Longitudinal assessment of daily activity patterns on weight change after involuntary job loss: the ADAPT study protocol

Background: The World Health Organization has identified obesity as one of the most visible and neglected public health problems worldwide. Meta-analytic studies suggest that insufficient sleep increases the risk of developing obesity and related serious medical conditions. Unfortunately, the nationwide average sleep duration has steadily declined over the last two decades with 25% of U.S. adults reporting insufficient sleep. Stress is also an important indirect factor in obesity, and chronic stress and laboratory-induced stress negatively impact sleep. Despite what we know from basic sciences about (a) stress and sleep and (b) sleep and obesity, we know very little about how these factors actually manifest in a natural environment. The Assessing Daily Activity Patterns Through Occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study tests whether sleep disruption plays a key role in the development of obesity for individuals exposed to involuntary job loss, a life event that is often stressful and disrupting to an individual’s daily routine. Methods: This is an 18-month closed, cohort research design examining social rhythms, sleep, dietary intake, energy expenditure, waist circumference, and weight gain over 18 months in individuals who have sustained involuntary job loss. Approximately 332 participants who lost their job within the last 3 months are recruited from flyers within the Arizona Department of Economic Security (AZDES) Unemployment Insurance Administration application packets and other related postings. Multivariate growth curve modeling will be used to investigate the temporal precedence of changes in social rhythms, sleep, and weight gain. Discussion It is hypothesized that: (1) unemployed individuals with less consistent social rhythms and worse sleep will have steeper weight gain trajectories over 18 months than unemployed individuals with stable social rhythms and better sleep; (2) disrupted sleep will mediate the relationship between social rhythm disruption and weight gain; and (3) reemployment will be associated with a reversal in the negative trajectories outlined above. Positive findings will provide support for the development of obesity prevention campaigns targeting sleep and social rhythms in an accessible subgroup of vulnerable individuals

Maternal Bonding Predicts Actigraphy-Measured Sleep Parameters in Depressed and Nondepressed Adults

Associations between subjective maternal bonding recalled from the first 16 years of life and current sleep indices were investigated in a clinical sample of 34 adults with major depressive disorder and 36 normal controls (n = 70) using the self-report parental bonding instrument and wrist actigraphy. Results of multiple linear regression analyses indicated that reports of maternal bonding indices were associated with several sleep indices in adulthood independent of depression status. Higher levels of maternal care were associated with greater time in bed and total sleep time. Higher levels of maternal overprotection were associated with fewer awakenings. Findings indicate that reported maternal bonding characteristics in childhood are related to objectively measured sleep characteristics in adulthood, independent of mood state.12 month embargo; available online 11 November 2019This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Sleep Quality and Perceived Health in College Undergraduates With Adverse Childhood Experiences

Background Research demonstrates that poor sleep quality is a predictor of chronic mental and physical health problems. The link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and poor health outcomes is also well established; however, few studies have examined the relationships between ACEs, sleep quality, and physical and mental health. Methods The current study used structural equation modeling to assess the direct and indirect relationships between ACEs, sleep quality, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and general health perception in a sample of college undergraduates (N = 399), a group of individuals whose age is notable for only recently transitioning out of childhood. Results Indirect (ie, mediation) effects indicated with 95% confidence that sleep quality mediated the relationship between ACEs and general health perception, depressive symptoms, and symptoms of anxiety. Sleep quality did not account for the entire relationship between ACE score and these health outcomes, indicating partial mediation. When reversing the mediator and outcome variables, depression and anxiety fully mediated the relationship between ACE score and sleep quality. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that sleep quality may be an important intermediary mechanism by which ACEs might contribute to poor health outcomes and especially poor general health perception. Prospective longitudinal research is needed to examine the directionality of the relationships between ACEs, sleep quality, and physical and mental health outcomes over time

Non-parents recover faster than parents following divorce

The data for this project was collected under HD069498-02 awarded to Richard BootzinThis item is part of the GPSC Student Showcase collection. For more information about the Student Showcase, please email the GPSC (Graduate and Professional Student Council) at [email protected]