Abstract: Objective To investigate the prevalence of obesity and central obesity among residents of Changping District, Beijing, and to examine the association between nocturnal sleep duration and these conditions. Methods Data were derived from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2023, employing a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method to survey permanent residents aged 18-79 in Changping District. The χ² test and the χ² test for trend were utilized for inter-group comparisons. A multivariate logistic regression model was employed to analyze the association between nocturnal sleep duration and the odds of obesity and central obesity, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Results A total of 3 503 participants were included in the final analysis. The crude prevalence of obesity was 24.9% (n=871), with a standardized rate of 25.0%, while the crude prevalence of central obesity was 45.0% (n=1 577), with a standardized rate of 43.9%. Statistically significant differences were observed in the prevalence of both conditions across groups with varying nocturnal sleep durations (all P < 0.01). After adjusting for confounders, the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that individuals with a nocturnal sleep duration of less than 7 hours had significantly higher odds of obesity (OR=1.328) and central obesity (OR=1.470) compared to the reference group sleeping 7-8 hours. Conversely, a sleep duration of more than 8 hours was associated with a reduced likelihood of obesity (OR=0.801). Conclusion Insufficient nocturnal sleep duration (<7 hours) is significantly associated with an increased prevalence of both general and central obesity among the adult population in Changping District, Beijing. Public health interventions should therefore emphasize the importance of maintaining adequate sleep duration as a potential strategy to mitigate the high rates of obesity.

Key words: Obesity, Central obesity, Nocturnal sleep duration