Association of Sleep Disturbances with Body Mass Index and Age in Adult Participants

The aim of this study was to examine the association between sleep disturbances, as an indicator of sleep quality, Body Mass Index, and age in adult participants. The study involved 73 participants (62 women and 11 men) with an average age of 35.74 years. Through an online questionnaire, we collected the data on participants’ height, body mass, gender, and sleep disturbances. Based on their height and mass, we calculated the Body Mass Index as an indicator of body fat for each participant. We used items from a shorter version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep disturbances. Participants were asked to answer how often they experienced different disturbances while falling asleep or sleeping in the last month. The results of the study indicated an association between sleep disturbances and Body Mass Index. Compared to participants who rarely experienced sleep disturbances, participants with frequent disturbances were more likely to have a high Body Mass Index (indicating excess mass or obesity). Although older participants in most cases had a high Body Mass Index compared to younger participants, no significant association was found between sleep disturbances and age. The results of the study also suggest that the association between sleep disturbances and Body Mass Index did not depend on the age of the participants. The research findings indicate that in addressing the issues of obesity and excess mass, public health attention should also be given to sleep quality issues.