P085 Early Childhood and Adolescent Predictors of Sleep Problems and Sleep Disorders in Adulthood: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Observational Studies

Abstract

Abstract Background By middle-age, 43% of Australian adults live with a clinical sleep disorder. Sleep disorders are linked to chronic illnesses which are a leading cause of premature mortality. The aim of this review was to identify, appraise and synthesise evidence from longitudinal observational studies to clarify childhood and adolescence risk factors associated with sleep disorders in adulthood. Method Four databases (Web of Science, Medline, SCOPUS, and PSYCINFO) were searched using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies which were longitudinal, including at least one risk factor measured before 18 years of age, and an assessment of sleep problems or disorders in adulthood. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022301342). Result A total of 13,712 studies were screened, with 51 studies meeting criteria for data extraction. Sleep problems in childhood (n=9), childhood mental health (n=7), family environment (n= 2), adverse childhood experience (n=5), and lifestyle factors (n=9) were reported to be associated with sleep problems in adulthood. However most studies (n=30) only considered one or two measurements time points in childhood or adolescence as a predictor of adult sleep problems, and the age of sleep problem measurement in adulthood varied considerably (18 – 42 years). Further, heterogeneous sleep outcomes were reported across the studies, making quantitative synthesis of the data extremely challenging. Discussion Sleep problems in adulthood may be a result of cumulative risk factors in early childhood and adolescence. Consideration of childhood and adolescent trajectories are needed to better understand the biopsychosocial predictors of sleep problems in adulthood.