Sleep habits among overweight and obese school-aged children and the right to health

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-02-2021-0025
• Published date: 07 June 2021
• Date: 07 June 2021
• Pages: 215-226
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Inequalities & diverse/minority groups,Sociology,Race & ethnic studies,Minorities,Multiculturalism,Racial identity,Work,economy & organizations
• Author: Hamed El Khayat,Marwa El Deeb,Mahmoud Elhabiby,Amira Mohammed Ibrahim Ahmad Mourad,Michael Elnemais Fawzy

Sleep habits among overweight and

obese school-aged children and the right

to health

Hamed El Khayat, Marwa El Deeb, Mahmoud Elhabiby,

Amira Mohammed Ibrahim Ahmad Mourad and Michael Elnemais Fawzy

Abstract

Purpose –This studyaims to assess the relationship between sleep habitsand obesity in children.

Design/methodology/approach –This is an observational cross-sectional case–control study

conducted on 100 children aged 6–12years, selected randomly from theOPC of the Pediatric Hospital,

Ain-Shams University. The subjects were subdivided into two groups: the control group of 50 and the

target groupof children who are classed overweight or obese.Subjects were excluded where the obesity

could be explained owing to an endocrinal and/or any identified disease,those who have a medical or

psychiatric illness,and those whose parents refused to give consent. All patients had a full history taken,

and each child’sparent fulfilled one questionnaire on sleep behaviors.

Findings –This study foundthat 72% with bedtime resistance compared to only 14%among the control

subjects, 68% of childrenexperienced a delay with sleep onset compared to 14% among controls, 68%

experienced sleepduration abnormalities compared to 12% in the control group, 60%of children stated

they neededtheir parents while going to sleep, compared to 12% among controls,64% of cases suffered

from walking during the night compared to 12% among controls, 64% of cases had a Parasomnia

compared to 12% among controls,66% of cases snoring loudly compared to 12% among controls,and

66% suffering from Apnea, compared to 6% in the control group, and 50% of cases had daytime

sleepinesscompared to 14% among controls.

Research limitations/implications –It is hoped that this research will be remedied through the

adoption of a child-centered approach inspired by the rights to health and play, and the general

principlesof the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Practical implications –The results showed a strong association between excessive weight and

increasedrisk of sleep problems, which werebroadly diffused in the population childhood.

Originality/value –This current study has givenus a base for the overwhelmingfact that these children

are directly affected by obesity. A chronic medical condition has enormous implications on health and

can lead to many associateddisease processes.

Keywords Egypt, Children, Obesity, Cairo, Sleep problems

Paper type Research paper

Bidirectional relationship evidence between insufficient sleep and overweight is

evident. Some researchers propose that a vicious cycle exists in that sleep

deprivation may cause weight gain, causing sleep disturbances that additional

scale back sleep length (Morselli, 2012).

This cycle exists because of various factors that influ ence weight regulation, including the fact

that excess weight increases the risk of medical conditions that may interfe re with sleep such

as Gastro-esophageal reflux, osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep ap nea Chaput et al. (2011).

Children who sleep less than normal amount and children who have sleep disorder

problems were more likely to be overweight and obese. Sleep disorders werealso higher in

Hamed El Khayat,

Marwa El Deeb and

Mahmoud ElHabiby all are

based at the Faculty of

Medicine, Ain Shams

University, Cairo, Egypt.

Amira Mohammed Ibrahim

Ahmad Mourad is based at

Ministry of Health, Cairo,

Egypt. Michael Elnemais

Fawzy is Consultant

Psychiatrist at Abbassia

Mental Health Hospital,

Cairo, Egypt.

Received 7 February 2021

Revised 25 March 2021

Accepted 25 March 2021

DOI 10.1108/IJHRH-02-2021-0025 VOL. 15 NO. 3 2022, pp. 215-226, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-4902 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANRIGHTS IN HEALTHCARE jPAGE 215