Is Weight Status Related to Sleep Duration in Middle Aged Women?

Purpose: Both obesity and short sleep duration are epidemics in the United States but the relationship between these has yet to be studied exclusively in females age 45-64. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between weight status and sleep duration in middle aged women. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis that used data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for middle-aged females (45-64 years old) from Alabama (N=1,235), Arkansas (N=947), Louisiana (N=1,045), and Mississippi (N=942). Ordered logistic regression was conducted separately by state to assess the relationship between weight status and sleep duration while controlling for health conditions, tobacco use, alcohol use, education level, employment status, income level, ethnicity, and age. Results: A quarter of the participants reported having short or long sleep duration (24-27%), and almost half reported having an obese weight status (44-48%) and two or more health conditions (40-45%). There was no significant relationship between weight status and sleep duration in middle aged females’, however, sleep duration was related to health conditions in three of four states. Conclusion: There was no relation between weight status and sleep duration among middle aged females across states. However, short sleep was related to two or more health conditions in three of four states. Results of the study may be generalized to middle aged women in a primary care setting. Because of the relationship we found, this target population should be screened for short sleep duration and number of health conditions, if they present with symptoms of either. Education about healthy BMI and sleep duration should be provided to all middle aged women due to their significant comorbidities. Referral to sleep therapy for those who report short sleep duration could prove beneficial.