MORNINGNESS PROPENSITY IN YOUNG ADULTS BORN PREMATURELY: THE HELSINKI STUDY OF VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT ADULTS

The authors explored morningness-eveningness propensity in adults born prematurely at very low birth weight (VLBW; < 1500g) and in controls born at term. At age 21 to 29 yrs, 184 participants completed the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Compared with controls, VLBW adults scored higher in morningness propensity (group difference: 2.8 scores, 95% confidence interval: 0.1 to 5.5; p = .042). This finding was confined to those VLBW adults whose birth weight was not small for gestational age, and remained similar when adjusting for age, sex, and working conditions. The finding is potentially important, since morningness is associated with beneficial health outcomes. (Author correspondence: sonja.strang@helsinki.fi).