Background: Short sleep duration is associated with obesity and weight gain among children and young adults. However, there are few studies on the elderly, with conflicting results.
Objective: We examined the association of habitual sleep duration with obesity and weight change among the population aged > or =60 y in Spain.
Design: This prospective study was conducted from 2001 to 2003 on 3576 persons whose habitual sleep duration was self-reported in 2001. The outcomes were obesity [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) > or =30], severe obesity (BMI > or =35), and abdominal obesity (waist circumference >102 cm in men and >88 cm in women) in 2001 and weight gain > or =5 kg in the period 2001-2003.
Results: Compared with subjects who slept 7 h, subjects who slept < or =5 h had a greater frequency of obesity [odds ratio (OR): 1.33; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.77] and severe obesity (OR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.31, 3.32). In addition, sleeping 8 h was associated with obesity (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.75) and severe obesity (OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.21, 2.73). Similarly, subjects sleeping 9 h were more likely to have severe obesity (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.47). Among women, weight gain > or =5 kg was more frequent among subjects sleeping < or =5 h (OR: 3.41; 95% CI: 1.34, 8.69), 8 h (OR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.29, 7.12), and 9 h (OR: 3.77; 95% CI: 1.55, 9.17). No association was observed between sleep duration and abdominal obesity.
Conclusions: Among older adults, sleeping < or =5 h and sleeping 8 or 9 h was associated with obesity and with short-term weight gain in women.