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Relationship between short sleeping hours and childhood overweight/obesity: results from the 'Québec en Forme'

J-P Chaput1, M Brunet, A Tremblay

  • 1Division of Kinesiology, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|March 15, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Shorter sleep duration in children is linked to a higher risk of overweight and obesity. This study found an inverse association between sleep duration and obesity indicators in children, suggesting sleep is a key factor in weight management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Obesity Research
  • Sleep Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern with complex contributing factors.
  • Sleep duration is increasingly recognized as a potential modifiable risk factor for obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between sleep duration and obesity-related variables in children.
  • To identify the relationship between short sleep and overweight/obesity in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 422 children (5-10 years) from the 'Québec en Forme' Project.
  • Measurements included body weight, height, and waist circumference, with obesity classified by BMI.
  • Parental questionnaires collected data on sleep, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors.

Main Results:

  • A significant inverse association was found between sleep duration and body weight, BMI, and waist circumference in boys.
  • Children sleeping 8-11.5 hours per day had a significantly higher odds ratio for overweight/obesity compared to those sleeping 12-13 hours.
  • Factors like parental obesity, low parental education, high screen time, and physical inactivity were also associated with childhood overweight/obesity.

Conclusions:

  • Shorter sleep duration is inversely associated with the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Findings suggest sleep duration is a critical factor in pediatric weight management.
  • Further longitudinal research is needed to establish causality.
Abstract

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