Sleep health of preschool children in Bangladesh: predictors, role on executive function and obesity, and sleep promotion intervention

This is a resubmission for Fogarty International Center K01, International Research Scientist Development Award for Dr. Ayesha Sania, at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Sania, an epidemiologist and physician by training, has a strong track record of studying early life risk factors of child physical growth and neurodevelopment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) using secondary data. Through this IRSDA, Dr. Sania will gain (1) experience in primary data collection in Bangladesh, (2) knowledge and skills to study sleep health and executive function (EF), (3) training in advanced statistical methods to study role of sleep health on child outcomes and (4) training in community-based participatory research approaches for intervention adaptation to support her transition to research independence. The scientific premise of the proposal is based on the growing recognition of poor sleep health among children as a public health concern worldwide. Based on preliminary data, an estimated 40% of preschool children (2–5- years) in urban Bangladesh sleep less than the duration recommended by the WHO (10-13 hour/day). Sleep impacts a range of physical and neurodevelopmental outcomes including EF and obesity risk, which are public health priorities in LMICs. Despite the