Association between Sleep Quality and Body Weight Status in Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

@#Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is a new emerging situation that has dramatically impacted sleep quality and body weight status. This study aimed to determine the association between sleep quality and body weight status in Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online cross-sectional study involved 427 Malaysian adults aged 18 to 59. The convenience sampling method was used. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Self-administered socio-demographic, height, and weight for BMI were obtained. Pearson correlation test was conducted to measure the association between sleep quality and body weight status using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows version 22.0. Results: A total of 78.5% of them were females, and 84.8% of Malaysian adults reported poor sleep quality. The participants’ mean global PSQI score and body mass index were 8.1 (±2.7) and 24.6 (±6.1) kg/m2, respectively. 8.0% were underweight, followed by 55.5% of normal BMI, 17.5% overweight, and 19.0% obese. The study showed a significant and positive correlation between global PSQI score and body mass index (r=0.137, p=0.005). Conclusion: Sleep quality is significantly associated with body weight status. Adults with poorer sleep quality should be targeted when promoting healthy body weight. Future research on the interventions to improve adults’ sleep quality is essential, particularly during the pandemic.

A Review of the Assessment of Sleep, Body Weight Status and Their Relationship in Adults

@#A lack of sleep is a modifiable risk factor for poor health, such as the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. This article summarises significant studies that explore the assessment of body weight status and sleep quality and their association. A literature search was conducted in the electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE Complete at EBSCOhost and Scopus. The findings on the association between sleep quality and body weight status were inconsistent. Both short and long sleep duration were associated with obesity status. Overall, a positive relationship between sleep and obesity in adults was observed. Further research on sleep quality and its association with body weight status among adults is needed. Better health is associated with a longer and sufficient duration of sleep. Therefore, it is of great significance to enhance the public’s awareness of their sleep quality on body weight status.