Effect of motivational support program applied to adolescents on sleep quality and academic achievement: Randomized controlled study

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of a motivational support program implemented for adolescents on sleep quality and academic achievement. Method: It was conducted between September 2023 and January 2024 at a Anatolian High School in Istanbul using a repeated-measures experimental design with pretest-posttest control groups. The sample consisted of 93 randomly assigned 11th-grade students (Motivational Support Program Group=47, Education Group=46). Children in the motivational support program received individual motivational counseling sessions and training for one month, and motivational messages were sent twice a week throughout one school term. The training booklet was distributed at the end of the first session. The control group received only the one-month training and the same booklet. Data were collected at four time points: pretest, posttest, one-month follow-up, and three-month follow-up. Data collection tools included the Descriptive Information Form, Sleep Knowledge Form, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 30, with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The groups were similar in terms of descriptive characteristics (p>0.05). Before the intervention, no significant differences were found between the groups in PSQI and sleep knowledge scores (p>0.05). Post-intervention and follow-up assessments revealed improvements in sleep quality and sleep knowledge scores in both groups (p<0.05), with greater improvements observed in the intervention group. No significant differences were found in academic achievement scores either between or within groups before and after the intervention (p>0.05). No significant correlations were found between sleep knowledge and PSQI or academic achievement scores (p>0.05). However, three months after the intervention, a weak negative correlation was observed in the control group between PSQI and academic performance (p=0.013). Conclusion: The motivational support program improved adolescents' sleep quality but had no significant effect on academic achievement. The use of motivational interviewing techniques is recommended to promote awareness and behavioral change Keywords: Adolescent, motivational interviewing, sleep, educational program, academic achievement