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Published on: August 8, 2019
Sleep duration in the United States: a cross-sectional population-based study
Patrick M Krueger1, Elliot M Friedman
1School of Public Health, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA. patrick.m.krueger@uth.tmc.edu
American Journal of Epidemiology
|March 21, 2009
Summary
This study reveals numerous factors linked to both long and short sleep durations in US adults. Understanding these sleep patterns is crucial for public health and disease prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Sleep science
- Public health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sleep duration is linked to various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, accidents, and mortality.
- However, comprehensive data on sleep patterns within the US population remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine demographic, family structure, socioeconomic, health behavior, and health status factors associated with long or short sleep duration in US adults.
- To identify risk factors for abnormal sleep duration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 110,441 noninstitutionalized US adults (aged 18+) from the 2004-2007 National Health Interview Survey-Sample Adult Files.
- Employed multinomial logistic regression to analyze associations between various factors and sleep duration.
Main Results:
- Older age, non-Hispanic Black ethnicity, smoking status, low education/income, and certain health conditions (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression) were associated with increased odds of both long and short sleep.
- Factors like living with young children, being unmarried, and frequent binge drinking were linked to shorter sleep, while younger age, Mexican American ethnicity, and low physical activity were linked to longer sleep.
Conclusions:
- Numerous risk factors for both long and short sleep duration were identified in the US adult population.
- These identified factors may act as confounders in studies examining the relationship between sleep duration and other health outcomes.
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