ESPE Abstracts

Background: Epidemiologic studies have documented that sleep duration is associated with obesity risk children’s.

Objectives: To investigate sleep duration of 4-year-old children (h/day) and to evaluate the association of sleep patterns with weight status at 4 years.

Methods: 393 children from the INMA birth cohort of Asturias (Spain). We analysed sleep duration (h/day) during the night and afternoon nap, reported by their parents, and BMI was calculated. Children were categorized as normal weight, overweight (OW) or obese (OB) according to the IOTF. Definition of ‘short sleep’ for children is usually <10 h.

Results: 89–393 children were overweight or obese at 4 years. Total sleep duration (night and afternoon nap) were 10.43 h/day (1.04 S.D.) and according BMI were normal weight 10.4 (1.04), OW 10.51 (1.07), and OB 10.55 (1.06). There are not association between BMI at 4 years and sleep duration during the night or including afternoon nap. The risk of OW or OB according sleep duration is (OR raw 1.16, 95% CI 0.92–1.46; not statistical significance). After adjusting by gender, social maternal class, educative maternal level, physical activity, frequency of fruit and vegetable intake adjusted by calories and total calories intake, there is not statistical significance neither (OR adjusted 1.12; 95% CI 0.89–1.40).

Conclusions: Our children slept a mean of 10.43 h/day. No association between sleep duration and weight status in 4-year-old children were found. Children included in other studies were older and slept fewer hours.