School Characteristics, Child Work, and Other Daily Activities as Sleep Deficit Predictors in Adolescents from Households with Unsatisfied Basic Needs

DANIEL E. VIGO; GUIDO SIMONELLI; IANINA TUÑÓN; DANIEL PÉREZ CHADA; DANIEL P. CARDINALI; DIEGO GOLOMBEK

Mind, Brain and Education

Wiley

Año: 2014 vol. 8 p. 175 - 181

Sleep in adolescents has been shown to be an important factorwhen looking at physical,mental, and social well-being. Little evidence is found regarding sleep patterns in adolescents from households facing extreme poverty,where conditions such as crowding, poor housing, sanitation or education, and precarious employment set an adverse environment for sleep. In this study, we sought to assess in a Argentine, nationwide sample comprising 1682 adolescents,how the presence of extreme poverty as defined by the presence of unsatisfied basic needs (UBN)affects the relationship between sleep duration and school, work, and other daily activities.Aglobal high prevalence of short sleeping time, a slight increase of sleep time in adolescents with UBN, and different patterns of wake activities that predict sleep deficit, depending on the presence ofUBN,were found.Thepoor academic achievement, increased risk of accidents, and adverse health outcomes associated with sleep deprivation support the view that sleep is an additional unsatisfied basic need that worsens living conditions at this age. The results may help to design public health policies that contribute to ameliorate this adverse situation.