title: The relationship between sleep duration and obesity in Turkish children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in Turkish children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in Turkey with 5358 children aged 6 to 17 years. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skinfold thickness were measured. Body mass index (BMI), arm fat area were calculated. Self-reported sleep duration by parents were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As sleep duration increased, BMI, which was significantly higher in girls sleeping < or =8 h, decreased (p < 0.05). WC, MUAC, BMI were significantly higher in boys sleeping < or =8 h versus males sleeping > or =10 h. Boys sleeping < or =10 h in 6.0-17.0-years had significantly higher risk of overweight/obesity. In 6.0 to 17.0 years, the risk of overweight/obesity in boys sleeping 9-10 h, 8-9 h and < or =8 h were 1.86-, 1.74- and 2.06-times higher respectively, versus children sleeping > or =10 h (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep duration may be an important factor for obesity and providing > or =10 h of sleep is recommended as a prevention strategy for obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. ahmets67@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Mm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazicioglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poyrazoglu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cicek
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gunay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurtoglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology