Neighborhood social capital and sleep duration: a population based cross-sectional study in a rural Japanese town

Abstract

BackgroundStudies on social capital and health outcomes have become common, but the relationship between neighborhood social capital and sleep duration by gender is still unclear. We examined the relationship between neighborhood social capital and sleep duration by gender in adults living in a rural community in Japan.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of 12,321 residents aged ≥20 years in a town in Mie Prefecture in January–March 2013. Self-completed questionnaires were collected from the residents (n = 7782; valid participation rate, 63.2%). We used five items to assess the neighborhood social capital (Cronbach’s α = 0.86). We summed up the scores of each item, and then divided the participants into four groups by quartile of total scores of neighborhood social capital (lowest, low, high, and highest). Sleep duration of < 7 h/day was defined as insufficient sleep duration according to previous studies. To adjust for potential confounders, we performed a multiple log-binominal regression analysis and estimated the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for insufficient sleep.ResultsOverall 42% of the men and 45% of the women had insufficient sleep. In the men, the lowest group of neighborhood social capital presented a 22% higher prevalence of insufficient sleep (PR 1.22; 95% CIs 1.08–1.38) compared to the highest group of neighborhood social capital. Similarly the low group of neighborhood social capital and the high group of neighborhood social capital had 20 and 19% higher prevalence of insufficient sleep (PR 1.20; 95% CIs 1.06–1.36; PR 1.19; 95% CIs 1.06–1.34, respectively) compared to the highest group of neighborhood social capital. For women there was no significant association between neighborhood social capital and insufficient sleep after controlling for all potential confounders.ConclusionHaving lower neighborhood social capital was associated with insufficient sleep among Japanese adults, particularly in the men. This suggests that the context of neighborhood social capital by gender should be considered to promote healthier behaviors with regard to getting enough sleep.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5204-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Examining social capital in relation to sleep duration, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness

“…[16][17][18][19] Our results show that long sleepers were less likely to report participation in social or community organizations in both separate and combined models, but not short sleepers. This is a novel contribution to the literature, as Win and colleagues found an association between short sleep duration and poor social capital, 37 and Pabayo and colleagues found an association between a similar construct, social fragmentation, and short sleep duration. 24 Then, consistent with the work from Win and Pabayo, our results found short sleepers were less likely to report helping behaviors and less likely to report a sense of belonging in their community, in both separate and combined models.…”

“…Social capital is operationalized in terms of the following dimensions: 1) participation in social or community organization(s) (i.e., the number of formal social groups, such as clubs, a person belongs to), 2) neighborhood helping behavior (i.e., the degree to which neighbors help each other), 3) neighborhood belonging (i.e., the degree to which individuals feel like their neighborhood makes them feel welcome and that they belong), 4) neighborhood trust (i.e., the degree to which neighbors trust each other), and 5) neighborhood improvement (i.e., the degree to which neighbors work together to improve the neighborhood). 23,39,40 Based on previous findings that demonstrate an inverse association between sleep duration and social capital, 37 we extend these findings to hypothesize an inverse association between social capital and three dimensions of sleep health, including: duration, insomnia, and sleepiness. Consistent with prior research examining neighborhood factors, 16,17,24,37 we propose to control for SES so as to focus on the association between social capital and sleep health.…”

“…23,39,40 Based on previous findings that demonstrate an inverse association between sleep duration and social capital, 37 we extend these findings to hypothesize an inverse association between social capital and three dimensions of sleep health, including: duration, insomnia, and sleepiness. Consistent with prior research examining neighborhood factors, 16,17,24,37 we propose to control for SES so as to focus on the association between social capital and sleep health.…”

“…36 With regards to sleep, one study was identified that examined social capital among community-dwelling Japanese individuals, finding poor social capital is associated with insufficient sleep duration. 37 The Social-Ecological Model of Sleep Health 9,38 posits that poor sleep health is driven by social-contextual factors that underpin health broadly and sleep health specifically.…”

Social engagement pattern, health behaviors and subjective well-being of older adults: an international perspective using WHO-SAGE survey data

“…This might be because a lack of social contacts in older people's lives may result in the flattening of their circadian rhythm and reduced needs for sleep in the evening [42]. Thida et al [43] found that having lower neighborhood social capital was associated with insufficient sleep among Japanese adults, particularly in the men. Tarja and colleagues [44] found that people with high levels of social support were more likely to have adequate duration of sleep.…”