Poor sleep quality predicts obesity

Among middle-aged and older adults, sleeping poorly is related to general and abdominal obesity, short sleep duration to both sarcopaenic and general obesity, and depression to sarcopaenia, as suggested in a study.

The analysis included 304 individuals (mean age, 72.04 years; 83.88 percent female). Mean sleep duration was 6.73 hours, and the hours were short (<6) in 63 participants, normal (6–8) in 208, and long (>8) in 33.

Researchers measured depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. They also assessed body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index (bioelectrical impedance analysis), and handgrip strength. Based on these data, 23.68 percent of the population had sarcopaenia, 38.82 percent had general obesity, 73.68 percent had abdominal obesity, and 5.59 percent had sarcopaenic obesity (SO).

On multivariate logistic regressions, sarcopaenia was associated with depression only (odds ratio [OR], 1.10), whereas general obesity was linked to poorer sleep quality (OR, 1.06) and short sleep duration (OR, 2.63), greater fatigue (OR, 1.03), and low physical activity (PA) levels (OR, 2.25).

Independent predictors of abdominal obesity included poor sleep latency (OR, 1.43), fatigue (OR, 1.03), low PA levels (OR, 2.48), older age (OR, 1.05), and female sex (OR, 3.10). Finally, SO was associated with short sleep duration (OR, 5.25), greater fatigue (OR, 1.04), low PA levels (OR, 4.039), and male sex (OR, 0.21).

The present data highlight the importance of improving sleep duration and quality, as well as addressing depression, in the prevention of sarcopaenia, obesity, and SO.