Up to 72% More Likely: New Study Links Insufficient Sleep to Teenage Obesity



Teenagers who sleep for fewer than eight hours each night are more likely to be overweight or obese.

Teenagers who sleep for fewer than eight hours each night are more likely to be overweight or obese than their classmates who obtain the recommended amount of sleep, according to a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2022. A combination of other harmful traits, such as excessive belly obesity, high blood pressure, and abnormal blood lipid and glucose levels, were also more prevalent in shorter sleepers.

According to the study's author, Mr. Jess Martnez Gómez, a researcher in training at the Cardiovascular Health and Imaging Laboratory of the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), Madrid, Spain, "our study shows that most teenagers do not get enough sleep and that this is connected with excess weight and characteristics that promote weight gain, potentially setting them up for future problems." We are currently looking at whether excessive screen time is connected to bad sleep habits, which could explain why older teenagers sleep even less than younger ones.

In this study, 1,229 Spanish teens taking part in the SI! Program for Secondary Schools experiment had their sleep patterns and health examined. Participants' average age at baseline was 12 years, and there were an equal number of boys and females.

Each participant's sleep over the course of a seven-day period was monitored three times by a wearable activity tracker at ages 12, 14, and 16. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises children aged 6 to 12 to get between 9 and 12 hours of sleep each night, while those aged 13 to 18 should get between 8 and 10 hours. The researchers found that 8 hours or more were optimum, simplifying the process. Extremely short sleepers (less than 7 hours), short sleepers (seven to eight hours), and ideal sleepers were the three groups of participants (8 hours or more).

Overweight and obesity were determined using the body mass index. The waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels were used to calculate a continuous metabolic syndrome score that ranged from negative (healthier) to positive (unhealthier) values.

At age 12, only 34% of people reported getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night. By the time they were 14 and 16, this number dropped to 23% and 19%, respectively. Girls slept more than boys did. The most sleepy teenagers experienced higher-quality sleep, which meant fewer nighttime awakenings and more time in bed asleep than the least sleepy teenagers. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 27%, 24%, and 21%, respectively, at ages 12, 14, and 16.

After controlling for parental education, parental migrant status, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, smoking status, caloric intake, city (Madrid or Barcelona), and school, associations between sleep duration, overweight/obesity, and metabolic syndrome score were examined.

At ages 12 and 14, respectively, overweight/obesity was 21% and 72% more likely in extremely short sleepers compared to optimum sleepers. At 12 and 14 years old, short sleepers had a 19% and 29% higher likelihood of being overweight or obese than optimum sleepers, respectively. In a similar vein, when compared to people who sleep well, both very short and short sleepers had higher average metabolic syndrome scores at 12 and 14 years old.

"The links between insufficient sleep and poor health were independent of caloric consumption and levels of physical activity, demonstrating that sleep itself is crucial," stated Mr. Martnez Gómez. Since obesity and metabolic syndrome are eventually linked to cardiovascular illnesses, sleep hygiene should be taught as part of health promotion initiatives in educational settings. By having a regular bedtime and minimizing screen usage in the evening, parents can serve as positive role models for their children. Additionally, public policies are required to address this issue of global health.

The Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII)-Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria, the Fundació la Marató de TV3, "la Caixa," the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the SHE Foundation all provided funding for the SI! Program for Secondary School trial. The study's primary author, Jess Martnez-Gómez, is a postgraduate fellow at the Residencia de Estudiantes in Spain's Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (2020–ongoing). The group leader of the Cardiovascular Health and Imaging lab, Rodrigo Fernández-Jiménez, has received funding from both the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund. The CNIC is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence and is financed by the ISCIII, the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN), and the Pro CNIC Foundation.

By EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOLOGY 

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