Associations between physical activity and sleep quality across BMI categories: a cross-sectional population-based study

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the association between physical inactivity and poor sleep quality across body mass index (BMI) categories, addressing the global rise in poor sleep quality and physical inactivity.

Methods: We conducted across-sectional study using self-reported data from the ‘How are you? 2021’ survey conducted in the Central Denmark Region (n=30,402). Logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic factors and other covariates were employed to explore the association between physical inactivity and poor sleep quality, stratified by BMI categories.

Results: Physical inactivity was associated with poor sleep quality (odds ratio (OR) 1.80; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.62–1.99) across all BMI categories in the crude analysis. In the adjusted analysis, individuals who were physically inactive also had higher odds of poor sleep quality: OR 1.24 (95% CI 1.10; 1.39). In the stratified analyses, the OR was 1.20 (95% CI 0.98; 1.46) among individuals with a BMI less than 25 kg/m2, 1.27 (95% CI 1.04; 1.55) among those with a BMI of 25–29.9 kg/m2, and 1.16 (95% CI 0.94; 1.42) among those with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater.

Conclusions: This study found an association between physical inactivity and poor sleep quality using self-reported data. While stratified analyses of the association between physical inactivity and poor sleep quality revealed lower associations among individuals with a BMI less than 25 kg/m2 and over 30 kg/m2, the overall pattern of the association remained. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between physical inactivity, sleep quality, and BMI. It underscores the need for public health initiatives that simultaneously address physical inactivity and sleep quality to enhance overall health outcomes.

Keywords: Sleep quality, physical activity, body mass index, public health, cross-sectional