Short Sleep Is Associated with Obesity Among Truck Drivers

Recent studies suggest that short‐sleep duration is independently associated with obesity in the general population. The population of truck drivers is of particular interest, because they frequently work irregular shifts that in turn are associated with short‐sleep duration. In addition, truck drivers have a high prevalence of sedentary habits, poor diet, and obesity. The present study aimed at verifying the association between sleep patterns and factors associated with obesity in this population. The study sample consisted in 4,878 truck drivers who participated in a campaign promoted by a highway company in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This campaign offered highway truck drivers a medical and laboratorial evaluation. The truck drivers completed a questionnaire concerning demographic data, sleep duration, consumption of medications, and medical problems, such as diabetes, cardiopathy, and hypertension; as well as the Berlin questionnaire, which is able to discriminate low and high risk for obstructiv...