Associations between sleep duration and indicators of cardio-metabolic disease in Canadian children and adolescents.

Rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Canadian children and adolescents have increased rapidly in recent years, so research exploring modifiable risk factors is critical. Partial sleep loss has been linked with deteriorations in indicators of cardio-metabolic health. The objectives of this study were 1) to examine associations among short sleep duration and indicators of cardio-metabolic disease in Canadian children and adolescents, and 2) to identify determinants of short sleep duration. Using the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measure Survey dataset as a data source, logistics regression models were developed to examine associations among sleep duration and indicators of cardio-metabolic disease and to identify predictors of short sleep duration. Short sleep duration was linked with greater odds of overweight/obesity in boys and adolescents only. Age was a strong predictor of inadequate sleep duration. Interventions designed to address sleep loss should focus on adolescents. --Leaf ii.