Weight gain in older adolescent females: the internet, sleep, coffee, and alcohol
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Published on: November 1, 2019
Catherine S Berkey1, Helaine R H Rockett, Graham A Colditz
1Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, MA 02115, USA. Catherine.Berkey@channing.harvard.edu
Objectives:
To examine whether excessive recreational Internet time, insufficient sleep, regular coffee consumption, or alcoholic beverages promote weight gain.
Study Design:
A longitudinal cohort of >5000 girls (Growing Up Today Study), from all over the United States and aged 14 to 21 years, returned surveys in 2001 reporting typical past-year recreational Internet time, sleep, coffee (with caffeine), and alcohol consumption. We estimated correlations among these 4 exposures. Each girl also reported her height and weight in 2000 and again in 2001. Multivariate models investigated associations between 1-year change in body mass index and same-year exposures, adjusted for adolescent growth/development, activity, and inactivity.
Results:
The exposures were highly (P < .0001) correlated with each other, except for coffee with Internet time (P > .50). More Internet time, more alcohol, and less sleep were all associated (P < .05) with same-year increases in body mass index. Females, aged 18+ years, who slept
Conclusions:
Older girls may benefit from replacing recreational Internet time with sleep and by avoiding alcohol.
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