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Sleep and academic performance in Indigenous Australian children from a remote community: an exploratory study

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dc.contributor.authorCooper, P.
dc.contributor.authorKohler, M.
dc.contributor.authorBlunden, S.
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractAIM: Disruptions to sleep in childhood are associated with poor behaviour and deficits in academic performance and executive function. Although academic performance of indigenous children from remote communities in Australia is documented as well below that of nonindigenous children, the extent of sleep disruption and its contribution to academic performance among this population has not been assessed. This pilot study aimed to objectively assess the sleep of remote indigenous children and the association between sleep disruption and both academic performance and executive function. METHOD: Twenty-one children from a remote Australian indigenous community aged 6–13 years wore actigraphy for two consecutive nights, reported subjective sleepiness, and were objectively assessed for academic performance (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 2nd Edition) and executive function (NEuroloPSYcological Assessment-II). RESULTS: Results show marked reduction in sleep time, sleep fragmentation, academic performance and auditory attention compared with non-indigenous norms. Sleep duration was not associated with performance, possibly because of reduced sleep and performance observed across the entire group. Sleep fragmentation was associated with reduced reading and numerical skills (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The sleep of indigenous children in remote communities is an important area of future inquiry, and our initial findings of poor sleep and an association between sleep disruption and academic performance may have important implications for intervention strategies aimed at ‘closing the gap’. Further studies should assess a broader range of demographic, social and economic factors to better understand the associations reported here and guide future intervention.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityPatrick Cooper, Mark Kohler and Sarah Blunden
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2012; 48(2):122-127
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02059.x
dc.identifier.issn1034-4810
dc.identifier.issn1440-1754
dc.identifier.orcidKohler, M. [0000-0001-7265-6242] [0000-0002-3564-5859]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/72380
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Asia
dc.rights© 2012 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2012 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians)
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02059.x
dc.subjectAcademic performance
dc.subjectchild
dc.subjectindigenous Australian
dc.subjectneurocognition
dc.subjectsleep
dc.titleSleep and academic performance in Indigenous Australian children from a remote community: an exploratory study
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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