Race/Ethnic Differences in Educational Gradients in Sleep Duration and Quality among U.S. Adults

• In Event: 4266 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 4. Disparities

Abstract

In the United States greater socioeconomic attainment, especially educational attainment, is associated with better health and sleep. However, whether racial/ethnic minorities receive the same benefit for sleep from increased educational attainment as non-Hispanic whites (whites) remains unclear. Using the 2004-2017 National Health Interview Survey (N=398,382), multinomial (self-reported sleep duration) and negative binomial (self-reported sleep quality) regression models were fit to examine the interaction between self-reported race/ethnicity and educational attainment. Even after adjustment for demographic, physical/mental health, behavioral health, and other socioeconomic characteristics, we found that for whites greater education was significantly associated with healthy sleep duration and higher quality sleep. In contrast, for non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics higher educational attainment was associated with short-sleep duration and worse sleep quality. This work builds on previous work illustrating the precarious health of socioeconomically advantaged racial/ethnic minorities.

Authors

• Connor Sheehan, University of Texas at Austin

• Jennifer A. Ailshire, University of Southern California