Family environment characteristics and sleep duration in children: Maternal mental health as a mediator

Background: Family environment is a key factor affecting children's health. However, little is known about whether and how the family environment affects sleep duration in children. This study investigated the effects of both physical and social characteristics of the family environment on sleep duration in children and determined whether these associations were mediated by maternal mental health. Methods: Data were obtained from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study. A total of 19,400 children who completed 6month, 18-month, 3-year, 5.5-year, and 8-year surveys were analyzed. The physical family environment characteristics were household crowding and housing quality. Family functioning was used as an indicator of family social environment. Multiple linear regression and path analysis were performed to test the hypotheses. Results: The children living in crowded households had shorter sleep durations (beta = -0.03, p < .001). Superior housing quality and family functioning were associated with longer sleep durations (beta = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively, ps < .01). The effects of housing quality and family functioning on sleep duration were mediated by maternal mental health. Conclusions: Both physical and social characteristics of the family environment are critical to sleep duration in children. The effects of family environment characteristics on sleep duration in children are in part mediated by maternal mental health. Interventions to improve sleep during childhood by targeting the family environment may be more effective when maternal mental health is considered.