Mirja Quante1, Neha Khandpur2, Emily Z Kontos3, Jessie P Bakker4, Judith A Owens5, Susan Redline6. 1. Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neonatology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. Electronic address: mirja.quante@med.uni-tuebingen.de. 2. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston, MA, USA. 4. Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 6. Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Deficient sleep is highly prevalent in disadvantaged adolescents and contributes to a range of adverse health and behavioral outcomes. We examined mediating mechanisms and strategies that adolescents adopt to improve sleep, and possible levers for promoting sleep in this population. METHODS: We conducted three focus groups (N = 27 total, age 14-18 years) in adolescents living in low- and middle-income racially/ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts. Participants completed a survey on their sleep and health habits prior to the moderator-led discussions. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The study population did not meet the minimum sleep recommendations, and we found a high prevalence of "social jet-lag." We also identified a disconnect between the acknowledgment of the importance of sleep and actual behavior, especially for electronic use. Phone use and screen time were the most commonly cited barriers to a good night's sleep, along with caffeine consumption, which was also high in this sample. There was also a general lack of awareness of sleep hygiene practices and recommendations. Participants reported regulating food intake and physical activity, using allopathic sleep aids, creating a comfortable sleeping environment, and a routine as some strategies to improve sleep. CONCLUSION: Results from this study suggest facilitating the linkage between participant-generated mediating factors and strategies for better-designed interventions. These include making the negative impact of sleep on health more explicit, improving youth awareness about sleep hygiene, targeting caffeine consumption and electronic use, and introducing sleep recommendations through appropriate and effective channels.
OBJECTIVE:Deficient sleep is highly prevalent in disadvantaged adolescents and contributes to a range of adverse health and behavioral outcomes. We examined mediating mechanisms and strategies that adolescents adopt to improve sleep, and possible levers for promoting sleep in this population. METHODS: We conducted three focus groups (N = 27 total, age 14-18 years) in adolescents living in low- and middle-income racially/ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts. Participants completed a survey on their sleep and health habits prior to the moderator-led discussions. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The study population did not meet the minimum sleep recommendations, and we found a high prevalence of "social jet-lag." We also identified a disconnect between the acknowledgment of the importance of sleep and actual behavior, especially for electronic use. Phone use and screen time were the most commonly cited barriers to a good night's sleep, along with caffeine consumption, which was also high in this sample. There was also a general lack of awareness of sleep hygiene practices and recommendations. Participants reported regulating food intake and physical activity, using allopathic sleep aids, creating a comfortable sleeping environment, and a routine as some strategies to improve sleep. CONCLUSION: Results from this study suggest facilitating the linkage between participant-generated mediating factors and strategies for better-designed interventions. These include making the negative impact of sleep on health more explicit, improving youth awareness about sleep hygiene, targeting caffeine consumption and electronic use, and introducing sleep recommendations through appropriate and effective channels.
Authors: Alina I Palimaru; Ryan A Brown; Wendy M Troxel; Daniel L Dickerson; Carrie L Johnson; Elizabeth J D'Amico Journal: Sleep Health Date: 2020-06-08
Authors: Jessica C Levenson; Hannah A Ford; Zoe Maria Dominique Reyes; Aishwarya Mukundan; Garima Patel; Sigalle Bahary; Elizabeth Miller Journal: Sleep Health Date: 2021-08-31
Authors: Stijn A A Massar; Xin Yu Chua; Chun Siong Soon; Alyssa S C Ng; Ju Lynn Ong; Nicholas I Y N Chee; Tih Shih Lee; Arko Ghosh; Michael W L Chee Journal: NPJ Digit Med Date: 2021-06-02