Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Obesity is associated with elevated risks for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Rates of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Canada are increasing rapidly; research examining potentially modifiable risk factors is critical. Experimental research on adults suggests that sleep deprivation influences appetite and weight related hormones in a way that favours the development of obesity. If short sleep duration contributes to obesity in Canadian children and youth, this represents an area for obesity prevention because sleep length can potentially be modified. Using data from the national Canadian Health Measures Survey conducted in 2007-2009, this project will examine the relationship between sleep duration and obesity/overweight in children and adolescents across Canada. A second important area of inquiry is to identify risk and protective factors associated with sleep length in Canadian children and youth. This information is crucial for the development of public health interventions targeted to populations most at risk. Factors potentially associated with short sleep duration examined in this study include age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and time spent watching television or on the computer. Overweight and obese children tend to become overweight adults; addressing weight problems earlier in life is advantageous. The findings from this research will determine the degree and scope of the influence of sleep duration on obesity in Canadian youth, ascertain populations most at risk, and identify risk and protective factors associated with short and long sleep duration. Outcomes from this research include evidence to support the development of public health campaigns and policy changes promoting healthy sleep habits in children, adolescents, and their families, thereby attenuating the rise of obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors at a national level.