The Intersection of Cultural Characteristics and Genetics on the Prevalence of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome in Brazilian and Japanese Adults

Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a circadian rhythm disorder where individuals experience difficulty modifying the time they go to sleep and wake up in response to environmental changes. The circadian rhythm itself is regulated by a variety of clock genes, and various other genes (e.g., AA-NAT gene, CKIϵ gene) code for proteins that regulate clock genes. Various polymorphisms of the clock gene influencers have been shown to increase susceptibility to DSPS. This paper seeks to examine how certain cultural characteristics (e.g., napping, timing of meals, exposure to artificial light) and the presence of the AA-NAT gene (G619A polymorphism) and the CKIϵ gene (S408N polymorphism) influence the prevalence of DSPS amongst Japanese and Brazilian populations.

0396 Prevalence of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DPSP) Among Omani People

Introduction Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder with a definition of delayed night sleep by two or more hours beyond the socially acceptable or conventional bedtime. The general reported prevalence of DSPS is 7% to 16%. However, there is no previous study which assess DSPS prevalence in Oman or nearby regions. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of DSPS among Omani population and to establish a connection between demographics and DSPS. Methods This community-based study included 186 subjects aged from 18 to 64 who had one week of actigraphy records along with their demographical data in Sultan Qaboos University hospital. Results Among the 186, 19 (10.2%) subjects were identified of having DSPS in weekdays, and 15 (11.4%) subjects have DSPS in weekends. The results indicated that marital status had significant relation (P=0.02) more with unmarried group (62.50%, N=10). No significant relationship was found between DSPS and age, gender, BMI, education and employment status in either weekdays or weekends (P>0.05) Conclusion A consistent rates of DSPS was found among Omanis which are 10.2% in weekdays and 11.4% in weekends. Also, DSPS have significantly higher rates among unmarried subjects in weekdays. Further studies in DSPS are needed to assess risk factors and possible health impacts. Support The research Council of Oman

Sleep in university students across years of university education and gender influences

Purpose: Assessment of the influence of gender and increasing years at university on sleep health of students. Methods: Four hundred and eighteen students from different streams across years of undergraduate to postgraduate courses participated. Descriptive statistics, test of differences, and correlation were used. The sleep health data comprised of subjective evaluation using a questionnaire and personal interviews. Results: Overall, 43.1% had sleep problems, females were more affected (51.67% vs. 48.33% in males) but were early bed goers. The prevalence of circadian rhythm sleep disorder (11.6% vs. 9.5%) and delayed sleep phase syndrome (4.5% vs. 2.7%) was slightly higher in males. The daytime dysfunction and hypnotic use significantly differed in students of the same class among gender. Bedtime got significantly delayed along years [H(2)=29.769, p<0.001], and hypnotic use [H(2)=8.807, p=0.012] differed significantly among them. The moderate-very strong correlational statistics among sleep health elements was very similar across gender and years of university education. However, more pronounced influence of years of university education than gender was seen in the significant differences for correlated correlation among sleep health parameters. Conclusion: Gender and years of university education influence sleep among university students both separately and concomitantly.