Abstract
The underlying factors which contribute to being overweight and/or obese are not fully understood. The pur- pose of this study was to assess the relationship between sleep patterns and body mass index (BMI) in American college students. The sample population (n=150, age=21.4±2.2 yr) at Southeast Missouri State University com- pleted a validated questionnaire. For the sample, 59.3% slept seven or more hours; 29.3% slept seven hours; and 40.7% slept less than seven hours. Twenty percent had a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score of less than five, while 80% had a global PSQI score of five or higher. Overall, as PSQI increased, sleep quantity decreased (p<0.001) and BMI increased (p=0.024). Moreover, as sleep quantity increased, eating out decreased (p=0.035) and days of eating breakfast increased (p=0.006). These findings suggest that both sleep quality and quantity are important factors in the contribution to lifestyle behaviors that may increase BMI overtime.
Highlights
Several factors contribute to being overweight and/or obese, and sleep problems may be one of the more significant
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between sleep patterns and body mass index (BMI) in American college students
Much of the research previously conducted on sleep and obesity has found a significant negative relationship between BMI and quantity/quality of sleep in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly [3,15, 23)
Summary
Several factors contribute to being overweight and/or obese, and sleep problems may be one of the more significant. According to the Sleep Health Index (SHI), Americans, aged 18 years and older, have reported sleeping an average of seven hours and 36 minutes per night [7]. While Americans are obtaining the NSF recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night, it is viewed as the low end of the range. The SHI indicated that 35% of Americans reported sleep quality as “poor” or “only fair,” and 20% felt they did not wake up feeling refreshed during the prior seven days [7]. Individuals experiencing poor sleep quality include college-aged young adults. The NSF reported young adults, aged 18 to 29 years old, stay up later, and sleep longer, than older adults [7]
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