Association between short sleep duration and overweight/obesity among middle-school students: a cross-sectional study in Fuzhou, China

Abstract

Background: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of short sleep duration and its association with overweight or obesity in adolescents from middle school in Fuzhou, China.Methods: A total of 13,063 students (male: 6,500; female: 6,553) from 18 different schools in Fuzhou city were included in this study. Questionnaires focusing on short sleep duration and overweight or obesity related factors were collected. The sleep duration was self-reported by the subjects. The body weight and height were measured by the qualified personnel. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of short sleep duration on overweight or obesity in school students.Results: The overall rates of overweight and obesity were 12.1% and 7.1%, respectively. The prevalence of short sleep duration among students was 82.8%. The majority of high school students (92.5%) showed a short sleep duration. Compared with male children with a sleep duration of 8-10 h per day, the odds ratios (ORs) of overweight/obesity for those with a sleep duration of less than 6 h or 6-8 h per day were 1.60 (1.22-2.09) and 1.07 (0.90-1.29) after adjusting social and demographic status, mental health and lifestyle factors. The homologous ORs of female children were 1.45 (1.04-2.04) and 1.11(0.85-1.45), respectively.Conclusions: A large number of adolescents suffered from short sleep duration. Short sleep duration is associated with a higher OR of overweight/obesity in middle-school children, especially in the male adolescences.