Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Long sleep duration and childhood overweight/obesity and body fat

Cristina Padez1, Isabel Mourao, Pedro Moreira

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. cpadez@antrop.uc.pt

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
|February 4, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Short sleep duration is linked to higher risks of overweight/obesity and body fat in children. Promoting longer sleep may help prevent and treat childhood obesity, as it’s a modifiable factor.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
  • Short sleep duration is increasingly recognized as a potential contributing factor.
  • Understanding sleep patterns and their association with body composition in children is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between short sleep duration and overweight/obesity and body fat in Portuguese children.
  • To identify factors correlated with short sleep duration in this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 4511 children aged 7-9 years.
  • Objective measurements of weight, height, and skinfolds.
  • Parental questionnaires on family characteristics and child sleep duration.

Main Results:

  • A significant inverse relationship was observed between longer sleep duration and prevalence of overweight/obesity and body fat.
  • Children sleeping <9 hours had an odds ratio of 3.22 for overweight/obesity compared to those sleeping >11 hours.
  • Low parental education, increased television viewing, and sedentary behavior were associated with shorter sleep duration.

Conclusions:

  • Longer sleep duration is inversely associated with overweight/obesity and body fat in children.
  • Sleep duration is a potentially modifiable risk factor for childhood obesity.
  • Interventions targeting sleep duration may be beneficial in the prevention and management of childhood obesity.

More Related Videos

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling03:46

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

Published on: October 11, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes...
Sleep Apnea01:21

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops intermittently during sleep, often leading to significant health issues. Each episode can last from 10 to 20 seconds or more and is frequently accompanied by a brief arousal from sleep. This disturbance, largely unnoticed by the individual, can lead to severe daytime fatigue. Commonly, individuals seek help after being informed by their partners about loud snoring and noticeable breathing pauses during sleep.
The condition is more prevalent among...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation01:13

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction01:26

Type II Diabetes I: Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance, in which target tissues such as the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue respond poorly to insulin. It is also associated with inadequate compensatory insulin secretion, where pancreatic β-cells fail to produce sufficient insulin. Together, these abnormalities lead to persistent hyperglycemia.EtiologyT2DM develops through a complex interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental or...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder01:30

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects approximately 5-8% of children globally, with around 60-70% of cases persisting into adulthood. ADHD has significant implications for educational attainment, social interactions, and occupational success.
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge: