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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing
Session: Invited Session: Sleep from a Public Health Perspective: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Implications for Public Health Policy
3118.0: Monday, November 05, 2007: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Oral
Invited Session: Sleep from a Public Health Perspective: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Implications for Public Health Policy
Despite increasing evidence that sleep disturbance is a risk factor for depression, cardiovascular disease, accidents/injuries, and other medical problems, sleep has been largely ignored by the public health community. Increased public health research interest is critical to the development of evidence-based programs and policies that address sleep-related health risks. The purpose of this symposium is to summarize the epidemiology of sleep disturbances and disorders, and the role of sleep as a medical and psychiatric risk factor. Sleep will be examined from a public health perspective to better understand how sleep compares to other health risk factors that typically receive more attention from the public health community. The policy implications of this public health perspective on sleep also will be discussed, including the need for greater monitoring and surveillance of sleep in national health surveys, initiation and evaluation of health promotion programs to encourage adequate sleep, improved methods of early detection of sleep problems among public health professionals, and modifications to occupational, transportation, and other governmental regulations to reduce sleep-related health risks.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the prevalence of sleep disturbances and disorders. 2. Identify the most common health consequences associated with sleep disturbances. 3. Recognize the impact of untreated sleep disturbances on physical and mental health. 4. Discuss the policy implications of a public health perspective on sleep.
Panelist(s):Maurice M. Ohayon, MD, DSc, PhD
Sean Caples, DO
Michael Smolensky, PhD
Alan Golden, MPH
Organizer(s):William Riley, PhD
Moderator(s):William Riley, PhD
10:30 AM   Sleep disturbances: Definitions, prevalence, and associations to mental disorders
Maurice M. Ohayon, MD, DSc, PhD
10:50 AM   Sleep disorders and cardiovascular disease risk
Sean M. Caples, DO
11:10 AM   Sleep, circadian rhythms, and environmental light pollution: Public health issues
Michael Smolensky, PhD
11:30 AM   Public health perspectives on sleep research from the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
Alan Golden, MPH
See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information.
Organized by:Epidemiology
Endorsed by:Occupational Health and Safety
CE Credits:CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing

The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA