The following is a summary of “Patient-reported outcomes for measuring sleep disturbance in pediatric atopic dermatitis: Cross-sectional study of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pediatric sleep measures and actigraphy,” published in the FEBRUARY 2023 issue of Dermatology by Fishbein, et al.

Most kids with atopic dermatitis (AD) have sleep problems, but there weren’t many trustworthy evaluation methods available. So for a study, researchers sought to design an algorithm to screen, evaluate, and intervene to lessen sleep disturbance and to test the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) sleep measurements in pediatric AD.

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 61 children with AD aged 5 to 17 years and one parent (n = 61). Participants filled out questionnaires on sleep, itch, and AD-specific issues, and doctors graded the severity of the condition. In addition, for a 1-week objective sleep examination, every child wore an actigraphy watch.

Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM)-determined disease severity groups were distinguished by PROMIS sleep disturbance parent proxy reliability, which was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.90) and showed a difference between mild, moderate, and severe disease severity groups (mean ± standard deviation in mild vs. moderate vs. severe was 55.7 ± 7.5 vs 59.8 ± 10.8 vs. 67.1 ± 9.5; P < .01). Sleep disruption was associated with decreased quality of life (Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index, r = 0.58), PROMIS sleep-related impairment (r = 0.57), and itch (numeric rating scale, r = 0.48) with all P values less than.01. PROMIS parent proxy-reported sleep disturbance (T-score ≥60) had strong sensitivity (95%) for a positive report on the POEM sleep disturbance question. A proposed algorithm for detecting and addressing sleep disruption was produced.

Using the POEM sleep question, sleep disturbance in children with AD should be screened for and, if necessary, further assessed using the PROMIS sleep disturbance scale or objective sleep monitoring.

Reference: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(20)31015-X/fulltext