Does Neighborhood Context Matter? A Multilevel Analysis of Neighborhood Disadvantage and Children's Sleep Health

Carlyn Graham , Pennsylvania State University
Gabriele Cicuirkaite, Utah State University
Eric N. Reither, Utah State University

Adequate sleep is necessary for optimal health and is especially pertinent for the wellbeing and development of young children. Prior studies of children have detected cultural, socioeconomic and demographic contributors to sleep insufficiencies. Additionally, some studies have found that residential surroundings may influence sleep behaviors and characteristics. However, research is limited in this area, especially among young children. Our investigation addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the influence of neighborhoods on the bedtimes of young children. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, we estimate a series of nested hierarchical regression models to examine the effects of individual- and community-level contributors to bedtime differences. Our findings indicate that demographic and socioeconomic factors significantly affect children’s bedtimes. We also find that children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods have significantly later bedtimes than other children. We discuss potential implications of these results for future research and policy.

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 Presented in Session 246. Sleep and Population Health Disparities