0977 Risk Factors For Developing Sleep Disorders In Children

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Unidentified sleep disorders can affect emotional, cognitive and social development in children. Screening for sleep disorders within the pediatric population is not common practice during medical visits. The objective of this study is to identify specific questions related to behavioral and physiological factors having potential to screen and detect those at risk for sleep disorders in a general pediatric clinic. Methods A retrospective archive from electronic medical records was analyzed from 1,361 children patients, 0-18 years old, that visited a pediatric clinic from March-November of 2019. Children or their parents reported on the presence of eight objective behavioral and physiological factors on the Kids Sleep Screener Questionnaire (KSSQ), which were used as potential risk factors for sleep disorders. Propensity of daytime sleepiness was measured through the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD). Scores higher than 11 were considered a positive indicator of potential sleep disorders because of excessive daytime sleepiness. Positive scores from the ESS-CHAD were used for comparison with the KSSQ factors using chi-square test of SAS software. Results Among the eight factors, snoring was the strongest risk factor and increased sleep duration was the weakest risk factor associated with a positive ESS-CHAD. Relationships among risk factors and the increased likelihood for developing sleep disorders were statistically significant (p<0.05-p<0.0001) and identified as following: snoring by 2.46 times, restless sleeper by 2.03 times, behavioral or learning difficulties by 1.43 times, nocturnal awakenings by 1.16 times, excessive sleepiness during the day by 1.10 times. Sleep onset latency and increased sleep duration were weak indicators due to a likeliness of less than one time (p<0.05) to be associated with a positive ESS-CHAD. Abnormal sleep behavior was not a statistically significant risk factor (p≥0.05) for potential sleep disorders in children. Conclusion There were associations between seven behavioral and physiological risk factors with overall sleep propensity in children. These results exhibit that the KSSQ is an important tool to identify potential sleep disorders in children and the need for follow up with a sleep specialist. The KSSQ is under validation for becoming a standard sleep screener in pediatrics. Support N/A