P118 Sleep in adults exposed to a major flooding event in Australia

Abstract Introduction Residents in communities impacted by major flooding events, such as those experienced in Brisbane in 2022, face a range of challenges that may impact their recovery. Poor sleep health may be a direct and potentially ongoing outcome of these events. Method An online survey was completed by 134 adults affected by flooding in 2022/3 in Australia (Mdn Age=27; 79% female). Data were collected12-18 months post-flood. The survey consisted of standardized assessments of socioemotional functioning and sleep, predominantly drawn from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®), with a tailored measure of flood exposure. Results Residents living in a flood affected suburb whose home was affected by flood waters, or with residual problems due to flood waters, had higher PROMIS Sleep Disturbance T-Scores (PROMIS-SD; p=0.05, p=<0.01, respectively) and higher PROMIS Sleep Related Impairment T-Score (PROMIS-SRI) (p=0.02, p=.03) compared to those who did not; but there was no significant association for sleep duration (p=0.83, p=0.41) and sleep regularity (p=0.33, p=0.69). Greater worry about future extreme weather, but not worrying about climate change, was associated with greater PROMIS-SD (p<0.01, p=0.33) and PROMIS-SRI (p<0.01, p=0.34). Discussion Climate change has implications for sleep health on a global scale. The frequency of extreme weather events is predicted to increase. Poor sleep may amplify and reinforce health and social risks for people after flooding. Further analysis of these data will explore the mediating impact of sleep on psychosocial trajectories of recovery.