Association of sleep duration with obesity in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Research on sleep duration and obesity is extensive in children and young individuals but limited and inconsistent for older adults. Our study aims to clarify the current status of this association in the elderly population.

We searched six English and four Chinese databases up to January 25, 2024, for observational studies on sleep duration and obesity in older adults. Two researchers independently conducted the literature search and data extraction. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for cross-sectional studies. Meta-analyses were performed using Stata 15.0 software, using both random-effects and fixed-effects models to calculate pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

The meta-analysis of 15 studies found a correlation between short sleep duration and obesity in older individuals (pooled odds ratio, 1.40 [95% CI: 1.12-1.73]; P = 0.003). However, no significant correlation was found between long sleep duration and obesity among the elderly (pooled odds ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.95-1.13]; P = 0.426).

Short sleep duration in the elderly was associated with obesity. More prospective studies need to be included in the future to improve the reliability of the conclusions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1269-1282.