Sleep in Pasifika Adolescents

Sleep of adequate duration and quality is crucial for maintaining physical and mental health. Recent research, however, suggests that Pasifika youth in New Zealand (NZ) may not be getting enough good quality sleep. This, in turn, may be contributing to health disparities between Pasifika and the other NZ population groups. This study aimed to describe perceptions of Pasifika adolescents about sleep, their thoughts on how Pasifika culture impacts on sleep, and the appropriateness of potential interventions to improve sleep within Pasifika families. This study involved qualitative interviews with local Pasifika high school students, underpinned by the Talanoa research method and the University of Otago Pacific Research Protocols. Transcripts from these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, noting common themes that arose from the interviews. The results suggest that most Pasifika adolescents felt they had challenges in getting enough sleep. Alongside challenges that are consistent with adolescents worldwide (e.g. a delayed circadian rhythm and a tendency to catch up on missed sleep in the weekends), they felt some were more specifically related to aspects of Pasifika family values and lived experiences. For example, many mentioned living with large families that had inconsistent sleep patterns, attending family, cultural, and church/community events or activities during some evenings, and feeling high extracurricular and academic pressures, all which they felt negatively affected their sleep. In discussions about acceptability of different sleep interventions, participants indicated that the interventions likely to have the biggest positive impact would include sleep education for adolescents and their families, parental-set bedtimes, and restricting screen technology use. In conclusion, Pasifika adolescents noted several challenges to their sleep, some likely to be specific to Pasifika family contexts. This context also featured in solutions to these challenges, with the most popular interventions empowering families to work together to support sleep and wellbeing