title: Sleep characteristics in children in the isolated rural African-Brazilian descendant community of Furnas do Dionísio, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
abstract: Developmental and cultural factors affect sleep habits in childhood. The objective of this research was to determine sleep habits of children in the isolated rural African-Brazilian community of Furnas do Dionísio. Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The members of this community are closely related descendants of the ex-slave Dionísio, and remained in relative geographical isolation for about a century. Sleep characteristics of 55 children (35 M; 20 F), 2 to 10 year olds, were evaluated in interviews with their mothers. The results showed that cosleeping, in the same bed with family members, was present in 80.0% of the 2-3 year olds; decreasing to 25.0% of the 8-10 year olds. Only 5.4% of the children slept alone in their own bedroom. Mean number of persons per bedroom was 2.8. Only 7.0% of the bedrooms had TV; 98.1% slept in silence. The data obtained support the need to weigh cultural factors influence on sleep.
authors.affiliation: CDS-Centro de Distúrbios do Sono, São Paulo, Brasil. reimaor@apm.org.br
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reimão
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Gaudioso
authors.forename: H da C
authors.initials: Hda C
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alves A das
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gnobie
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Silvério
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D001513:Beds / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044383:Black People; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors