Report on Childhood Obesity in China (10): Association of Sleep Duration with Obesity

Abstract Objective To explore the association of sleep duration with obesity among children in urban areas of China. Methods A total of 6 576 children (3 293 boys and 3 283 girls) aged 7–11 years were randomly selected from 36 primary schools in 6 metropolitan cities in China. A 7-day Physical Activity Recall was used to assess the sleep duration and physical activity level. The height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and percentage of body fat (%BF, as determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis technique) were measured by following the standardized operation procedures. The information on demography, lifestyle and eating habits was collected with a self-administered questionnaire from participants and their parents. Results The average sleep duration per night in the children was 9.7 h with the decreasing trends along with the increase of age ( P P Conclusions Short sleep duration is associated with obesity. It is important to ensure adequate sleep duration of children and foster their healthy lifestyle at an early stage of life.