Racial differences in self-reports of sleep duration in a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
Racial and ethnic differences in sleep duration are not well understood. Research shows that short (< or =6 hours) and long (> or =9 hours) sleepers have higher mortality risks than mid-range sleepers. We investigated whether sleep duration varies by racial and ethnic characteristics and if some of these associations may be explained by residential context.


METHODS
Cross-sectional National Health Interview Survey.


METHODS
Non-institutionalized adults living in the United States in 1990.


METHODS
32,749 people aged 18 years or older.


RESULTS
We estimate a multinomial logistic regression that predicts short, mid-range, and long sleep duration; including covariates for race/ethnicity, among other demographic, health, and neighborhood characteristics. Black respondents had an increased risk of being short and long sleepers (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.27-1.57 and OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.40-1.88, respectively) relative to white respondents. Hispanics (excluding Mexican Americans) and non-Hispanic "Others" were also associated with increased risk of short sleeping (OR=1.26, 95% CI= 1.07-1.49 and OR=1.35, 95% CI= 1.11-1.64, respectively). Living in an inner city was associated with increased risk of short sleeping and reduced risk of long sleeping, compared to non-urban areas. Some of the higher risk of short sleeping among blacks can be explained by higher prevalence of blacks living in the inner city.


CONCLUSIONS
Blacks and other racial minorities are more likely to have sleep durations that are associated with increased mortality. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that unhealthy sleep patterns among minorities may contribute to health differentials.
Hale
Lauren
L
State University of New York, Stony Brook, Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate Program in Public Health, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. lhale@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Do
D Phuong
DP
D000204:Activity Cycles; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data