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Short sleep duration is independently associated with overweight and obesity in Quebec children

Jean-Philippe Chaput1, Marie Lambert, Katherine Gray-Donald

  • 1Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON. jpchaput@cheo.on.ca

Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique
|October 29, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Short sleep duration is a risk factor for childhood overweight and obesity. This finding highlights the importance of adequate sleep for maintaining a healthy weight in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Obesity Research
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Sleep duration is increasingly recognized as a potential factor influencing weight status.
  • The relationship between sleep duration and adiposity in children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between sleep duration and various measures of adiposity in children.
  • To determine if caloric intake and physical activity mediate the relationship between sleep and adiposity.
  • To identify specific sleep duration thresholds associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Quebec Adiposity and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) study.
  • Included 550 Caucasian children (average age 9.6 years) with at least one obese parent.
  • Assessed adiposity objectively (BMI Z-score, waist circumference, body fat percentage), sleep duration, physical activity (accelerometer), and diet (food recalls).

Main Results:

  • A U-shaped relationship was observed between sleep duration and adiposity indices.
  • Children sleeping less than 10 hours per night had significantly increased odds of overweight/obesity (OR 2.08).
  • Energy intake and physical activity did not substantially alter this association after adjustment for covariates.

Conclusions:

  • Short sleep duration (< 10 hours) is an independent risk factor for overweight and obesity in children.
  • These findings underscore the critical role of sleep duration in the development of childhood obesity.
  • Sleep duration should be considered a key determinant in obesity prevention strategies for children.
Abstract

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