title: Gender, sleep problems, and obesity in Taiwan: a propensity-score-matching approach.
abstract: Obesity has become a major health risk in industrialized countries, with disturbed sleep identified as a correlate. This study used data drawn from Taiwan's 2005 Social Development Trend Survey on Health and Safety and the propensity-score-matching method to shed light on gender-specific associations between sleep problems and obesity among 24,113 adults aged 20-64 years. The average increase in obesity prevalence among respondents with disrupted sleep was 1.85%, as compared to those who did not report disrupted sleep, with similar psycho-social attributes. Similarly, the prevalence of obesity among those who reported restless sleep was increased by an average of 1.40% compared to those who did not report restless sleep with similar psycho-social attributes. We also found gender-specific vulnerability to different types of sleep problems. Among men who reported disrupted sleep, we found a 3.12% increase in the prevalence of obesity. Among women exposed to restless sleep, the increase in obesity prevalence was 1.84%. The observed gender difference in the prevalence of increases in obesity may be attributed to gender-specific behavioral responses to poor sleep. With poor sleep, men may respond to hunger by overeating; women may respond by physical inactivity. Both can contribute to an elevated risk of obesity.
authors: a Institute of Health Policy and Management , National Taiwan University , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors: Duan-Rung
authors: DR
authors: Chen
authors: Ping-Yin
authors: PY
authors: Kuan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D057216:Propensity Score; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: gender; obesity; propensity-score matching; sleep problems