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Sleep duration and body mass index among southern Brazilian preschoolers
Maria Laura da Costa Louzada1, Fernanda Rauber, Paula Dal Bó Campagnolo
1Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. maria.laura.louzada@gmail.com
Insights
Children sleeping less at night were more likely to be overweight. This study in Brazil found shorter sleep duration linked to higher body mass index in preschoolers, highlighting sleep
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Overweight and obesity prevention and treatment are complex public health challenges.
- Understanding the multifactorial causes and effects of overweight is crucial.
- Childhood obesity rates necessitate research into contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between night sleep duration and anthropometric measurements in preschool children.
- To explore the relationship between sleep patterns and indicators of adiposity.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 348 children aged 3-4 years in São Leopoldo/RS, Brazil.
- Mothers reported night sleep duration; anthropometric measurements (BMI, waist circumference, skinfold thickness) were taken.
- Analyses adjusted for energy intake and television watching hours.
Main Results:
- Children classified as overweight slept, on average, 0.39 hours less than normal-weight children.
- An inverse association was found between night sleep duration and body mass index (BMI) z-scores.
- Waist circumference and skinfold thickness showed inverse relationships with sleep duration, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Shorter night sleep duration is associated with a higher body mass index in preschool children in Southern Brazil.
- Sleep duration may be a relevant factor in the context of childhood overweight and obesity.
- Further research is warranted to explore causal links and interventions.
Abstract:
Prevention and treatment of overweight are particularly complex, reinforcing the importance of studies aimed at clarifying their range of causes and effects. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between night sleep duration and anthropometric measurements. A cross-sectional analysis was performed from data from 348 children aged 3 and 4 years in São Leopoldo/RS. Night sleep duration was reported by their mothers and body mass index, waist circumference and skinfold thickness were measured according to standard protocol. The analyses were adjusted for energy intake and hours of television watching. Overweight children had, on average, 0.39 hours less sleep than those with normal weight (9.77 ± 1.44 versus 10.17 ± 1.34; 95% CI 0.03 to 0, 76). We observed an inverse association between night sleep duration and z score values of body mass index for age (B = -0.12 95% CI -0.22 - -0.02). Waist circumference and skinfold thickness showed an inverse relationship with sleep duration, but without any statistic differences. Among preschool children in southern Brazil, smaller night sleep duration was associated with higher body mass index.
