title: Odds, prevalence and predictors of sleep problems in school-age normal children.
abstract: The objectives of the study were to describe the prevalence, odds, and predictors of 36 paediatric sleep behaviours and describe their coexistence in a school-age normal population. The design was community-based questionnaire survey of sleep-wake patterns, sleep environment, and 36 sleep behaviours indicative of six sleep disorder-subscales using the Health-Behaviour Questionnaire. A caregivers' report of 3045 children aged 6-13 years in Belgium constituted the participants. Prevalence of each sleep behaviour was calculated. Log-linear modelling within and between the sleep disorder-subscales was used to screen for coexistence. The effect size of selected night-time parameters to the likelihood of sleep behaviours and disorder-subscale was expressed as odds ratios via logit regression analysis. Significant differences in sleep-wake patterns were found between weekday and weekend. Ranking by odds showed that: (1) sleep problems such as 'tired when waking up', 'repetitive limb movements', 'going to bed reluctantly', and 'sleep paralysis' and; (2) the disorder-subscale 'excessive somnolence' are common in children. Coexistences within and between disorder-subscales of sleep problems are evident in a school-age, normal population. These results suggest that disorders of excessive somnolence (DES) are highly prevalent in a non-clinical sample of school-age children. Furthermore, sleep-onset latency and a noisy, not well-darkened room are predictive towards the odds for exhibiting sleep problems and disorders. It is advocated that more information on the importance of good sleep-wake hygiene should reach parents and children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive and Physiological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. karen.spruyt@vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spruyt
authors.forename: Louise M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cluydts
authors.forename: Gino Benjamin
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Verleye
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012931:Social Environment