Sleep duration is associated with body fat and muscle mass and waist‐to‐height ratio beyond conventional obesity parameters in Korean adolescent boys

Abstract

While evidence has supported a strong association between sleep duration and obesity globally, results from studies of children and adolescents have been conflicting, and information about a sex-specific association has been limited. This study aimed to investigate the association of sleep duration with various parameters of obesity among South Korean adolescents. This population-based, cross-sectional study analysed the data obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) 2009 and 2010. Data of 990 adolescents were analysed. Sleep duration was based on a self-reported questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat percentage (BFP) and skeletal muscle index (SMI, appendicular skeletal muscle mass as a percentage of body weight) were assessed as parameters of obesity. Mean sleep duration in boys was associated inversely with BMI, WC, WHtR and BFP and positively with SMI. Proportions of the highest quartile of BMI, WC, WHtR and BFP and the lowest quartile of SMI increased significantly with increased sleep duration only in boys. Also, in boys, decreased sleep duration was associated significantly with the increased risk of the highest quartile of BMI, WC, WHtR and BFP and the lowest quartile of SMI, even after adjusting for confounding factors. However, in girls, there was no significant association between sleep duration and obesity parameters except WC. Periodic assessment of sleep duration in relation to body fat or muscle mass in male adolescents may be considered, especially in those who are at risk for obesity or related disorders.

Sleep in neurological disorders, sleep apnea, sleep duration and body weight

“…There is now a substantial body of literature indicating solid relationships between sleep duration and body weight, indicating that short sleep duration may be coupled to increased body weight, increased body mass index and last, but not least, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Two studies from Korea Nam et al, 2017) support this relationship further by reporting data from adolescent boys and from the general Korean population. Critically, it still needs to be mentioned that sleep duration data were collected only from subjective self-report, actually using one question evaluating sleep duration and then subtyping this into different sleep durations (<5, 6, 7, 8 and >9 h).…”

Association between objectively measured body composition, sleep parameters and physical activity in preschool children: a cross-sectional study

“…Results of the present study support the previous findings obtained in Korean adolescent boys, whose self-reported sleep duration was positively with muscle mass. 10 Among children aged from 3 to 4 years, shorter sleep duration was associated with higher FFM, 11 while the FLAME study of children aged 3-7 years, demonstrated no relationship between sleep duration and FFM. 9 Using a multivariate structural equation modelling, Bailey et al found that a model including sleep efficiency, sleep pattern inconsistency (latent variable consisting of the 7-day SD of bedtime, wake time, and sleep duration), and physical activity was the best for predicting BFP.…”

“…Self-reported sleep duration was inversely associated with BMI, BFP and positively with skeletal muscle index. 10 Similarly, shorter sleep duration was associated with higher BMI and FFM index among children aged from 3 to 4 years. 11 A recent experimental study in young men demonstrated that acute sleep loss contributed to decrease in levels of structural proteins in skeletal muscle and increase in levels of proteins linked to adipogenesis in adipose tissue.…”

Effects of chronotype and sleep duration on life quality and psychopathology in childhood obesity

“…In the literature, it has been emphasised that there is a negative correlation between the duration of sleep and the incidence of obesity, and that the shortening of sleep duration is becoming more common among children and adolescents [35,36]. Also, recent studies have indicated that restricted sleep duration may lead to the development of obesity [37].…”