Is reduced sleep associated with weight gain in children?

January 01, 0001

Is reduced sleep associated with weight gain in children?

There has been a growing epidemic of childhood obesity. These New Zealand researchers examined whether a lack of sleep is linked with becoming overweight in young children. They performed a longitudinal study of 244 children followed from age 3 to 7. They used bioelectrical impedance, dual energy x ray absorptiometry, accelerometry, and questionnaires to accumulate a range of data.

The researchers found: "After adjustment for multiple confounders, each additional hour of sleep at ages 3-5 was associated with a reduction in BMI of 0.48 and a reduced risk of being overweight (BMI =85th centile) of 0.39 at age 7. Further adjustment for BMI at age 3 strengthened these relations. These differences in BMI were explained by differences in fat mass index (- 0.43) more than by differences in fat free mass index (-0.21)."

The researchers concluded: "Young children who do not get enough sleep are at increased risk of becoming overweight, even after adjustment for initial weight status and multiple confounding factors. This weight gain is a result of increased fat deposition in both sexes rather than additional accumulation of fat free mass."

Lack of sleep may be linked with becoming overweight and increasing fat deposition in children


For the full abstract, click here.

BMJ 342:d2712, 26 May 2011 © 2011 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
Longitudinal analysis of sleep in relation to BMI and body fat in children: the FLAME study. Philippa J Carter, Barry J Taylor, Sheila M Williams, Rachael W Taylor. Correspondence to R Taylor: [email protected]

Category: T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional. Keywords: sleep, overweight, weight gain, body fat, BMI, longitudinal study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 14 June 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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