The association between sleeping behavior, obesity, psychological depression, and eating habits among adolescents in the emirate of Abu Dhabi–United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Objective The study aimed to investigate the association between sleeping behavior (specifically sleep duration), body mass index (BMI), eating habits, and psychological mood depression among adolescents in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi- UAE. Methods and materials A subsample of three hundred and ninety-five participants (209 females and 186 males) from middle and high schools (aged 12–18 years) in the emirate of Abu Dhabi completed the surveys in the presence of their parents and two research assistants. Measures of daytime sleepiness and other sleep parameters (sleep duration on weekdays and weekends), eating habits, and mood depression questionnaires were reported. Results Differences in BMI between males and females were statistically significant (26.12 ± 4.5 vs. 24.4 ± 4.3; p < 0.01). There was a negative linear association (p < 0.01) between the students’ BMI and the weekday/ weekend sleep duration. The average weekday and weekend sleep duration ranged from 5.7 hours (weekdays) to 9.3 hours(weekend). The study showed that an increase in BMI was correlated to mood depression (r = 0.396, p<0.01). In terms of eating habits, there was a significant association between eating unhealthy food and sleep duration; 72.6% of students who slept less than 6 hours reported unhealthy eating habits (p <0.05). Conclusion The study showed a clear association between short sleep duration and obesity among adolescents in the UAE. This relationship between sleep duration and obesity is less studied and less understandable. Future research about exploring how sleeping behaviors can affect obesity during adolescence can support understanding this association and create an effective intervention.