The Relationship between Sleep Characteristics and Emotions and Behavior in School-age Children: a Study on the Mediating Effect of Executive Function

doi:10.12114/j.issn.1007-9572.2024.0164

Abstract

Abstract:

Background

The sleep characteristics of school-age children have a crucial impact on the development of emotional and behavioral problems. Sleep characteristics also play a role in the development of executive function in school-age children. There is a close relationship between the emergence of emotional and behavioral problems and the development of executive function in these children. Currently, there are few studies on the mediating effect of the relationship between sleep characteristics, executive function, and emotional and behavioral problems in school-age children.

Objective

To explore the relationship between sleep characteristics, executive function, and emotional and behavioral problems in school-age children, and to examine the mediating role of executive function in the relationship between sleep characteristics and emotional and behavioral problems.

Methods

From August 21 to October 8, 2021, a convenience sampling method was used to select 516 school-age children from grades 1 to 6 in Xiwu Primary School and the Fourth Experimental Primary School in Shexian County, Handan City, Hebei Province. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) were used to assess the sleep characteristics, emotional and behavioral problems, and executive function of the school-age children, respectively. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS 27.0 and the PROCESS 4.1 plugin.

Results

A total of 516 questionnaires were distributed, and 496 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 96.1%. Correlation analysis showed that the total score of the CSHQ was negatively correlated with the Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), Metacognition Index (MI), inhibition, shifting, emotional control, task initiation, working memory, planning, organization, and monitoring factors of the BRIEF (P<0.001). The total score of the SDQ was positively correlated with the BRI, MI, inhibition, shifting, emotional control, task initiation, working memory, planning, organization, and monitoring factors of the BRIEF (P<0.001). Forced entry method results showed that sleep characteristics negatively predicted emotional and behavioral problems (B=-0.15, t=-5.33, P<0.01), while executive function positively predicted emotional and behavioral problems (B=0.13, t=20.88, P<0.01). Mediation analysis showed that when executive function, BRI, and MI were used as mediating variables, there was a complete mediating effect between sleep characteristics and emotional and behavioral problems in children. The 95%CI for both the main effect and the indirect effect did not include 0 (P<0.001), and the 95%CI for the direct effect included 0 (P>0.05) .

Conclusion

There is a close relationship between sleep characteristics, executive function, and emotional and behavioral problems in school-age children. Executive function has a complete mediating effect on the relationship between sleep characteristics and emotional and behavioral problems. This finding emphasizes the importance of good sleep for the behavioral and emotional well-being of school-age children and provides new perspectives and intervention approaches for enhancing executive function and overall development in school-age children.

Key words: School-aged children, Sleep, Emotion, Behavior, Executive function, Mediation analysis

摘要：

背景

学龄儿童的睡眠特征对其情绪和行为问题的产生有至关重要的影响，并且睡眠特征对学龄儿童执行功能的发展也起到了一定的作用，学龄儿童情绪和行为问题的产生与其执行功能的发展又有紧密的联系。目前对于学龄儿童睡眠特征、执行功能以及情绪和行为问题的关系是否存在中介效应的研究较少。

目的

探讨学龄儿童的睡眠特征、执行功能与学龄儿童情绪和行为问题之间的关系，以及执行功能在学龄儿童的睡眠特征与情绪和行为问题中的中介作用。

方法

于2021-08-21—10-08，采用方便取样法，选取河北省邯郸市涉县西戌小学与第四实验小学1~6年级学龄儿童516名，分别采用儿童睡眠习惯问卷（CSHQ）、长处与困难问卷（SDQ）以及执行功能行为评定量表（BRIEF）评定学龄儿童的睡眠特征、情绪和行为问题以及执行功能。利用SPSS 27.0以及PROCESS 4.1插件进行相关性分析、回归分析、中介的调节作用分析。

结果

共发放问卷516份，回收有效问卷496份，有效回收率为96.1%。相关性分析结果显示，学龄儿童CSHQ总分与BRIEF中的行为管理指数、元认知功能指数抑制及转换、情感控制、任务启动、工作记忆、计划、组织、监控因子呈负相关（P<0.001）；学龄儿童SDQ总分与BRIEF中的行为管理指数、元认知功能指数抑制及抑制、转换、情感控制、任务启动、工作记忆、计划、组织、监控因子呈正相关（P<0.001）。强迫引入法最终结果显示，学龄儿童睡眠特征负向预测情绪和行为问题（B=-0.15，t=-5.33，P<0.01），执行功能正向预测情绪和行为问题（B=0.13，t=20.88，P<0.01）；中介作用分析结果显示，以执行功能、行为管理指数以及元认知功能指数分别作为中介变量，在儿童睡眠特征与儿童情绪和行为问题间均存在完全中介作用，主效应、间接效应95%CI均不包括0（P<0.001），直接效应95%CI均包括0（P>0.05）。

