Short Sleep Duration in the First Years of Life and Obesity/Overweight at Age 4 Years: A Birth Cohort Study.
Halal, Camila S.E. MD, MSc; Matijasevich, Alicia MD, PhD; Howe, Laura D. PhD; Santos, Ina S. MD, PhD; Barros, Fernando C. MD, PhD; Nunes, Magda L. MD, PhD
[Article]
Journal of Pediatrics.
168:99-103e3, January 2016.
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Objective: To investigate whether short sleep duration from the first year of life influenced weight at an early age.
Study design: During 2004, children born in Pelotas, Brazil, were enrolled in a cohort study. Sleeping habits during the previous 2 weeks were assessed, and the children were weighed and measured at 1-, 2-, and 4-year follow-ups. Overweight and obesity at 4 years were defined according to World Health Organization z-scores for body mass index for age. Short sleep duration was defined as fewer than 10 hours of sleep per night at any follow-up.
Results: Out of the 4263 live births, 4231 were recruited. The prevalence of short sleep duration at any follow-up from 1-4 years of age was 10.1%. At 4 years of age, 201 children were obese (5.3%), and 302 (8%) were overweight. Among short sleepers, the prevalence ratio for overweight/obesity after adjusting for maternal and children's characteristics was 1.32 (1.03; 1.70).
Conclusions: Children who slept for fewer than 10 hours per night at any follow-up from 1-4 years of age were more likely to be overweight or obese at 4 years of age, despite their sociodemographic and sleep characteristics.
(C) 2016Elsevier, Inc.