The relationships between sleep and adiposity amongst multi-ethnic Asian populations: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS) study
Authors' conclusion
Sleep duration, sleep quality, and snoring are associated with adiposity in a multi-ethnic Asian population of Chinese, Malays, and Indians. Our findings suggest that a substantial portion of obesity in Asian populations could be averted through public health interventions aimed at improving sleep duration and quality.
Study context
- Population
- Chinese, Malay and Indian Asian men and women living in Singapore (HELIOS study); 69.3% Chinese, 12.5% Malays, 18.2% Indians; mean age 51.7 ± 11.8 years
- Participants
- 8,876 participants
- Exposure
- Sleep duration, sleep quality, dozing, daytime napping, snoring, insomnia and adiposity
- Outcome
- Sleep traits and adiposity (BMI, waist circumference)
Methodological detailspopulation-based cohort, multi-ethnic, multivariable regression, sub-group and sensitivity analyses
- Population-based cohort
- Multi-ethnic
- Multivariable regression
- Sub-group and sensitivity analyses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Short sleep duration, poor sleep quality and snoring associated with higher BMI and waist circumference, independent of age, sex, ethnicity and confounders
- P < 0.005
- Population attributable fraction of obesity for short sleep
- 6.6% (95% CI: 2.5-10.6%)
- Population attributable fraction of obesity for snoring
- 18.6% (95% CI: 17.0-20.2%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Sleep by ethnicity
- Malays had the shortest sleep duration, while Chinese had the best sleep quality
Original publication
The relationships between sleep and adiposity amongst multi-ethnic Asian populations: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS) study. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 19 November 2024. doi:10.
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