Bridging Gaps: Enhancing Sleep and Health Disparities in Latino Families with Young Adults with Autism Using a Culturally Adapted Intervention.

Researchers tested a Spanish-language program called ¡Iniciando! la Adultez with Latino families who have young adults with autism. The program helped improve quality of life for both the young adults and their parents. Young adults felt better emotionally and socially, while parents slept better and felt healthier. However, sleep problems weren't fully solved, showing more work is needed. This study shows that programs designed specifically for Latino families can be helpful.

This study evaluated ¡Iniciando! la Adultez, a culturally adapted intervention for Latino young adults with autism and their Spanish-speaking parents during the transition to adulthood. Twenty-six young adults and 38 parents completed baseline and post-treatment assessments. Results showed significant improvements in health-related quality of life for both groups, with young adults experiencing enhanced emotional well-being, social functioning, and general health. Parents demonstrated improvements in sleep quality, sleep latency, and global sleep quality, plus emotional well-being and general health.

Correlational analyses revealed interconnections between baseline sleep quality and post-treatment outcomes. Despite improvements, overall sleep quality remained suboptimal, indicating need for intervention refinement.

Culturally adapted interventions show promise for Latino families with autism during transition to adulthood. Sleep interventions may need enhancement to achieve optimal outcomes. Parent support should be prioritized given their poorer baseline outcomes. Cultural adaptation appears important for engagement and effectiveness in underserved populations.

Small sample size with no control group limits generalizability. Study design unclear from abstract. Sleep quality remained suboptimal despite intervention, suggesting incomplete effectiveness. Long-term sustainability of improvements unknown. Specific intervention components and duration not detailed in abstract.

The present study examined the effects of a culturally adapted intervention, ¡Iniciando! la Adultez, on sleep and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Latino young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their Spanish-speaking parents. The intervention targeted the transition to adulthood, a period associated with increased challenges in sleep and HRQoL, particularly for underserved Latino populations. Participants included 26 young adults and 38 parents who completed assessments at baseline and post-treatment. The results indicated significant improvements in several HRQoL domains for both groups, with young adults reporting enhanced emotional well-being, social functioning, and general health.

Parents experienced notable improvements in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, and global sleep quality, alongside enhanced emotional well-being and general health. Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between baseline sleep quality and post-treatment HRQoL, acculturative stress, and mental health outcomes, suggesting the interconnectedness of these factors. Parents generally reported poorer sleep and HRQoL than young adults at both time points, highlighting the ongoing challenges they face. Despite some improvements, overall sleep quality remained suboptimal, emphasizing the need for further refinement of interventions.

This study underscores the importance of culturally tailored approaches in addressing the unique needs of Latino families affected by ASD and highlights the potential benefits of such interventions in improving sleep and HRQoL. Future research should explore the long-term sustainability of these improvements and address the remaining gaps in sleep quality. The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the need for culturally sensitive interventions in promoting well-being in marginalized communities.