The impact of flame-retardant exposure on sleep health, iq, neurobehavior, and effect modification by social determinants of health in children Kelli Williams

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Williams, Kelli, author.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania. Epidemiology and Biostatistics., degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Epidemiology.

Environmental studies.

Public health.

Environmental health.

Toxicology.

Pediatrics.

0766.

0477.

0573.

0767.

0470.

0383.

Local Subjects:

Epidemiology.

Environmental studies.

Public health.

Environmental health.

Toxicology.

Pediatrics.

0766.

0477.

0573.

0767.

0470.

0383.

Genre:

Academic theses

Physical Description:

1 online resource (187 pages)

Contained In:

Dissertations Abstracts International 87-12B

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 2026

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Flame retardants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs), are widely detected in pregnant women and children and have been linked to thyroid dysfunction and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. However, their potential impact on children's sleep health remains poorly understood. This dissertation examined associations between gestational and childhood flame-retardant concentrations and sleep outcomes from ages 2 to 8 years among mother-child dyads enrolled in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort in Cincinnati, Ohio. Serum PBDE concentrations were measured at 16 weeks' gestation and at ages 5 and 8 years, and urinary OPE metabolites were measured at 16 and 26 weeks' gestation, birth, and ages 3, 5, and 8 years. Sleep was assessed repeatedly using a modified Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire, generating domains of sleep irregularity, hypersomnolence, sleep disruption, and sleep duration (minutes). Child IQ and neurobehavior were assessed at age 8.Generalized estimating equations, linear mixed-effects models, and multiple-informant models were used to evaluate repeated measures and identify sensitive windows. Gestational PBDE concentrations were associated with greater sleep irregularity and disruption across childhood (2-8 years). PBDE concentrations measured at age 5 showed the most consistent associations with sleep at age 8, particularly increased hypersomnolence and shorter sleep duration, suggesting early childhood as a potentially sensitive window. Associations between PBDEs measured at age 8 and concurrent sleep health were less consistent. OPE metabolites demonstrated more variable, timing-specific associations with sleep, including changes in irregularity, disruption, and duration. Effect modification by neighborhood deprivation was observed for both PBDEs and OPEs; PBDE-sleep associations were generally stronger among children living in higher-deprivation neighborhoods, whereas OPE-sleep associations varied across both deprivation groups without a consistent pattern. Mediation analyses indicated that sleep accounted for only a small proportion of associations between gestational flame-retardant exposures and school-age cognitive or behavioral outcomes. Overall, these findings suggest that exposure to endocrine-disrupting flame retardants may have lasting implications for sleep health in childhood and highlight the importance of considering social context and developmental timing when evaluating environmental influences on child health

Notes:

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 87-12, Section: B.

Advisors: Chen, Aimin Committee members: Holmes, John H.; Yang, Wei Peter; Veasey, Sigrid C.

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania 2026

Vendor supplied data

Local Notes:

School code: 0175

ISBN:

9798247981329

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license