SLEEP IN INFANCY: A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF ITS MEASUREMENT, PREDICTORS, AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Sleep in infancy is predictive of later cognitive, behavioral, and socioemotional development, and early sleep difficulties can lead to challenges in any of these developmental domains. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the early underpinnings of these sleep-related difficulties, as well as the complex linkages between sleep and caregiving in one’s earliest days. In a three-study project using a sample of 95 African-American infants and their caregivers, we systematically examined how to best measure infant sleep, how parenting in different contexts influences infant sleep, and how child and parent characteristics interact to predict sleep-related caregiving. In Study 1, we examined how early sleep is measured, and found that measures of variability and instability were predictive of child outcomes above and beyond traditional mean values of sleep. In Study 2, we compared the effects of parenting during the day and at bedtime on child sleep, and found no evidence of previously identified links between parenting and sleep, suggesting the presence of external moderating variables. In Study 3, we examined how maternal anxiety symptomatology influences parenting throughout the night, and tested whether child emotional reactivity might play a role in this association. While no evidence of an interaction between maternal psychopathology and child emotional reactivity emerged, we argue that these findings are critical in further understanding the role of maternal mental health in sleep-related caregiving and early sleep development. The findings from this set of studies can inform intervention aimed at promoting high-quality sleep health and, in turn, positive development in childhood and beyond.Doctor of Philosoph

THE ROLE OF SLEEP IN LINKS BETWEEN SOCIAL THREAT AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN ADOLESCENCE

Experiences of social threat in adolescence are common. During adulthood, such experiences are associated with both sleep problems and cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and hypertension. Less is known about these associations during adolescence. The current study (N=152) tested whether social threat predicts cardiovascular risk during adolescence, and whether these linkages are mediated by sleep problems. Social threat was assessed via measures of peer victimization/bullying and loneliness. Sleep problems were assessed via sleep duration and disturbance. Cardiovascular risk was assessed via BMI and systolic blood pressure. Experiencing increased social threat at age 15 predicted pre-/hypertension by age 16. Additionally, cumulative sleep problems predicted higher BMI. No social threat→sleep problems→cardiovascular risk meditational pathway emerged. The findings support select linkages among social threat, sleep problems, and cardiovascular risk in mid-adolescence. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which earlier social threat is translated into later cardiovascular risk.Master of Art

Altmetric coverage of health research in Ireland 2017-2023: a protocol for a cross-sectional analysis

Background: Scientific publications have been growing exponentially, contributing to an oversaturated information environment. Quantifying a research output’s impact and reach cannot be solely measured by traditional metrics like citation counts as these have a lag time and are largely focused on an academic audience. There is increasing recognition to consider ‘alternative metrics’ or altmetrics to measure more immediate and broader impacts of research. Better understanding of altmetrics can help researchers better navigate evolving information environments and changing appetites for different types of research. Objectives: Our study aims to: 1) analyse the amount and medium of Altmetric coverage of health research produced by Irish organisations (2017 – 2023), identifying changes over time and 2) investigate differences in the amount of coverage between clinical areas (e.g., nutrition vs. neurology). Methods: Using Altmetric institutional access, we will gather data on research outputs published 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2023 from active Irish organisations with Research Organisation Registry (ROR) IDs. Outputs will be deduplicated and stratified by their Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification relating to ≥1 field of health research: Biological Sciences, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Health Sciences, and Psychology. We will clean data using R and perform descriptive analyses, establishing counts and frequencies of coverage by clinical area and medium (e.g., traditional news, X, etc.); data will be plotted on a yearly and quarterly basis where appropriate. Results and Conclusions: Improved understanding of one’s information environment can help researchers better navigate their local landscapes and identify pathways for more effective communication to the public. All R code will be made available open-source, allowing researchers to adapt it to evaluate their local landscapes