Sex Differences Associated with Weekend Catch-Up Sleep and Waist-to-Height-Ratio among South Korean Adults Using Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2021 Data

Abstract

The global surge in obesity rates is closely linked to the rise in sleep deprivation and prevalence of sleep disorders. This study aimed to investigate the association between weekend catch-up sleep (CUS) and obesity among Korean adults. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we analyzed the data of 6790 adults aged >19 years obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2021. In the subgroup analysis, we conducted multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the association between weekend CUS and obesity, stratified by sex. Women were significantly more likely to be obese than men (odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.46–0.61). Obesity was associated with 1 ≤ weekend CUS < 2 (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75–0.99) but not with weekend CUS ≤ 0. Compared to men, women had a lower obesity risk when engaging in weekend supplementary sleep that was 1 ≤ weekend CUS < 2 (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.63–0.97). Our findings revealed that weekend CUS was associated with obesity. Our findings suggest that weekend CUS may offer a form of biological protection against obesity, and they contribute to a better understanding of this association and may serve as a basis for better obesity management.

Keywords

• adult
• obesity
• waist-to-height ratio
• weekend catch-up sleep
• weekend supplementary sleep