The Relationship Between Sleep Quality, Sleep Duration, Social Jet Lag and Obesity in Adolescents

The frequency of obesity and poor sleep quality among adolescents is increasing and causes many chronic problems. The objective was to investigate the correlation between body mass index (BMI), sleep quality, sleep duration and social jet lag (SJL) among adolescents.

This study was cross-sectional. A cohort of 416 adolescents, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years participated in the study. Adolescents were divided into three groups according to BMI standard deviation score (SDS): adolescents with normal weight, adolescents with overweight and adolescents with obesity. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was used to determine the sleep quality of the adolescents. The calculation of SJL and sleep-corrected SJL was performed.

The mean age of the adolescents was 15.0±2.9 years. There were 222 males (53.4%). SJL and PSQI scores were significantly higher in the adolescents with obesity compared to the adolescents with normal weight and overweight (p<0.001). An analysis of the relationship between the PSQI and BMI SDS revealed a significant positive correlation (r=0.667; p<0.001).

Adolescents with obesity have poorer sleep quality and a longer duration of SJL compared to adolescents with normal-weight. Moreover, increased SJL was linked to an increase in BMI. Maintaining good sleep quality and reducing SJL may help reduce the risk of obesity.