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. 2025 Oct;19(5):1525-1534.
doi: 10.1007/s11764-024-01568-5. Epub 2024 Mar 20.

Sleep health and quality of life in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort

Matthew R Trendowski  1 , Julie J Ruterbusch  2 , Tara Baird  2 , Jaclyn M Kyko  2 , Jennifer L Martin  3 , Ann G Schwartz  2 , Grace E Markey  2 , M Safwan Badr  4 , Jennifer L Beebe-Dimmer  2
Affiliations

Sleep health and quality of life in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort

Matthew R Trendowski et al. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: Sleep disturbances represent a modifiable target to improve quality of life and longer-term outcomes in cancer survivors. However, the association between sleep health and overall quality of life in African American cancer survivors has been poorly assessed, a population at increased risk for morbidity and mortality.

Methods: Seven hundred and eighteen Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort participants completed a supplemental sleep survey at the time of enrollment, which included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Linear and logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between sleep and mental health, while block regression models were used to estimate the contribution of clustered factors to Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL).

Results: Nearly 60% of the cohort reported symptoms indicative of poor sleep quality on the PSQI, 15% reported excessive daytime sleepiness on the ESS, and 12% reported moderate to severe insomnia on the ISI. Survivors with elevated ISI scores reported FACT-G scores that were 17 points lower than those without symptoms of insomnia (95% CI: - 13.1, - 21.2). Poor sleep health accounted for the largest proportion of variability in FACT-G scores (R2 = 0.27) and change in R2 value (0.18) when compared to comorbidities, health behaviors, cancer-related factors, and demographics.

Conclusions: Overall sleep health was significantly associated with poorer HRQOL and variability in FACT-G scores. Additional studies investigating a causal relationship between sleep and HRQOL are needed to determine whether sleep quality could affect disparities in cancer outcomes.

Implications for cancer survivors: Addressing sleep quality in cancer survivors may improve long-term health and HRQOL.

Keywords: African Americans; Health disparities; Quality of life; Sleep health; Survivorship.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Wayne State University Institutional Review Board approved the procedures used in collecting and processing participant information, and informed consent was obtained from all subjects prior to participation. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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