Immigrant Status, Socioeconomic Status, and Sleep Disparities in Early Adolescence: Findings From the National...

The intersecting roles of immigrant status and socioeconomic status (SES) have not been a focal area for research in adolescent sleep. This study examined sleep disparities among early adolescents from immigrant and nonimmigrant families and whether SES moderated sleep disparities by immigrant status.

A national sample of 9,715 early adolescents (M_age = 11.47 years, 47.7% female) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study reported sleep duration, onset, and offset times. A subsample of 3,719 early adolescents (M_age = 11.48 years; 49.2% female) completed actigraphy assessments of sleep for 3 weeks. Sleep disparities in mean levels and variability in sleep duration, onset, and offset times were investigated by immigrant status controlling for covariates at adolescent, family, and neighborhood levels. The interaction of immigrant status and SES on sleep was also investigated.

Adolescents from immigrant (vs. nonimmigrant) families had more optimal sleep health, including longer self-reported weekend sleep duration, longer actigraphy-assessed weekday and weekend sleep duration, and earlier actigraphy-assessed weekend onset time. Those from immigrant (vs. nonimmigrant) families also showed smaller variability in weekday and weekend sleep duration, weekday and weekend onset times, and weekday offset time. Lower SES increased the differences by immigrant status in self-reported weekday sleep duration and weekend onset time, actigraphy-assessed weekday sleep duration, and weekday offset time variability.

There is evidence for sleep differences among early adolescents by immigrant status. These differences were further conditioned by socioeconomic backgrounds, suggesting that both sociodemographic characteristics are important to consider in understanding adolescent sleep health.