• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.101-115
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• 2018

Objective: The goals of this research were (1)to examine the relationship among parental conflict, mothers' depression and preschoolers' sleep problems, and (2) to examine the mediating effects of mothers' depression between marital conflict and preschoolers' sleep problems. Methods: The participants were 1,639 mothers with preschoolers taken from the 5th year Korean Children Panel. Date were analyzed using descriptive statistics, partial correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The results were as follows: First, preschoolers' sleep problems were positively related to marital conflicts. Second, preschoolers' sleep problems were positively related to mothers' depression. Third, marital conflict was positively related to mothers' depression. Lastly, mothers' depression fully mediated the relationship between marital conflict and preschoolers' sleep problems. That is, marital conflict had an effect on preschoolers' sleep problem, only through mothers' depression. Conclusion/Implications: Based on the results, intervention programs should be developed to prevent preschoolers' sleep problems such as marital relationship improvement programs and mothers' depression improvement programs.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.109-128
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• 2018

Objective: This study examined the relationships among mothers' marital satisfaction, parenting behavior, and preschoolers' sleep problems. Methods: Three hundred mothers of preschoolers completed questionnaires on three research variables. Data were analyzed by correlation analyses and regression analyses. Results: First, mothers' marital satisfaction was negatively related to preschoolers' sleep problems. Second, mothers' marital satisfaction was positively associated with warmth and reasoning, while mothers' marital satisfaction was negatively associated with intrusiveness, coercion, and neglect. Third, mothers' warmth and reasoning were negatively linked to preschoolers' sleep problems, but mothers' coercion was positively linked to preschoolers' sleep problems. Lastly, mothers' warmth partially mediated the relationship between mothers' marital satisfaction and preschoolers' sleep problems. Conclusion/Implications: This study confirmed that mothers' marital satisfaction and parenting behavior had an influence on preschoolers' sleep problems. These findings highlight the importance of the family context for preschoolers' healthy sleeping habits.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Household chaos, represented by high levels of disorganization and instability in the home, has been linked with suboptimal outcomes for preschoolers. The aim of this study was to examine the roles that sleep problems and executive function play in the association between household chaos and preschoolers' aggression and prosocial behavior. The sample for the study consisted of 420 preschoolers and their mothers. The mothers provided reports on the level of chaos in the home and their preschoolers' sleep problems, executive function, and social behavior, including aggression and prosocial behavior. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. When preschoolers' sleep problems and executive function were included in the model as mediators, the results indicated that household chaos did not have direct effects on preschoolers' aggression and prosocial behavior. Such effects were instead serially mediated by preschoolers' sleep problems and executive function, respectively. The higher the degree of household chaos, the more preschoolers displayed sleep problems and deficits in executive function, resulting in more aggression and less prosocial behavior. The findings from this study emphasize the significance of reducing household chaos in order to reduce preschoolers' aggression and promote prosocial behavior. They also underscore the need to identify additional variables that mediate the impact of household chaos on preschoolers' social outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.33-48
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• 2017

Objective: This study examined the relationships among sleep problems, executive function and social behavior during the preschool period. In addition, the mediating role of executive function between sleep problems and social behavior was investigated. Methods: A total of 304 preschool children participated in this study. The data were collected through maternal reports. Results: First, preschoolers' sleep problems were found to be significantly related to overt aggression and prosocial behavior. Second, preschoolers with sleep problems displayed lower levels of executive function. Third, preschoolers' executive function was significantly associated with social behavior. Lastly, preschoolers' executive function fully mediated the relationship between sleep problems and overt aggression, and between sleep problems and prosocial behavior. That is, preschoolers' sleep problems had effects on overt aggression and prosocial behavior, only through the effects on executive function. Conclusion: This study contributes to the sleep literature by examining the role of executive function and emphasizes the importance of forming a healthy sleep habit during the preschool period.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.523-536
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• 2023

Purpose: This study investigated the association between sleep problems and food allergies (FAs) in Chinese preschoolers and assessed whether there is a difference in this association among children with/without siblings. Methods: A cluster-stratified sampling approach was employed to select four districts in Chongqing based on demographic considerations. A total of 16 kindergartens (n = 966 parents) participated in this study. Parents completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and a standard FAs questionnaire. Analysis of covariance and multiple logistic regression were used to assess the associations between sleep problems and FAs after adjusting for relevant confounders. Results: The study found that 16.3% of children had FAs, with eggs, shellfish, and fruit being the most common allergenic foods. The prevalence of FAs was significantly higher in single children (20.63%) than in children with siblings (13.36%). A total of 70.39% of children had CSHQ scores above the clinical cut-off for sleep disorder. Factor analysis revealed five underlying dimensions from the CSHQ. Factor scores, except for the 'difficulty morning waking' factor, were not significantly different between the two groups. Remarkably, the factor scores of 'parasomnias' and 'sleep anxiety' were significantly higher when children had both siblings and FAs. For all subjects, the odds ratios (ORs) of FAs significantly increased with the presence of sleep disorder (OR, 2.35; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.50-3.68) and 'difficulty falling asleep' (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.22-1.48). The subgroup analysis showed that the probability of FAs significantly increased with the 'difficulty falling asleep' (OR, 1.32 vs. 1.38) and sleep disorder (OR, 2.48 vs. 2.14) in children with and without siblings, respectively. The 'parasomnias' was positively associated only with children with siblings. Conclusion: This study suggests that children with siblings might be more susceptible to FAs when accompanied by certain sleep problems. Further studies are warranted to address the underlying dimensions and possible mediation effects of having siblings with sleep problems.