How sleep patterns relate to body weight in female nurses working shifts, with sleep quality as a link

The sleep-wake cycle was negatively associated with BMI (β=-0.28, p=0.001) among 147 female shift-working nurses.

• A total of 147 female nurses working rotating shifts were studied.
• Sleep quality, measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, was negatively associated with the sleep-wake cycle (β=-0.29, p<0.001).
• Sleep quality may mediate the relationship between the sleep-wake cycle and BMI.
• The indirect effect of sleep quality on the relationship with BMI was estimated at -0.28, with a confidence interval from -0.68 to -0.05.

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