Association between Sleep Quality and Body Composition in Sedentary Middle-Aged Adults

Background: Ageing is associated with sleep pattern changes and body composition changes, which are related to several diseases. Purpose: This study aimed to analyse the association between sleep quality and an extensive set of body composition parameters (waist-hip ratio, body mass index, bone mineral content, bone mineral density, lean mass, lean mass index, fat mass, fat mass percentage, fat mass index, visceral adipose tissue) and sleep quality in sedentary middle-aged adults. We also aimed to evaluate whether the possible associations accord between subjective and objective measurements of sleep quality. Methods: 74 (39 women) middle-aged sedentary adults (40⁻65 years old) participated in the present study. The sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scale and accelerometers. A PSQI global score more than 5 indicates poor sleep quality. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured, and body mass index and waist-hip ratio were also calculated. Body composition was assessed with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. Results: The PSQI global score was negatively associated with bone mineral content, bone mineral density, lean mass, lean mass index and positively associated with fat mass percentage. No association was found between accelerometer parameters and body composition variables. Conclusion: We showed that a subjective poor sleep quality was negatively associated with bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), lean mass and lean mass index (LMI) whereas was positively associated with fat mass percentage in middle-aged adults. We also observed that these associations did not accord with objective sleep quality measurements.