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The longitudinal relationship between sleep duration and body mass index in children: a growth mixture modeling

Christopher A Magee1, Peter Caputi, Don C Iverson

  • 1Centre for Health Initiatives, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia. cmagee@uow.edu.au

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|April 11, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Shorter sleep durations are linked to higher body mass index (BMI) in children, especially those with early-onset obesity. This study analyzed longitudinal data to understand this relationship across different BMI trajectories.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Obesity Research
  • Sleep Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Previous studies suggest a correlation between reduced sleep duration and increased body mass index (BMI) in children.
  • Longitudinal data is crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal relationship between sleep duration and BMI in children.
  • To identify distinct BMI trajectories using growth mixture modeling.
  • To determine if sleep duration influences these trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).
  • 1079 children aged 4–5 years followed to age 10–11 years.
  • Growth mixture modeling to analyze BMI trajectories and sleep duration associations.

Main Results:

  • Identified three distinct BMI trajectories: healthy weight, early-onset obesity, and later-onset obesity.
  • Found significant inverse associations between sleep duration and BMI in the early-onset obesity trajectory.
  • Observed some associations in other BMI trajectories.

Conclusions:

  • Shorter sleep duration is a key factor associated with BMI in children experiencing early-onset obesity.
  • Provides deeper insight into the complex interplay between sleep and weight status in pediatric populations.
  • Highlights the importance of adequate sleep for preventing and managing childhood obesity.
Abstract

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