Abstract
Obesity and its comorbidities have emerged as a leading public health concern. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and sleep patterns, including duration and disturbances. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey and anthropometric measurements were conducted with undergraduate university students that were randomly recruited in 26 universities in 24 low- and middle-income and two high-income countries. The sample included 18,211 (42.1% male and 57.9% female, mean age 21.0 in male and 20.7 years in female students) undergraduate university students. The overall BMI was a mean of 22.5 kg/m2 for men and 22.0 kg/m2 for women, and the mean WC was 78.4 cm for men and 73.8 cm for women. More than 39% of the students reported short sleep duration (≤6 h/day) and over 30% reported moderate to extreme sleep problems. In a linear multivariable regression, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, short sleep duration was positively associated with BMI in both men and women, and was positively associated with WC among women but not among men. Sleep quality or problems among men were not associated with BMI, while among women mild sleep problems were inversely associated with BMI, and poor sleep quality or problems were positively associated with WC both among men and women. The study confirmed an association between short sleep duration and increased BMI and, among women, increased WC, and an association between poor sleep quality and increased WC but not BMI. Further, differences in the association between sleep characteristics and BMI and WC were found by region and country income.
Highlights
The adult (≥18 years) prevalence of overweight and obesity (Body Mass Index = body mass index (BMI)≥ 25 kg/m2 ) was 39% and 13%, respectively, in 2014 [1]
Sleep quality or problems among men were not associated with BMI, while among women mild sleep problems were inversely associated with BMI, and poor sleep quality or problems were positively associated with waist circumference (WC) both among men and women
Differences in the association between sleep characteristics and BMI and WC were found by region and country income
Summary
The adult (≥18 years) prevalence of overweight and obesity ≥ 25 kg/m2 ) was 39% and 13%, respectively, in 2014 [1]. In predominantly low- and middle-income regions, the following prevalence of overweight and obesity was found: In the Central Latin American and Caribbean region, the adult (≥20 years) prevalence of overweight and obesity was 47.5% among men and 57.8% among women; in the sub-Saharan Africa region 2 it was 6.6% among men and 36.9%. Among women; in the South Asia and Southeast Asian region it was 21.2% among men and 25.4%. Among women; and in Central Asia, North Africa and Middle East and Eastern Europe it was 55.4%. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 566; doi:10.3390/ijerph14060566 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.