Shared Behavioural Determinants of Short Sleep and Obesity From Childhood to Adolescence: An Analyses of Growing Up in Scotland Birth Cohort 1

06/08/2026

AI Summary

Experimentation with smoking and alcohol at 12 years were meaningfully associated with shorter sleep and higher BMI percentile at 14 years.
Being allowed to eat whenever at 10 years was meaningfully associated with both shorter sleep duration and increased BMI percentile at 14 years.
Maternal BMI was meaningfully associated with higher BMI percentile only; poorer emotional wellbeing and sugar sweetened beverage intake were associated with shorter sleep only.

Pediatr Obes. 2026 Aug;21(8):e70142. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.70142.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous research shows a longitudinal relationship between poor sleep and obesity in adolescents, highlighting the need to identify shared modifiable determinants to strengthen health-promoting interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants at 10 and 12 years associated with short sleep and body mass index percentile (BMIp) at 14 years, using data from the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study.

METHODS: Secondary analyses were conducted using data from GUS Birth Cohort 1, sweeps 8-10 (10-14 years). Sleep duration, emotional wellbeing, physical activity, diet, screentime and risk-taking behaviours were main-carer or child-reported and BMIp was objectively measured. Block-wise linear regression analyses were used to examine associations with sleep duration and BMIp at age 14 years. Meaningful associations were defined as a ±10% difference (standardised β ≥ 0.10 or ≤ -0.10).

RESULTS: Data from 4157 participants (50.2% male) were analysed. In adjusted models, having tried smoking and having tried alcohol at 12 years and being allowed to eat whenever the child wanted at 10 years were meaningfully associated with shorter sleep duration and higher BMIp at 14 years. Maternal BMI was meaningfully associated with BMIp only, while poorer emotional wellbeing and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were meaningfully associated with shorter sleep only.

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and alcohol experimentation and less structured eating timing were identified as shared determinants of shorter sleep and higher BMIp in adolescence. These findings suggest that risk-taking behaviours and eating routines may be important targets for future research and health-promoting interventions addressing sleep and weight-related outcomes.

PMID:42554343 | DOI:10.1111/ijpo.70142

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