ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Rheumatology
The Association Between Children's Sleep Quality and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- 2Hangzhou Children's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
- 3Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital, Ningbo, China
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Objective: To investigate possible sleep disturbances in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis(JIA). Methods: This case-control investigation evaluated 48 JIA patients versus 90 healthy controls through comprehensive clinical assessments. Disease activity was quantified using the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS-27), while health-related quality of life was measured with the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF28). Pain intensity was assessed through dual methods: Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Wong Baker Faces Scale. Fatigue levels were evaluated via the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (PedsQL-MFS), and sleep quality was analyzed using both the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). All statistical analyses were conducted in SPSS 26.0, employing independent t-tests for intergroup comparisons and Spearman correlation analysis for variable relationships. Results: The incidence of sleep disturbance was significantly higher in the JIA group (P<0.01). CSHQ assessments reveal abnormal total scores and six subdomains (sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, etc.; all P<0.05), with specific correlations: total scores link to disease activity (JADAS-27/AJC; P=0.021-0.05), shortened sleep duration strongly associates with ESR/functional status (P=0.002/0.006), and daytime sleepiness connects to physician global assessments (PGA/PGE; P=0.017-0.029). SDSC evaluations indicate abnormalities in four domains (all P<0.05), notably: night hyperhidrosis correlates with disease activity markers (P=0.032-0.039), excessive sleepiness associates with fatigue/functional impairment (P=0.014/0.038), and arousal disorders relate to medication use (P=0.029). Conclusions: JIA patients show significantly higher rates of sleep disorders compared to healthy children, primarily due to disease activity, functional impairment, and medication effects.
Keywords: functional status, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Pediatrics, qualityof sleep, Sleep disturbance
Received: 12 Sep 2025; Accepted: 01 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hao, Li, Di and Zhanli. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zelin Hao
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