Sleeping habits of individuals involved in a weight management program

Background: Research supports a relationship between poor sleep quality and overweight/obesity. Poor sleep may impact on participation and outcomes of weight-management programs. Methods: This observational study assessed sleep quality, night eating, diet behaviours and physical activity, among participants in a group-based, primary care program, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and pedometers respectively. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured. Data were collected at the beginning (n=86) and end (n=45) of the program. Results: At baseline, 82% of participants exhibited poor sleep; these individuals were in poorer general health, more likely to be taking sleep medication and had higher NEQ scores than good sleepers. Among program completers PSQI, NEQ and TFEQ scores significantly improved. Conclusions: Sleep problems are prevalent. Work is needed to understand whether improving sleep quality can impact the effectiveness of health behaviour change programs.