The Relationship between Parent Identified Sleep Problems, Internalizing Behaviors, Externalizing Behaviors, and Adaptive Functioning in a Pediatric Population

• Main Author: Popkave, Kyle Marissa
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholar Commons 2007
• Subjects: Health; Early Intervention; Child; Pre-School; Disorders; American Studies; Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3829; http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5025&context=etd

Pediatric sleep problems are among the most common pediatric health issues faced by families today. Sleep problems can have a deleterious impact on children's academics, behaviors, social-emotional development, health, and/or safety. Once sleep problems are identified and treated, many of the associated negative impacts can be ameliorated. The purpose of the current study was to examine prevalence rates of symptoms of sleep disorders in young children, and the relationship between these symptoms and various behavior problems. One hundred and four children, ages 2 to 5 years, attending a pediatric health clinic served as the participants in this study. Data on sleep disorder symptoms were derived from the Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students, Children's Form. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to measure internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and adaptive behavior was assessed through ratings on the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Edition. Results indicated that a total of 31% of the sampled children were at high risk for at least one type of sleep disorder. Children rated as high risk for having a sleep disorder displayed more externalizing and internalizing problems, as compared to children whose sleep was reported to be in the normal range. No significant differences were found between adaptive behavior scores and risk for having a sleep disorder. The implications of these results for school psychologists and directions for future practice and research are discussed.