title: Income, ethnicity, and sleep: coping as a moderator.
abstract: Toward identifying variables that may protect children against sleep problems otherwise associated with ethnic minority status and economic adversity, support coping was examined as a moderator. Participants were 235 children (113 boys, 122 girls; M age = 11.33 years, SD = 8.03 months), 64% European American and 36% African American. Children's sleep duration (minutes) and continuity (efficiency) were assessed through actigraphs worn for 1 week. Mothers reported on the family's monetary resources (income-to-needs ratio) and children reported on their support coping strategies. For children from lower income homes and African Americans, a higher level of support coping was a protective factor against fewer sleep minutes and reduced sleep efficiency, otherwise associated with economic adversity. Children from more economically advantaged homes had good sleep parameters regardless of their coping. The results build on the existing small body of work by demonstrating that children's support coping strategies have a protective role against sleep problems otherwise associated with ethnic minority status and economic adversity and present potential targets for intervention that may help reduce health disparities in an important health domain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Sheikh
authors.affiliation: Department of Individual, Family, and Community Education, University of New Mexico.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadeh
authors.affiliation: Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling, Auburn University.
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Buckhalt
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors