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Psychosocial and somatic outcomes of sleep problems in children: a 4‐year follow‐up study
Author(s) -
Simola P.,
Liukkonen K.,
Pitkäranta A.,
Pirinen T.,
Aronen E. T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2012.01412.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , sleep (system call) , psychiatry , subclinical infection , psychology , sleep disorder , medicine , mood , population , aggression , clinical psychology , pediatrics , insomnia , environmental health , computer science , operating system
Background Inadequate sleep in children relates to medical and psychosocial problems. However, not much is known about the effects of sleep problems persisting from pre‐school to school age on somatic and psychosocial symptoms. Objectives To examine the associations between sleep disturbances and psychosocial symptoms, somatic complaints, medical problems at school age. Methods This was a population‐based 4‐year follow‐up study of sleep problems in F innish children ( n = 470). Parents filled in S leep D isturbance S cale for C hildren during pre‐school and school years. Children were categorized into four groups: no sleep problems, sleep problems only at pre‐school or only at school age, and persistent sleep problems. At follow‐up the parents filled in C hild B ehavior C hecklist and a background questionnaire. Results The children with persistent sleep problems (9%) had a 16‐fold risk of having psychosocial symptoms on subclinical/clinical range compared with the children without sleep problems. The psychosocial symptoms that were related strongest to prolonged sleep problems were aggression, social and attention problems, and anxious/depressed mood. Also, somatic complaints (ninefold risk) and medical problems ( P < 0.001) were typical for children with persistent sleep problems. Conclusions Persistent sleep problems in children associate with high levels of psychosocial, somatic and medical problems. In paediatric health care more attention should be paid to recognizing, monitoring of the persistence and treatment of sleep problems before school transition period.