Changes in sleep duration and sleep difficulties from adolescence to young adulthood and the risk of obesity: Bidirectional evidence in the and LISA studies

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of changes in sleep behaviors from adolescence to young adulthood with the risk of overweight/obesity, and the reverse relationship. Methods: Data of 1978 participants was obtained from the 15-and 20-year follow-ups of the GINIplus and LISA birth cohorts. Insufficient sleep was defined as reported sleep duration <8 h for adolescents, <7 h for adults, and sleep difficulties as reported having sleeping difficulties. Logistic regression models were used to assess bidirectional associations of changes in insufficient sleep and sleep difficulties with overweight/obesity. The polygenic risk scores (PRS) for body mass index (BMI) was tested in a sub -sample (n = 918).Results: Compared with sufficient sleep in both adolescence and young adulthood, insufficient sleep only in young adulthood was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity (odds ratio = 1.85, 95% confidence interval = [1.27-2.69]). Compared with no sleep difficulties at both time-points, only persistent sleep difficulties was associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity (2.15 [1.22-3.77]). The PRS for BMI was associated with overweight/obesity (1.41 [1.17-1.70]), but no significant gene-sleep interaction effect was observed. Reversely, only persistent overweight/obesity was associated with increased risks of insufficient sleep (1.81 [1.21-2.70]), and sleep difficulties (1.77 [1.18-2.66]), respectively.Conclusions: Insufficient sleep only presented a cross-sectional association with overweight/obesity in young adulthood, while long-term sleep difficulties from adolescence to young adulthood was associated with young adult overweight/obesity. Reversely, long-term overweight/obesity from adolescence to young adulthood was associated with insufficient sleep and sleep difficulties in young adulthood. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess the association of changes in sleep behaviors from adolescence to young adulthood with the risk of overweight/obesity, and the reverse relationship. The results showed that only insufficient sleep during young adulthood was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity, while long-term sleep difficulties from adolescence to young adulthood were associated with young adult overweight/obesity. Conversely, long-term overweight/obesity from adolescence to young adulthood was associated with insufficient sleep and sleep difficulties in young adulthood.