Abstract
BackgroundSleep and physical activity are modifiable behaviors that play an important role in preventing overweight, obesity, and metabolic health problems. Studies of the association between concurrent objective measures of sleep, physical activity, and metabolic risk factors among adolescents are limited.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the association between metabolic risk factors and objectively measured school day physical activity and sleep duration, quality, onset, and variability in adolescents.Materials and methodsWe measured one school week of free-living sleep and physical activity with wrist actigraphy in 252 adolescents (146 girls), aged 15.8±0.3 years. Metabolic risk factors included body mass index, waist circumference, total body and trunk fat percentage, resting blood pressure, and fasting glucose and insulin levels. Multiple linear regression adjusted for sex, parental education, and day length was used to assess associations between metabolic risk factors and sleep and activity parameters.ResultsOn average, participants went to bed at 00:22±0.88 hours and slept 6.2±0.7 hours/night, with 0.83±0.36 hours of awakenings/night. However, night-to-night variability in sleep duration was considerable (mean ± interquartile range) 0.75±0.55 hours) and bedtime (0.64±0.53 hours) respectively. Neither average sleep duration nor mean bedtime was associated with any metabolic risk factors. However, greater night-to-night variability in sleep duration and bedtime was associated with higher total body and trunk fat percentage, and less physical activity was associated with higher trunk fat percentage and insulin levels.ConclusionGreater nightly variation in sleep duration and in bedtime and less physical activity were associated with a less favorable metabolic profile in adolescents. These findings support the idea that, along with an adequate amount of physical activity, a regular sleep schedule is important for the metabolic health of adolescents.
Highlights
The prevalence of overweight in the world has nearly tripled from 1975–2016, with over 39% of adults and 18% of children and adolescents being overweight or obese [1]
Adolescents with less physical activity and more varied sleep have a less favorable metabolic profile duration and bedtime was associated with higher total body and trunk fat percentage, and less physical activity was associated with higher trunk fat percentage and insulin levels
Greater nightly variation in sleep duration and in bedtime and less physical activity were associated with a less favorable metabolic profile in adolescents. These findings support the idea that, along with an adequate amount of physical activity, a regular sleep schedule is important for the metabolic health of adolescents
Summary
The prevalence of overweight in the world has nearly tripled from 1975–2016, with over 39% of adults and 18% of children and adolescents being overweight or obese [1]. Sleep and physical activity have been identified as important modifiable risk factors implicated in the development of overweight, obesity, and metabolic health problems [5]. Markers of irregular sleep schedules, such as high variability in sleep duration or greater shifts in sleep timing and duration on weekends, have been associated with greater adiposity and abdominal obesity [18, 19] and higher BMI and insulin levels [20] in children and adolescents. Studies suggest that long-term exposure to a disrupted sleep schedule [21] or low physical activity [22] can increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, while higher levels of physical activity in children and adolescents are associated with favorable body mass index, lower adiposity, and better cardio-metabolic health [23, 24]. Studies of the association between concurrent objective measures of sleep, physical activity, and metabolic risk factors among adolescents are limited
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