The relationship between sleep procrastination and depressive symptoms among adolescents in Urumqi: the mediating role of eating behavior.

Depressive symptoms are a common mental health concern among adolescents, with prevalence steadily increasing and showing a trend toward younger age groups. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep procrastination and depressive symptoms among adolescents, with a particular focus on the mediating role of eating behavior. Stratified cluster sampling was used to select participants, who completed a battery of questionnaires, including the General Circumstances Investigation, Sleep Procrastination Scale (SPS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Sakata Eating Behavior Scale Short Form. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were employed to examine the relationship between sleep procrastination and depressive symptoms, and a mediation model was applied to analyze the indirect effect of eating behavior.The results indicated that sleep procrastination was positively associated with depressive symptoms, exhibiting a significant nonlinear association (p < 0.05). Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of sleep procrastination on depressive symptoms via eating behavior (β = 0.097, 95% CI [0.058, 0.143]), and this indirect association was not significantly moderated by sex. In conclusion, the indirect effect of sleep procrastination on depressive symptoms via eating behavior was statistically significant, consistent with a partial mediation model. These findings suggest that sleep procrastination is associated with depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly via eating behavior.