结论

学龄儿童睡眠特征、执行功能与其情绪和行为存在密切关系，且执行功能在儿童睡眠特征与学龄儿童的情绪和行为问题中存在完全中介作用。这一发现强调了良好睡眠对学龄儿童行为与情绪的重要性，并为提升学龄儿童执行功能和整体发展提供了新的视角和干预途径。

关键词: 学龄儿童, 睡眠, 情绪, 行为, 执行功能, 中介分析

CLC Number:

R 163

MA Ning,ZHAO Yang,LYU Shaobo, et al. The Relationship between Sleep Characteristics and Emotions and Behavior in School-age Children: a Study on the Mediating Effect of Executive Function[J]. Chinese General Practice, 2024, 27(29): 3648-3653. DOI: 10.12114/j.issn.1007-9572.2024.0164.
马宁,赵阳,吕少博等. 学龄儿童睡眠特征对情绪和行为的影响：执行功能的角色探析[J]. 中国全科医学, 2024, 27(29): 3648-3653. DOI: 10.12114/j.issn.1007-9572.2024.0164.

Figures/Tables 11

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项目	BRIEF	CSHQ	SDQ	抑制	转换	情感控制	任务启动	工作记忆	计划	组织
CSHQ	-0.27^a
SDQ	0.70^a	-0.23^a
抑制	0.91^a	-0.25^a	0.68^a
转换	0.83^a	-0.24^a	0.64^a	0.71^a
情感控制	0.85^a	-0.27^a	0.68^a	0.81^a	0.74^a
任务启动	0.89^a	-0.23^a	0.64^a	0.75^a	0.74^a	0.74^a
工作记忆	0.92^a	-0.25^a	0.63^a	0.78^a	0.75^a	0.70^a	0.80^a
计划	0.94^a	-0.24^a	0.61^a	0.81^a	0.76^a	0.71^a	0.83^a	0.88^a
组织	0.86^a	-0.26^a	0.58^a	0.75^a	0.62^a	0.69^a	0.75^a	0.78^a	0.78^a
监控	0.90^a	-0.20^a	0.56^a	0.79^a	0.64^a	0.69^a	0.76^a	0.83^a	0.87^a	0.82^a

项目	BRIEF	CSHQ	SDQ	抑制	转换	情感控制	任务启动	工作记忆	计划	组织
CSHQ	-0.27^a
SDQ	0.70^a	-0.23^a
抑制	0.91^a	-0.25^a	0.68^a
转换	0.83^a	-0.24^a	0.64^a	0.71^a
情感控制	0.85^a	-0.27^a	0.68^a	0.81^a	0.74^a
任务启动	0.89^a	-0.23^a	0.64^a	0.75^a	0.74^a	0.74^a
工作记忆	0.92^a	-0.25^a	0.63^a	0.78^a	0.75^a	0.70^a	0.80^a
计划	0.94^a	-0.24^a	0.61^a	0.81^a	0.76^a	0.71^a	0.83^a	0.88^a
组织	0.86^a	-0.26^a	0.58^a	0.75^a	0.62^a	0.69^a	0.75^a	0.78^a	0.78^a
监控	0.90^a	-0.20^a	0.56^a	0.79^a	0.64^a	0.69^a	0.76^a	0.83^a	0.87^a	0.82^a

项目	BRIEF	CSHQ	SDQ	行为管理指数
行为管理指数	0.945^a	-0.278^a	0.722^a
元认知功能指数	0.988^a	-0.259^a	0.669^a	0.883^a

项目	BRIEF	CSHQ	SDQ	行为管理指数
行为管理指数	0.945^a	-0.278^a	0.722^a
元认知功能指数	0.988^a	-0.259^a	0.669^a	0.883^a

因变量	自变量	R²	F值	B	SE	t值	P值
SDQ	CSHQ	0.05	28.36	-0.15	0.03	-5.33	<0.01
BRIEF	CSHQ	0.07	39.50	-0.09	0.15	-6.29	<0.01
SDQ	CSHQ	0.50	244.65	-0.03	0.02	-1.35	0.18
	BRIEF			0.13	0.01	20.88	<0.01