The DOI matches its Crossref record; 39 of the 39 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Meta-Analysis of Short Sleep Duration and Obesity in Children and Adults
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiological studies suggest that short sleep duration may be associated with the development of obesity from childhood to adulthood. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the evidence supports the presence of a relationship between short sleep duration and obesity at different ages, and to obtain an estimate of the risk. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of publications using MEDLINE (1996-2007 wk 40), EMBASE (from 1988), AMED (from 1985), CINHAL (from 1982) and PsycINFO (from 1985) and manual searches without language restrictions. When necessary, authors were contacted. Criteria for inclusion were: report of duration of sleep as exposure, BMI as continuous outcome and prevalence of obesity as categorical outcome, number of participants, age, and gender. Results were pooled using a random effect model. Sensitivity analysis was performed, heterogeneity and publication bias were also checked. Results are expressed as pooled odds ratios (OR [95% confidence intervals, CIs]) and as pooled regression coefficients (beta; 95% CIs). RESULTS: Of 696 studies identified, 45 met the inclusion criteria (19 in children and 26 in adults) and 30 (12 and 18, respectively) were pooled in the meta-analysis for a total of 36 population samples. They included 634,511 participants (30,002 children and 604,509 adults) from around the world. Age ranged from 2 to 102 years and included boys, girls, men and women. In children the pooled OR for short duration of sleep and obesity was 1.89 (1.46 to 2.43; P < 0.0001). In adults the pooled OR was 1.55 (1.43 to 1.68; P < 0.0001). There was no evidence of publication bias. In adults, the pooled beta for short sleep duration was -0.35 (-0.57 to -0.12) unit change in BMI per hour of sleep change. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional studies from around the world show a consistent increased risk of obesity amongst short sleepers in children and adults. Causal inference is difficult due to lack of control for important confounders and inconsistent evidence of temporal sequence in prospective studies.
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In the citing paper
“Sleep deprivation (<6 h/night) exacerbates metabolic dysregulation by elevating ghrelin (appetite-stimulating hormone) and reducing leptin (satiety hormone) levels [27].”
From Obesity: Clinical Impact, Pathophysiology, Complications, and Modern Innovations in Therapeutic Strategies (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“A meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies found a significant negative association between hours of sleep and body mass index; short sleep duration was significantly associated with obesity.73”
In the citing paper
“Two meta-analyses of cross sectional studies found short sleep duration to be associated with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.73,74”
In the citing paper
“A meta-analysis by Cappuccio and colleagues29 found that across 23 studies of adults, a pooled odds ratio of 1.55 was found.”
From Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2016) · cites this paper as [29]
In the citing paper
“Furthermore, analysis of 7 studies that examined linear relationships between sleep duration and body mass index as a continuous variable showed that for every increased hour of sleep, body mass index was reduced by 0.35 points.”
From Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2016) · cites this paper as [29]
In the citing paper
“This same meta-analysis also reported that children (1.89 [CI = 1.46-2.43])and adults (1.55 [1.43-1.68])were more likely to be obese (BMI > 30 kg/ m 2 ) if they were short sleepers.”
From The effects of sleep disruption on metabolism, hunger, and satiety, and the influence of psychosocial stress and exercise: A narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [82]
In the citing paper
“a 2008 meta-analysis of epidemiological studies on the association of self-reported sleep duration and obesity risk by Cappuccio et al. reported that, across 604,509 adults, a 1-h increase in sleep duration was associated with a 0.35 kg/m 2 reduction in BMI.82”
From The effects of sleep disruption on metabolism, hunger, and satiety, and the influence of psychosocial stress and exercise: A narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [82]
In the citing paper
“the pooled odds ratio (OR) linking short sleep to obesity was 1.89 (95% CI, 1.46–2.43; p<0.0001) in children”
From Sleep and metabolic function (2012) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“and 1.55 (95% CI, 1.43–1.68; p<0.0001) in adults [18].”
From Sleep and metabolic function (2012) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“and possibly also a reason for the previously observed elevated risk of long term weight gain and obesity in those who chronically suffer from insufficient sleep (Cappuccio et al., 2008).”
From Sleep restriction alters plasma endocannabinoids concentrations before but not after exercise in humans (2016) · cites this paper as Cappuccio et al., 2008
In the citing paper
“A meta-analysis of crosssectional studies found a significant negative association between hours of sleep and body mass index; short sleep duration was significantly associated with obesity.73”
In the citing paper
“increased predisposition to obesity (3) and insulin resistance (IR) (4) in both adults and children”
From Sleep architecture and glucose and insulin homeostasis in obese adolescents (2011) · cites this paper as [3]
In the citing paper
“A meta-analysis of 45 cross-sectional studies, including 604,509 adults and 30,002 children, confirmed the relationship between short sleep (generally fewer than five hours per night in adults and fewer than 10 hours per night in children) and obesity, and quantified the associated risk (OR 1.55; 1.43–1.68; OR 1.89; 1.46–2.43, for adults and children, respectively).13”
From Interacting epidemics? Sleep curtailment, insulin resistance, and obesity (2012) · cites this paper as [13]
In the citing paper
“One meta-analyses of data from many of these cross-sectional studies found that short sleep duration (<5 hours per night) significantly predicted prevalent obesity in adults (pooled odds ratio [OR] was 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43–1.68) [129].”
From Association between sleep deficiency and cardiometabolic disease: implications for health disparities (2016) · cites this paper as [129]
In the citing paper
“Epidemiological evidence supports a link between sleep loss and obesity.”
From The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain (2013) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“In summary, these findings contribute to a novel brain mechanism by which sleep loss may lead to the development and/or maintenance of obesity through the potentially maladaptive selection of foods carrying obesogenic (weight-gain) potential”
From The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain (2013) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“thereby explaining the large-scale significant association between reduced sleep time and obesity reported in population level studies1.”
From The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain (2013) · cites this paper as [1]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Cappuccio, F. P., Taggart, F. M., Kandala, N.-B., Currie, A., Peile, E., Stranges, S., & Miller, M. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Cappuccio, Francesco P.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Sleep
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-05
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 619-626
- ISSN
- 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
- 1550-9109
- PMC
- PMC2398753
- OpenAlex
- W1601020103
- Cited by
- 2,076
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 45 · 2025: 93 · 2024: 78 · 2023: 123 · 2022: 120 · 2021: 146 · 2020: 168 · 2019: 159 · 2018: 146 · 2017: 129 · 2016: 143 · 2015: 150 · 2014: 128 · 2013: 130 · 2012: 106
- FWCI
- 8.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- SLEEP (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Warwick (cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- short sleep duration, obesity, childhood obesity, adult obesity, body mass index, sleep duration, obesity risk, sleep and health
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Risk Factors, Sleep Deprivation, Statistics as Topic, Body Mass Index, Odds Ratio
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