Sleep Duration and Quality Associated With Obesity Among Arab Children |
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| Authors: | Nahla M Bawazeer Nasser M Al‐Daghri George Valsamakis Khalid A Al‐Rubeaan Shaun Louie B Sabico Terry T‐K Huang George P Mastorakos Sudhesh Kumar |
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| Institution: | 1. Medical Science, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK;2. Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;3. University Diabetes Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;4. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA;5. Endocrine Unit, Aretaieion University Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece;6. Clinical Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK |
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| Abstract: | The link between sleep duration and obesity has been well established in adults, but several epidemiological studies revealed inconsistent findings in adolescents and younger children. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep length and obesity in Saudi students. A total of 5,877 Saudi students, boys (55.2%) and girls (44.8%), aged between 10 and 19 years were randomly selected from elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools in different regions of Riyadh. A questionnaire on sleep behaviors was given. Anthropometry included BMI and waist and hip circumferences. Sleeping ≤7 h significantly increased the risk of obesity in both boys and girls (all age categories) (odds ratio = 1.25–1.38, 95% confidence intervals = 1.02–1.89). Overall prevalence of overweight and obese were higher among those sleeping intermittently (18.68%) than those sleeping continuously (14.5%) (P = 0.024). Short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are significantly associated with obesity among Arab youth. Further studies need to employ more objective measures of sleep, such as actigraphy, and examine the mechanism of these associations. |
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