Sex differences in the relationship between short sleep duration and obesity among koreans

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between short sleep duration and obesity by analysing data from 3,950 participants aged 40-69 years who took part in the 2003-2004 follow-up survey of the Korean Genome and Epidemiologic Study. Based on the subjective experience of morning fatigue, short sleep duration was defined as < 5 h of sleep. Short sleep duration was significantly associated with general obesity, as measured by body mass index (adjusted odds ratios [confidence intervals], 1.246 [1.016-1.529]); these associations became stronger as the severity of general obesity worsened. Analysing data separately by sex, we detected a relationship between short sleep duration and general obesity in females only. Considering the impact of age, the relationship was detected only in females aged 40-59 years old. In females aged 40-59 years, both general obesity (1.518 [1.110-2.075]) and neck obesity (1.425 [1.045-1.945]) were associated with short sleep duration. Our study established a correlation between short sleep duration and general obesity, specifically in females and those aged 40-59 years. This finding highlights the importance of adequate sleep to treat and prevent obesity in this demographic group.