A descriptive study of sleep disorders and their impact in 2 selected schools in a divisional city of Bangladesh
Abstract
Background: Sleep disorders are common in children and adolescents and have an important negative impact on their quality of life.
Objective: This study was done to estimate the prevalence of sleep problems in 2 selected schools in a divisional city of Bangladesh and to evaluate the impact of sleep disorders on school performance.
Method: One thousand school children between 5 to 16 years of age from the two largest schools (one boys’ and one girls’ school) were randomly selected for this study from July to December 2011. A two step procedure involved self-administered questionnaire and direct interview of the affected children and parents. The questionnaire was based on diagnostic criteria for category based classification by American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Academic performance was evaluated on the basis of cumulative results of term examinations throughout the year.
Results: A total of 713 (71.3%) questionnaires were eventually returned. Of the children, 353 were boys and 360 were girls. Three hundred and ninety two sleep problems were noted in 202 (28.3%) school children and mean (SD) age of sufferer was 139 (32) months. Among the primary sleep problems, parasomnia (47.8%) was highest followed by dyssomnia (9.5%). Prominent disorders under parasomnia were nightmares (7.4%), nocturnal enuresis (4.1%) and sleep terror (3.4%) and that under dyssomnia was obstructive sleep apnoea (3.6%). School performance was significantly poor in the children with sleep disorders (p<0.001). Parasomnias were much higher in girls than boys (p<0.001). Only 20 (10.8%) parents consulted a physician for primary disorder.
Conclusions: In the 2 selected schools in Khulna city of Bangladesh 28.3% had sleep problems. Sleep disorders had a significant negative impact on school performance.
(Key words: Sleep disorder; schoolchildren; prevalence; school performance)
Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2014; 43(4): 212-218
© 2014 C H Rasul, K G Mostafa, N N Baruri, M M Rahman, published by Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License.