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Sleep habits and weight status in Brazilian children aged 4-6 years of age: the PREDI study

Lidiane Ferreira Schultz1, Silmara Salete de Barros Silva Mastroeni2, Renatha El Rafihi-Ferreira3

  • 1Postgraduate Program in Health and Environment, University of Joinville Region, Rua Paulo Malschitzki, nº 10, Joinville, SC, CEP 89.219-710, Brazil.

Sleep Medicine
|September 11, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Poor sleep rhythmicity is linked to excess body weight in young girls. Addressing sleep quality, particularly rhythmicity, is crucial for public health strategies targeting childhood obesity prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Sleep habits are increasingly recognized as a potential factor influencing weight status in children.
  • Understanding the specific sleep behaviors associated with excess weight is vital for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific sleep habits and weight status in children aged 4-6 years.
  • To explore potential sex-based differences in the relationship between sleep and excess body weight.
  • To identify sleep quality indicators that may serve as risk factors for childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the PREDI Study, a Brazilian birth cohort.
  • Collected anthropometric measurements and sleep habit data (bedtime routine, rhythmicity, separation affect) via caregiver-reported inventories.
  • Employed logistic regression and gamma-log regression analyses, stratified by sex, to examine associations.

Main Results:

  • A significant association was found between higher sleep rhythmicity scores and excess body weight in children.
  • Rhythmicity was independently associated with excess body weight in girls aged 4-6 years (OR 1.42-1.32).
  • "Separation affect" during sleep showed an inverse association with BMI in boys (β -0.005).

Conclusions:

  • Sleep rhythmicity problems are linked to increased odds of excess body weight in girls aged 4-6 years.
  • Sleep quality, especially rhythmicity, should be considered a potential risk factor in strategies to prevent childhood excess weight.
  • These findings underscore the importance of addressing sleep in public health initiatives for pediatric obesity prevention.
Abstract

Keywords:
Bedtime routineChildrenRhythmicitySeparation affectSleep habits

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