Examining correlates and consequences of sleep duration in a Latino community

The health effects of insufficient sleep are well-established and a growing body of evidence supports a connection between long duration sleep and morbidity and mortality. However, there is limited information on sleep-related health issues among Latinos. This study examined the association between sleep duration and various health conditions in a large Latino population in Southern California. To further socio-epidemiological research and to inform future intervention research, socio-cultural correlates of sleep duration also were examined. Six-hundred and seventy-two Latino adults were randomly sampled to participate in a telephone interview in the language of their choice (38% response rate; 59% completed the interview in Spanish). The sample was well-educated (40% some college education) and reported a median monthly income of $3008.00 (SD = $2425.00). Sleep duration, as measured by two questions from the Pittsburgh Sleep study, indicated that average sleep duration across weekdays and weekends ranged from four to 14 hours per night. Compared with those with long sleep durations, individuals with short sleep durations (< 7 hours/night) were more likely to report a history of hypertension (p<.05), high cholesterol (p<.01), asthma (p<.05), arthritis (p<.001), and depression (p<.05). More acculturated individuals and those who perceived their neighborhood as less cohesive reported short sleep durations (both p<.05) Older age and being employed also were associated with short sleep duration. Socio-cultural factors influence sleep duration, which in turn is associated with health status. These data provide evidence for developing culturally-relevant models for health promotion and practice guidelines.