Korean J Geriatr Gerontol.  2014 Jun;15(1):27-34. 10.15656/kjcg.2014.15.1.27.

The Association between Sleep Duration and Body Composition Variables in Korean Adults

• Kim EY
• Choi YS
• Kim SM
• Choi SY
• Kim EH
• Kim JE
• Kim EY
• Jeong JH
• Jin R
• Jung SA

• KMID: 2566524
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15656/kjcg.2014.15.1.27

Abstract

Background
Despite the large number of epidemiological studies linking obesity and short sleep duration, there is paucity of data carefully examining the relationship between body composition and sleep duration. So, through national undertaking Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES), we examined the relationship between sleep duration and BMI, waist circumference, and percent body fat in Korean adults.
Methods
From the data of KNHANES in the year of 2008∼2010, over 19 years old 4337 men and 5543 women, relationship between sleep duration and indices of body composition was examined. Anthropometric and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measures of body composition were used. Sleep duration was measured using information obtained from self-reported questionnaires.
Results
The study results revealed a negative association between sleep duration and most of body composition variables -body mass index, waist circumference, truncal fat percentage, muscle mass - and positive association with truncal lean mass percentage. In men, increasing sleep duration 1 hour, prevalence of obesity (BMI≥25 kg/m² ) is decreasing (OR=0.89, CI:0.837-0.939), risk of waist circumference over 90 cm is decreasing (OR=0.90, CI:0.851-0.966), truncal fat percentage (OR=0.93, CI:0.869-0.992) and muscle mass (OR=0.89, CI: 0.835-0.949) are also decreasing.
Conclusion
Our results are consistent with previous findings that sleep duration is associated with obesity. However, the relationship between sleep duration and body composition may be stronger in men than in women. Short sleep duration was associated with increased truncal fat. And it supports that short sleep duration may increase prevalence of central obesity in Korean men.

Keyword

Sleep duration; Body composition; BMI; Waist circumference