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Parental poverty and occupation as risk factors for pediatric sleep-disordered breathing

Danielle Friberg1, Karin Lundkvist1, Xinjun Li2

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Clinical Science Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Sleep Medicine
|August 24, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Low family socioeconomic status and certain parental jobs increase the risk of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Conversely, academic parental occupations and farming appear to decrease SDB risk in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Public Health
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is linked to socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood disadvantage.
  • Understanding the interplay between familial SES, parental occupation, and SDB is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between familial socioeconomic status (SES), parental occupation, and the risk of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in Swedish children.
  • To analyze how family income, maternal education, and specific parental occupations influence SDB incidence.

Main Methods:

  • A nationwide Swedish cohort study linked census data with hospital discharge records (1997-2007).
  • Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was identified via diagnostic codes for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), adenotonsillar hypertrophy, or tonsillar hypertrophy.
  • Familial SES was determined by family income and maternal education; odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.

Main Results:

  • Of three million children, 34,933 had a first SDB diagnosis.
  • Low family income (OR 1.79) and low maternal education (OR 1.21) significantly increased SDB risk.
  • Increased SDB risk was associated with maternal occupations (37%) and paternal occupations (27%), particularly those in manual labor and processing industries. Conversely, academic and farming occupations showed decreased risk.

Conclusions:

  • Low familial SES and parental occupations linked to lower education elevate the risk of pediatric SDB.
  • Academic parental occupations and farming were associated with a reduced risk of SDB in offspring.
  • Findings highlight the socioeconomic gradient in SDB risk, informing public health strategies.
Abstract

Keywords:
Hospitalized childrenObstructive sleep apneaSleep-disordered breathingTonsil hypertrophy

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