The relationship between sleep and weight change among women diagnosed with breast cancer participating in the Women's Health Initiative.

Donzella SM, Lind KE, Skiba MB, Farland LV, Thomson CA, Werts SJ, Bell ML, LeBlanc E, Weitlauf JC, Hery CMB, Naughton MJ, Mortimer J, Crane TE. The relationship between sleep and weight change among women diagnosed with breast cancer participating in the Women's Health Initiative. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2022 Apr 1; 192(2):423-433.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions

Search for Abstract from PubMed

---

Abstract:

PURPOSE: Short and long sleep duration and poor sleep quality are risk factors for weight gain and cancer mortality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between sleep and weight change among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Women participating in the Women''s Health Initiative who were diagnosed with incident breast cancer between year one and year three were included. Self-reported sleep duration was categorized as? = 5 h (short), 6 h, 7-8 h (optimal), and? = 9 h (long). Self-reported sleep quality was categorized as poor, average, and above average. Post-diagnosis weight change was the difference of weight closest to, but preceding diagnosis, and year 3 weight. We used linear regression to evaluate sleep duration and sleep quality associations with post-diagnosis weight change adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Among 1156 participants, 63% were weight stable after diagnosis; average weight gain post cancer diagnosis was 3.2 kg. Six percent of women reported sleeping? = 5 h, 26% reported 6 h, 64% reported 7-8 h, and 4% reported? = 9 h. There were no differences in adjusted estimates of weight change among participants with short duration (0.37 kg; 95% CI -?0.88, 1.63), or long duration (-?0.56 kg; 95% CI -?2.03, 0.90) compared to optimal duration, nor was there a difference among poor quality (-?0.51 kg; 95% CI -?1.42, 0.41) compared to above average quality. CONCLUSION: Among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, sleep duration and quality were not associated with weight change after breast cancer diagnosis. Future studies should consider capturing change in adiposity and to expand beyond self-reported sleep.