Analysis of the Relationship between Sleep Duration and Body Mass Index among Korean Adolescents Using Data from the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND: Obesity in adolescence can continue up to adulthood and lead to various complications. There has been a continuous increase in the obesity incidence among adolescents, which is an emerging social issue. Studies have reported that decreased sleep duration in adolescents can have negative effects on health, leading to obesity. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and body mass index among South Korean middle and high school students aged 12–18 years. METHODS: The participants of the Sixth National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted during 2013–2015 were screened. We selected 1,177 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years who were enrolled in middle and high school or on leave of absence and had available data for sleep duration and body mass index (BMI) in the survey. Analyses of variance and covariance were performed after adjusting for confounding variables, including age, gender, waist circumference, and drinking experience, that showed significant correlations in univariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The analysis of covariance revealed that an increase in sleep duration led to a corresponding decrease in the mean BMI among all students and middle school students. CONCLUSION: Significant negative correlations were confirmed between sleep duration and BMI in all students and middle school students.