday and weekend bedtime in EG was 21 min and 17 min earlier than that in CG respectively ( t=-2.78, -2.15, P <0.05). The sleep duration at night on weekday in EG was 19 min longer than that in CG ( t=3.51, P<0.01). In EG, the phenomenon of going to bed with electronic products before sleep, no delay in falling asleep, sleep knowledge, sleep attitude, sleep habit and daytime sleepiness were significantly better than those in CG ( χ 2/t =9.15, 2.82, 5.71, 3.98, 2.41, -4.90, P <0.05). After intervention, comparing with that at baseline, the weekday and weekend bedtime in EG were significantly earlier by 11 min and 17 min respectively ( t=3.50, 3.67, P <0.01), the sleep duration at nights on weekdays and weekend increased by 13 min and 18 min, respectively ( t=-3.01, -3.67, P <0.05), and the daytime sleepiness, going to bed with electronic products before sleep, no delay in falling asleep, sleep knowledge, sleep attitude and sleep habit were significantly improved ( χ 2/t =4.64, 15.19, -2.08, -9.31, -3.28, -2.14, P<0.05). At the 9 months follow up after the posttest, the bedtime on working day was significantly advanced by 8 min ( t =2.00), the sleep duration at night on working day was prolonged by 9 min ( t =-2.15), and the phenomenon of going to bed with electronic products before sleep and sleep knowledge were still significantly improved( χ 2/t =21.50, -6.26)( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Sleep education programs embedded in other courses and implemented in a blending learning mode can improve students sleep knowledge, sleep attitude and some habits, and reduce daytime sleepiness.
ABSTRACT
Our previous study has shown that reduced insulin resistance (IR) was one of the possible mechanisms for the therapeutic effect of silibinin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats. In the present study, we investigated the pathways of silibinin in regulating hepatic glucose production and IR amelioration. Forty-five 4- to 6-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into a control group, an HFD group (high-fat diet for 6 weeks) and an HFD + silibinin group (high-fat diet + 0.5 mg kg-1·day-1 silibinin, starting at the beginning of the protocol). Both subcutaneous and visceral fat was measured. Homeostasis model assessment-IR index (HOMA-IR), intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were performed. The expression of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and of genes associated with hepatic gluconeogenesis was evaluated. Silibinin intervention significantly protected liver function, down-regulated serum fat, and improved IR, as shown by decreased HOMA-IR and increased ITT slope. Silibinin markedly prevented visceral obesity by reducing visceral fat, enhanced lipolysis by up-regulating ATGL expression and inhibited gluconeogenesis by down-regulating associated genes such as Forkhead box O1, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase. Silibinin was effective in ameliorating IR in NAFLD rats. Reduction of visceral obesity, enhancement of lipolysis and inhibition of gluconeogenesis might be the underlying mechanisms.