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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Modeling the relation between obesity and sleep parameters in children referred for dietary weight reduction
Rebecca Nugent1, Andrew Althouse1, Yasir Yaqub1
1From the Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, McGee Women's Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, and the Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Insights
Longer sleep duration in obese children is linked to lower body mass index (BMI). This study highlights the importance of sleep habits and quality of life in pediatric weight management interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Sleep Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Short sleep duration is a known risk factor for childhood obesity.
- Obese children often exhibit less-defined sleep and behavioral patterns impacting their body mass index (BMI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify sleep and behavioral patterns associated with changes in BMI among obese children undergoing weight loss interventions.
- To explore the relationship between sleep duration, quality of life, and BMI in pediatric obesity.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinic records for children with obesity or at risk.
- Evaluation of sleep habits, pediatric quality of life, pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ), and daytime sleepiness.
- Cluster analysis to categorize children into three behavior groups.
Main Results:
- A 1-hour increase in sleep duration was associated with a 1.263 kg/m² decrease in BMI for children over 12 years old.
- Higher scores on pediatric quality of life, PSQ, and daytime sleepiness scales were linked to increased BMI in univariate analyses.
- Sharing a bedroom showed a univariate association with lower BMI, but this did not hold in multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
- Extended sleep periods correlate with reduced BMI in obese children, suggesting sleep is a critical factor in weight management.
- Obese children in this cohort experienced poor sleep quality, behavioral issues, and daytime sleepiness.
- Utilizing sleep habit and quality of life questionnaires can inform more effective weight loss interventions for obese children.
Objectives:
Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated that short sleep periods increase the likelihood of obesity in children. This study was designed to identify other less-clearly defined sleep and behavioral patterns associated with changes in body mass index (BMI) in obese children referred for interventions.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the clinic records of children with obesity and children at risk for developing obesity who were referred for counseling and weight loss. Information on sleep habits, pediatric quality of life, pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ), and the pediatric daytime sleepiness scale were analyzed, and children were distributed into three behavior groups using cluster analysis.
Results:
Our sample contained 48 girls and 29 boys with an age range of 2.7 to 16.8 years. The mean BMI was 33.08 ± 7.37 kg/m(2), and mean sleep duration was 9.09 ± 1.09 hours. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant interaction between sleep duration and age when the child was older than 12 years. A 1-hour increase in sleep in older children was associated with a decrease in BMI of 1.263 kg/m(2). Higher (more abnormal) pediatric quality-of-life school scores, higher PSQ1 and PSQ2 scores, and higher pediatric daytime sleepiness scale scores were associated with an increased BMI in univariate analyses but not in the multivariate analysis using the behavior group as an independent predictor. Children who shared a bedroom had a lower BMI in univariate analysis but not in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
Longer sleep periods are associated with a decreased BMI, even in children who already meet the criteria for obesity. These children have poor-quality sleep, diurnal behavioral problems, and increased diurnal sleepiness. This study suggests that studies in obese children using questionnaires about sleep habits and quality of life provide useful information that could lead to better weight loss intervention studies.
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