Objective: This study prospectively examined change in waist circumference (WC) as a function of daily social rhythms and sleep in the aftermath of involuntary job loss. It was hypothesized that disrupted social rhythms and fragmented/short sleep after job loss would independently predict gains in WC over 18 months and that resiliency to WC gain would be conferred by the converse.
Methods: Eligible participants (n = 191) completed six visits that included standardized measurements of WC. At the baseline visit, participants completed the social rhythm metric and daily sleep diary and wore an actigraph on their nondominant wrist each day for a period of 2 weeks.
Results: When controlling for obesity and other covariates, WC trajectories decreased for individuals with more consistent social rhythms, more activities in their sdiocial rhythms, and higher sleep quality after job loss. WC trajectories did not change for individuals with lower scores on these indicators.
Conclusions: The frequency and consistency of social rhythms after job loss play a key role in WC loss. These findings support the implementation of social rhythm interventions after job loss, a potentially sensitive time for the establishment of new daily routines that have an impact on metabolic health.
© 2022 The Obesity Society.