Self-reported short sleep duration among US adults by disability status and functional disability type: Results from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Abstract

Background: Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and all-cause death. A better understanding of sleep disparities between people with and without disabilities can help inform interventions designed to improve sleep duration among people with disabilities.

Objective: To examine population-based prevalence estimates of short sleep duration by disability status and disability type among noninstitutionalized adults aged ≥18 years.

Methods: Data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to assess prevalence of short sleep duration among adults without and with disabilities (serious difficulty with cognition, hearing, mobility, or vision; any difficulty with self-care or independent living). Short sleep duration was defined as <7 h per 24-h period. We used log-binomial regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) while adjusting for socioeconomic and health-related characteristics.

Results: Adults with any disability had a higher prevalence of short sleep duration than those without disability (43.8% vs. 31.6%; p < .001). After controlling for selected covariates, short sleep was most prevalent among adults with multiple disabilities (PR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.36-1.43), followed by adults with a single disability type (range: PR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03-1.24 [for independent living disability] to PR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.21-1.30 [for mobility disability]) compared to adults without disability.

Conclusions: People with disabilities had a higher likelihood of reporting short sleep duration than those without disabilities. Assessment of sleep duration may be an important component in the provision of medical care to people with disabilities.

Keywords: Adults; BRFSS; Disabilities; Health disparities; Sleep.