0792 TigerCHAT: A School-Based Health Education Program Promoting Wellness and Sleep Health in a Rural Community

Abstract Introduction There is increasing awareness of the importance of sleep for overall health and wellness in children. However, many children are still not getting the recommended hours of sleep necessary for optimal school functioning. The purpose of this project is to describe a school-based health education program (TigerCHAT) and identify common barriers to sleep in 10-11 year old students. Methods TigerCHAT is a school-based health education program for children K-6th grades. It focuses on 45-minute sessions addressing various health topics, including sleep. Data are collected after parental consent approved. It was implemented in a rural elementary school in Alabama in the fall of 2018. Eighty-two nursing students over 10 weeks led small groups of students in brief educational modules, including one on sleep, during their scheduled gym period. Before education began, 5th and 6th grade students (10-11 years old) filled out a 22 question “What Keeps Me From Sleeping Well” Questionnaire modified for children from the Sleep Environment Inventory that asked students to circle yes/no/NA. Results Frequencies and percentages were run on the data to determine common reasons for disrupted sleep. Children ages 10-11 years in 5th and 6th grade (n=363, 47% female, 53% male, 45.3% Black, 50.8% White, 0.4% Hispanic, 1.5% Asian or Pacific Islander, 68% classified as economically disadvantaged) in a rural elementary school filled out questionnaires. The most frequently cited reasons for not sleeping well included: Noise inside the house (55%, n=198); Room too hot or cold (50%, n=181); Phone calls or text messages during the night (49%, n=176); Needed to go to the bathroom (49%, n=177); The TV, radio, or computer was on (44%, n=160); and Worried about my family (41%, n=149). Conclusion Students in this sample overwhelmingly endorsed environmental disrupters as reasons for not sleeping well (temperature of room, presence of noise, phone/technology in room), rather than other stressors on the questionnaire (worry about grades, worry about friends) or physical factors (stomach ache). Environmental factors such as the use of phones and social media should be examined further in this population, as it may be a significant, and potentially modifiable, reason for poor sleep in school age children. Support (if any)