The relationship between sleep duration and obesity in Turkish children and adolescents.
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.
Ozturk
A
A
Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. ahmets67@hotmail.com
Mazicioglu
Mm
M
Poyrazoglu
S
S
Cicek
B
B
Gunay
O
O
Kurtoglu
S
S
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