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Differential Outcomes of Sleep Problems in Children with and Without Special Health Care Needs: Australian Population

Jon Quach1, Fiona K Mensah, Harriet Hiscock

  • 1*The University of Melbourne; †Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; ‡Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital; and §Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|March 17, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children with special health care needs (SHCN) experience more sleep problems, impacting behavior and quality of life more severely. These issues are more pronounced in children with both SHCN and sleep difficulties.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Child Psychology
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Sleep problems are prevalent in childhood.
  • Children with special health care needs (SHCN) may be at higher risk for sleep disturbances.
  • The impact of sleep problems on child development and family well-being requires further investigation, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of sleep problems in Australian children with and without SHCN across various age groups.
  • To examine the association between sleep problems and child behavior, quality of life, learning, and parent mental health.
  • To compare the magnitude of these associations in children with SHCN versus those without.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized biennial data from five waves of the Growing Up in Australia Study.
  • Defined child SHCN using the Children Special Health Care Needs Screener.
  • Employed logistic and linear regression analyses, controlling for socioeconomic position.

Main Results:

  • Children with SHCN were significantly more likely to experience sleep problems (odds ranging from 2.0 to 3.9).
  • Children with both SHCN and sleep problems exhibited the poorest outcomes across all measured domains (behavior, quality of life, learning, parent mental health).
  • Sleep problems were more strongly linked to poorer behavior and health-related quality of life in children with SHCN compared to those without, especially in preschool and early school years.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep problems are common in children with SHCN and are associated with adverse child and maternal outcomes.
  • The negative impact of sleep problems on behavior and quality of life is amplified in children with SHCN.
  • Addressing sleep issues in children with SHCN is crucial for improving overall child development and family well-being.
Abstract

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