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Review
. 2016 Feb:18:7-18.
doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2015.01.020. Epub 2015 Feb 28.

Sleep disparity, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic position

Michael A Grandner  1 , Natasha J Williams  2 , Kristen L Knutson  3 , Dorothy Roberts  4 , Girardin Jean-Louis  2
Affiliations
Review

Sleep disparity, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic position

Michael A Grandner et al. Sleep Med. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Sleep represents a set of biological functions necessary for the maintenance of life. Performing these functions, though, requires that an individual engage in behaviors, which are affected by social and environmental factors. Race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position represent categories of factors that likely play a role in the experience of sleep in the community. Previous studies have suggested that racial/ethnic minorities and the socioeconomically disadvantaged may be more likely to experience sleep patterns that are associated with adverse health outcomes. It is possible that disparities in sleep represent a pathway by which larger disparities in health emerge. This review (1) contextualizes the concept of race/ethnicity in biomedical research, (2) summarizes previous studies that describe patterns of sleep attainment across race/ethnicity groups, (3) discusses several pathways by which race/ethnicity may be associated with sleep, (4) introduces the potential role of socioeconomic position in the patterning of sleep, and (5) proposes future research directions to address this issue.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Health disparities; Race/ethnicity; Sleep; Sleep duration; Socioeconomic status.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest associated with this article can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2015.01.020.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Social–ecological model of sleep and health. Adapted from Grandner, Hale, Moore, and Patel [28].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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