title: Racial Discrimination and Ethnic Disparities in Sleep Disturbance: the 2002/03 New Zealand Health Survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research on the relationship between racial discrimination and sleep is limited. The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the independent relationship between ethnicity, sex, age, socioeconomic position, experience of racial discrimination and self-reported sleep disturbances, and (2) determine the statistical contribution of experience of racial discrimination to ethnic disparities in sleep disturbances.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used data from the 2002/03 New Zealand Health Survey, a nationally-representative, population-based survey of New Zealand adults (≥ 15 years). The sample included 4,108 self-identified Māori (indigenous New Zealanders) and 6,261 European adults. Outcome variables were difficulty falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and early morning awakenings. Experiences of racial discrimination across five domains were used to assess overall racial discrimination "ever" and the level of exposure to racial discrimination. Socioeconomic position was measured using neighborhood deprivation, education, and equivalized household income.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Māori had a higher prevalence of each sleep disturbance item than Europeans. Reported experiences of racial discrimination were independently associated with each sleep disturbance item, adjusted for ethnicity, sex, age group, and socioeconomic position. Sequential logistic regression models showed that racial discrimination and socioeconomic position explained most of the disparity in difficulty falling asleep and frequent nocturnal awakening between Māori and Europeans; however, ethnic differences in early morning awakenings remained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial discrimination may play an important role in ethnic disparities in sleep disturbances in New Zealand. Activities to improve the sleep health of non-dominant ethnic groups should consider the potentially multifarious ways in which racial discrimination can disturb sleep.
authors.affiliation: College of Health, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sarah-Jane
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Paine
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ricci
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cormack
authors.affiliation: Dean's Department, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D063505:Racism / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057566:Self Report; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Māori; New Zealand; racial and ethnic disparities; racial discrimination; sleep disturbances; socioeconomic position