Developmental Course and Determinants of Sleep Disturbances in Adolescents With Spina Bifida.
To examine (1) trajectories of sleep disturbances in adolescents with spina bifida (SB) compared with a typically developing (TD) group over a 10-year period and (2) individual, family, and socioeconomic determinants of changes in sleep disturbances.



Participants were 68 families of youth with SB and 68 families of TD youth. Parent-report of adolescent sleep was collected every 2 years at 6 time points (T1: ages 8-9; T6: ages 18-19). Multiple informants and measures were used to examine internalizing, externalizing, and inattention symptoms, dyadic/family conflict, socioeconomic status (SES), and family income.



Sleep disturbances increased over the 10-year period. Youth with SB had greater sleep disturbances during early adolescence. Greater preadolescent externalizing symptoms, greater parent-child and marital conflict, and lower SES predicted increased sleep disturbances.



Sleep disturbances are common and persistent in adolescents with SB. Sleep assessment and management are important clinical and research priorities in this population.
Loyola University Chicago and cmurray3@luc.edu.
Caitlin B
CB
Murray
Loyola University Chicago and.
Alexandra C
AC
Kirsch
Seattle Children's Research Institute.
Tonya M
TM
Palermo
Loyola University Chicago and.
Grayson N
GN
Holmbeck
Loyola University Chicago and.
Victoria
V
Kolbuck
Loyola University Chicago and.
Alexandra
A
Psihogios
Loyola University Chicago and.
Terri
T
Pigott
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D054541:Family Conflict; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology
adolescents; longitudinal research; sleep; spina bifida