The predictors of sleep quality in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders in the west of Iran: A path analysis

There is limited data available on the impact of sleep problems in children with ASD on parents' sleep quality. Due to the lack of research in Iran on factors affecting the sleep quality of mothers of children with ASD, this study was designed to explore predictors of mothers' sleep quality using path analysis. From October 2022 to May 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Hamadan, a city in western Iran, involving 100 mothers of children with ASD. Data were collected using a demographic checklist and four questionnaires were included Perceived social support, Petersburg Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQI), Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and Perceived Stress. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 16, and path analysis was conducted with LISREL software version 8.5. Statistical significance was determined by P-values less than 0.05. The sleep quality of mothers had no significant relationship with any of the demographic variables (p > 0.05). Correlation bivariate analysis showed that the total score of Sleep Quality of mothers had a positive significant correlation with Perceived Stress (r=0.28) and Sleep Habit of Children (r=0.51) but had a negative significant correlation with Social Support (r=-0.31). Children's sleep habits, perceived stress, and perceived social support are the main predictors of Sleep Quality in Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders. Our study showed sleep quality in mothers of children with ASD may be the function of the child's sleep pattern, social support, and stress. We recommended that our hypothesized model should be enriched with more covariates and modifiers and also be tested in further large-scale prospective studies.