Associations of sleep duration with obesity and serum lipid profile in children and adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: The association between sleep duration, obesity, and serum lipid profile in the youth population is under-explored.

Objective: To evaluate the association between sleep duration, obesity and serum lipid profile in the youth population.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional population-based study with students recruited from primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. Anthropometric measurements, fasting lipid profiles and validated questionnaires on sleep duration were performed. A subgroup (n=138) was randomly selected for both questionnaires and actigraphy to assess the agreement between subjective and objective measurements of sleep duration.

Results: We studied 2053 healthy children and adolescents aged 6-20 years. Their mean ages were 13.0±3.3 (boys) and 13.6±3.3 (girls) years. The average sleep duration during schooldays, weekends, and long holidays was 8.0±1.1, 9.6±1.2, and 9.8±1.2h in boys and 7.7±1.1, 9.9±1.2, and 10.1±1.2h in girls, respectively. Using logistic regression, age, and pubertal stage were associated with obesity in secondary school students, whereas male gender and short sleep duration were associated with obesity in primary school children. In secondary school children, those with long sleep duration, as compared to those with short sleep duration, were significantly associated with reduced risk to have high TC and LDL-C levels after adjustment for age, gender, BMI, and pubertal stage. There was no significant association between sleep duration and lipid levels in primary school children.

Conclusion: Reduced sleep duration was associated with obesity and atherogenic dyslipidemia in young school children in Hong Kong.