Assessing nocturnal sleep patterns in Latino mother-child dyads in a community setting - Lessons learned from a feasibility study

Abstract

Background: Latinos experience high rates of obesity and related sequelae such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Short sleep duration has been associated with obesity in children and adults, but most studies examining the associationfocused on non-Latinos. We do not know whether sleep assessment tools such as actigraphy and sleep diaries could beused with Latino mother-child dyads in community settings. Therefore, this feasibility study evaluated adherence to andacceptability of actigraphy and sleep diaries as tools for assessment sleep in Latino mothers and preschool children in acommunity setting.

Methods: Using a descriptive design, 10 low-income, Spanish-speaking mothers and their 2- to 5-year-old children wererecruited from the community. Mother-child dyads wore actigraphy monitors and mothers completed sleep diary for 5days. Adherence was evaluated by assessing the percentage of data missing from the actigraph and completed sleep diaries. Maternal acceptability was evaluated by a survey.

Results: There was minimal missing actigraphy data for a few children during the daytime, but not during the night time.Participants described some of the difficulties encountered in the study, including worries about the safekeeping ofresearch equipment, the personal discipline needed to record data, and the confusion experienced using part of the sleep diaries.

Conclusion: Based on the results from this study, future sleep studies of Latina mothers and their children can be designedto increase adherence, improve acceptability, and minimize burden.