Association of Daytime Napping with chronic diseases among Tibetan people in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, as three of the most prevalent chronic diseases, remain a daunting health challenge. However, to our knowledge, no study has made a thorough examination of the association between the three chronic diseases and daytime napping, a widely accepted behavior in many countries. This is especially necessary among Tibetan populations, whose lifestyles and health outcomes may be unique, yet patterns of chronic diseases and napping are under-examined. Thus, we sought to explore the aforementioned association in the Tibetan population of China. METHODS: A total of 2902 participants aged 45–79 in 2019 were included. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted in 2020. The sex disparity was examined through interaction and stratified analyses. RESULTS: Hypertension (40.7%) was more prevalent than obesity (20.2%) and diabetes (21.6%). Comparing to non-nappers, those who napped were more likely to have any conditions (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.04–1.62 for 1–59 min/day group and OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.10–1.80 for ≥60 min/day group). Participants who had 1–59 min/day of napping were more likely to develop obesity (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.07–1.75), and ≥ 60 min/day of napping was associated with diabetes (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01–1.74). The interactions between napping and sex were not statistically significant in the models. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed napping was unfavorably associated with obesity, diabetes, and any conditions in Tibetan people living on the Tibetan Plateau. Future interventions regarding the three chronic diseases may pay more attention to napping. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11871-w.