Assignment:
Association between Reduced Sleep and Weight Gain in Womenby Sanjay R. Patel, Atul Malhotra, David P. White, Daniel J. Gottlieb, and Frank B.
REDUCED SLEEP AND WEIGHT GAIN
Learning Objectives
In completing assignment students will demonstrate that they can:
1. Identify the purpose and hypothesis of a peer-reviewed research study.
2. Explain and critique study design and variable measurement.
3. Describe sample characteristics and identify similarities with and differences between thesample and the study population.
4. Interpret statistical tests and relationships between variables.
5. Develop conclusions about a research study.
6. An article entitled "Association between reduced sleep and weight gain in women" by Patel.
Read article thoroughly, and answer the following questions below. All answers mustbe in your own words. Paraphrase, do not use direct quotations.
1. Study Purpose
a. In your own words, what is the purpose of this research study
b. In your own words, what is the hypothesis the researchers are testing?
c. Is this research important? Why or why not? (This is an opinion question, but you mayconsider using outside credible or peer-reviewed references to support and strengthenyour response.)
STEP 1: Review the research article on Moodle, Association between reducedsleep and weight gain in women" by Patel and colleagues
2. Study participants
The participants in this study were part of the Nurses' Health Study. When answering thefollowing questions, you should paraphrase information provided in the article AND findadditional information on the Nurses' Health Study beyond what is provided in the article.
a. Explain the overall purpose of the Nurses Health Study.
b. Describe the participants of the Nurses' Health Study.
c. Identify and explain two strengths of the Nurses' Health Study.
d. Identify and explain two weaknesses of the Nurses' Health Study.
e. Refer to Table in the research article to describe sample participants that were included in the study's data analysis. Use the table below to report characteristics of the participants. Be sure to include the units or labels for each variable. In the last two rows of the table, choose two other variables to report.
Sleep Duration
(hours/24-hour
period) >
≤ 5 6 7 8 ≥ 9
Number of Subjects
% of sample*
Weight
Age
Daily Caffeine intake
Alcohol
Variable 1
Variable 2
3. Methods and Measurements
a. How was weight assessed in this study?
b. Identify and explain one strength and one weakness of how weight was assessed.
c. What TWO outcome variables were used to describe changes in weight status overtime?
d. How was sleep assessed?
e. Identify and explain one strength and one weakness of this assessment. These shouldbe different than strengths/weaknesses of the Nurses' Health Study.
4. Results
a. Outcomes: Sleep and weight.
i. What participant characteristics were associated with sleeping less?
ii. At the end of the follow-up (after 16 years) how many women gained more than
15kg? What percent of the sample is this?
b. Relationship between Sleep and Weight Change
i. What does this graph suggest about the relationship between hours of sleep and weight gain?
ii. Compared to those who got 7 hours of sleep, how much more weight did the other groups gain over the ten years?
iii. Which group had the highest weight gain in 2002?
iiii. Which group had the lowest weight gain in 2002?
c. Conclusion
What does this study suggest about the role of sleep in weight gain?
d. Confounders
i. Which variables were included as confounders in the hazard ratio-adjusted analysis?
ii. Select two of the variables and explain why they was likely chosen as a confounder.
Explain and interpret a hazard ratio
Good researchers don't just rely on one study in understanding relationships between healthand behaviors. When conducting research, they find other studies that are similar and compareresults. We want you to practice finding similar studies here.
Using the Kresge Library website, and the searching techniques you learned about in class, findTWO peer-reviewed, original research study, published in the past 5 years that is similar to thestudy by Patel and colleagues examining relationships between sleep and weight status.
1. Identify the search database you used, the search terms (include any quotes used insearching) and how many search results your search identified. Also include any limitsyou used (e.g. English-only, humans-only, etc.)
2. Cut and paste the abstract of the article you found that would make a good comparisonto the study by Patel and colleagues. Using APA style, include the reference for thisjournal article in the reference list
3. Briefly explain why this study would make a good comparison study.
4. Summarize the conclusions of this study in your own words.
STUDY 1:
1. Search database and search terms
2. Abstract
3. Why is this a good comparison study?
4. Conclusions of this study.
STUDY 2:
1. Search database and search terms
2. Abstract
STEP 2: Find related research studies.
3. Why is this a good comparison study?
4. Conclusions of this study.
5. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study by Patel and colleagues and the two studies you found,what conclusions do you draw about the relationship between sleep and weight status?