Short Sleep Duration Was Associated with Increased Regional Body Fat in US Adults: The NHANES from 2011 to 2018

Abstract

Background: The relationship between sleep duration and different regional fat is unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between sleep duration and different regional fat mass (FM) among a population of US adults. Methods: 9413 participants were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), from 2011 to 2018. The sleep duration was divided into short sleep (<7 h/day), normal sleep (7−9 h/day) and long sleep (>9 h/day). Different regional FM was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, including trunk FM, arms FM and legs FM. Fat mass index (FMI) was obtained by dividing FM (kg) by the square of body height (m2). Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between sleep duration and regional FMI. Results: The mean sleep duration was 7.1 ± 1.5 h/day. After adjusting for socio-demographic, lifestyle information, comorbid diseases and medications, short sleepers had higher trunk FMI (β = 0.134, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.051−0.216, p = 0.001), arms FMI (β = 0.038, 95% CI: 0.016−0.06, p < 0.001) and legs FMI (β = 0.101, 95% CI: 0.044−0.158, p < 0.001) compared to normal sleepers, whereas no significant difference was found in long sleepers. The similar results were also observed in men, while short sleepers only had higher arms FM in women (all p < 0.01). In addition, compared to normal sleepers, short sleepers had higher arms FMI and legs FMI in the obese group (all p < 0.05), while no relationship was observed in non-obese group. Conclusions: Short sleep duration, but not long sleep duration, was independently related to the increased different regional body fat in US adults, especially in men and those with obesity.

Keywords: NHANES; body fat; sleep duration.

Figure 1

Flowchart of participants inclusion from NHANES 2011–2018.

Figure 2

Multivariable linear regression of sleep duration groups with different regional fat mass. Adjusted confounders include age, race, sex (only in total), education level, marital status, physical activity, sedentary activity, work, diabetes, diabetes treatment, use of stain, smoke, alcohol, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. Compared to the normal sleep group, the short sleep group was more likely to have increased different regional FMI in total and in men, while short sleepers only have higher total FMI and arms FMI in women. No significant difference was found in long sleepers. * (Higher than normal sleep duration groups) represents p < 0.05. FMI: fat mass index.