Thursday, February 13, 2020
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 — Could the amount of sleep teenagers get each night determine if they would carry a gun? A new study by researchers from UTSA and Florida International University has found that not getting enough sleep increases the likelihood of teens carrying a handgun.
Using a national survey of more than 42,000 middle school and high school students in Florida, Dylan Jackson and Alexander Testa, assistant professors in UTSA’s College for Health, Community and Policy, collaborated with Florida International University researchers Ryan Charles Meldrum and Kristen Zgoba to study whether sleep duration is associated with adolescent handgun carrying behaviors.
“This lack of sleep presents serious consequences for their health, psychological well-being and willingness to engage in risky behaviors.”
“Research shows that a large portion of adolescents do not get enough sleep and this lack of sleep presents serious consequences for their health, psychological well-being and willingness to engage in risky behaviors,” said Jackson.
In addition, sleep deprivation has been linked to a variety of risk-taking behaviors, such as drinking and driving and involvement in delinquency. The researchers found out that getting less than four hours of sleep a night leads to a 40% increase in the likelihood of teens carrying a handgun in general and an 85% increase in the odds of taking a handgun to school.
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“The findings of our study suggest that a lack of sleep may impair decision making and increase the propensity of youths to engage in the risky behavior of carrying a handgun,” said Testa. “Given that gun violence, especially among youth, is a significant public health issue, the results of our findings suggest that efforts to improve the sleep of adolescents can provide substantial benefits for safety and overall well-being.”
The findings were published in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation.
Events
Thursday, February 6 to Saturday, February 22
Flor Ameira & Bárbara Miñarro, two UTSA B.F.A. alumni, will show photographs, sculptures and textiles about their bilingualism, biculturalism and binationality. Free and open to the public.
UTSA Terminal 136, 136 Blue Star, San Antonio
Friday, February 14, 9:00 a.m.
The Urban Future Lab in UTSA’s College of Architecture, Construction and Planning will host a summit at Confluence Park to explore San Antonio’s future as a regional center of the South. Free and open to the public but seating is limited. RSVP is required.
Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St., San Antonio
Join UTSA Honors College for “A Conversation With Shea Serrano”, a San Antonio native, the author of three New York Times best sellers, and a current staff writer at The Ringer.
Retama Auditorium, Student Union (SU 2.02.02), UTSA Main Campus
Thursday, February 20, 6:00 p.m.
A 50-year perspective and special tribute to Sen. Joe Bernal. Discussions of UTSA’s historical legal struggles led by Al Kaufman, Rosie Castro and Leticia Van de Putte.
Buena Vista Theater (BV 1.328), Downtown Campus
Saturday, February 22, 9:00 a.m.
The best way to learn what UTSA has to offer is to experience it for yourself. Come to our Open House and see all that UTSA has to offer. The day features admissions and financial aid workshops and presentations, campus tours and much more.
Various Locations, Main Campus
Saturday, February 29, 8:00 a.m.
Why just leap when you can dash? The Alumni Association’s 36th annual Diploma Dash 5K and City Championship is a great opportunity to run or walk for a great cause: scholarships for UTSA students.
Main Campus
Thursday, April 2 to Sunday, April 5
The classic comic opera by Mozart is a continuation of the storyline from The Barber of Seville. Figaro and Susana, two servants in the house of Count Almaviva plan to marry, despite the efforts of those they have spurned and rebuffed.
Buena Vista Theatre, Downtown Campus
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UTSA’s Mission
The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property – for Texas, the nation and the world.
UTSA’s Vision
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
UTSA’s Core Values
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
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