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Sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with childhood sleep duration
Tiffany Yip1, Yuen Mi Cheon2, Yijie Wang3
1Department of Psychology, Fordham University, 441 E Fordham Road, 226E Dealy Hall, Bronx 10458, NY, United States.
Insights
Most school-aged children meet sleep recommendations, but duration varies by sociodemographics. Factors like age and birthplace influence sleep duration in New York City children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Public Health Research
- Child Development Studies
Background:
- Adequate sleep is crucial for school-aged children's health and development.
- Understanding factors influencing sleep duration is vital for targeted interventions.
- Previous research highlights variability in sleep patterns among children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with sleep duration in school-aged children.
- To analyze sleep duration data from a diverse urban child population.
- To identify disparities in sleep duration among different child subgroups.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the 2009 New York City Child Community Health Survey data.
- Weighted regression analyses were employed to examine correlates of sleep duration.
- Parent/guardian surveys collected data on child's sleep, sociodemographics, and household characteristics.
Main Results:
- 89.3% of children met the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) recommendation of 9-11 hours of sleep.
- Children born in the US were less likely to meet sleep recommendations compared to those born abroad.
- Older children and Asian, Latino, and Black children experienced shorter sleep durations than White children when analyzed continuously.
Conclusions:
- Sleep duration significantly varies across sociodemographic groups in New York City school-aged children.
- While most children met recommended sleep hours, specific subgroups showed shorter sleep durations.
- Further research is needed to explore causal relationships and persistence of these sleep disparities.
Objectives:
This study investigates sociodemographic and environmental correlates of sleep duration among school-aged children.
Design & Setting:
The New York City 2009 Child Community Health Survey was analyzed using weighted regression analyses.
Participants:
1293 Asian, Black, Latino and White children ages 6-12 years, 999 children in Pre-K - 5th grade and 294 children in the 6th-8th grades.
Measurements:
Parents/guardians completed a survey about the target child's sleep duration on a typical school night/day, and sociodemographic and household characteristics.
Results:
Most children (89.3%) met the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) recommendation of 9-11 h of sleep per night. Pre-K-5th grade children who were born in the United States were less likely than children born outside of the United States to sleep 9-11 h. When sleep duration was examined continuously, children slept an average of 9 h 44 min. On average, with each additional year of age, children slept 7.2 min less than children who were one year younger. Although there were no differences among ethnic/racial groups in sleeping the recommended 9-11 h/night, when sleep duration was measured as a continuous variable, Asian, Latino, and Black children slept an average of 23, 14, and 17 min fewer, respectively, than White children, adjusting for sociodemographic and environmental factors.
Conclusions:
Sleep duration varied across sociodemographic groups of children in New York City in 2009. Future studies should determine causal influences and whether these differences persist.
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