Race/Ethnicity, Sleep Duration, and Diabetes Mellitus: Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

Background Effect of race/ethnicity on the risk of diabetes associated with sleep duration has not been systematically investigated. This study assessed whether blacks reporting short (≤ 5 hours) or long (≥ 9 hours) sleep durations were at greater risk for diabetes than their white counterparts. In addition, this study also examined whether the influence of race/ethnicity on associations between abnormal sleep durations and the presence of diabetes were independent of individuals’ sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Methods A total of 29,818 Americans (age range: 18–85 years) enrolled in the 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), cross-sectional household interview survey, provided complete data for this analysis. Results Of the sample, 85% self-ascribed their ethnicity as white and 15% as black. The average age was 47.4; 56% were female. Results of univariate regression analysis adjusted for medical comorbidities showed that black and white participants who reported short sleep duration (≤ 5 hours) were more likely to have diabetes than individuals who reported sleeping 6 to 8 hours [OR = 1.66; OR = 1.87, respectively]. Similarly, black and white participants reporting long sleep duration (≥ 9 hours) had a greater likelihood to report diabetes compared with those with sleeping 6 to 8 hours [OR = 1.68; OR = 2.33, respectively]. Significant interactions of short and long sleep with black and white race were observed. Compared with white participants, greater diabetes risk was associated with being black short or long sleepers. Conclusion The present findings suggest that American the black short and long sleepers may be at greater risk for diabetes, independently of their sociodemographic profile or the presence of co-morbid medical conditions, which have previously been shown to influence habitual sleep durations. Among black individuals at risk for diabetes, healthcare providers should stress the need for adequate sleep.

The Influence of Stress, Gender, and Culture on Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Management Among Black Men

“…Indeed, our focus group participants revealed that they frequently compromised sleep and exercise to meet the demands of their lives, and sometimes used alcohol in excess to cope with their stressors. T2dm interventions will therefore need to emphasize the need for adequate sleep and moderation in alcohol consumption, since both are linked to t2dm-related health outcomes (Emanuele, Swade, & Emanuele, 1998;Knutson, Ryden, Mander, & Van Cauter, 2006;Zizi et al, 2012). Resiliencybased interventions may hold promise for Black men since they empower individuals to see stressful situations as challenges and thereby provide opportunities for personal growth, positively influencing t2dm-related outcomes (e.g., HbA1c, body mass index; Steinhardt, Mamerow, Brown, & Jolly, 2009).…”

An Official American Thoracic Society Statement: The Importance of Healthy Sleep. Recommendations and Future Priorities

“…Much of this knowledge comes from animal models of sleep deprivation (1) and from short-term experimentally induced sleep deprivation in humans, where deficits in cognition, vigilance, memory, mood, behavior, ability to learn, immune function, and general performance (6,24) have been identified. Self-reported short sleep duration in epidemiological studies has also been associated with longterm outcomes such as diabetes (25)(26)(27), obesity, depression (28), hypertension (29), and all-cause mortality (10), with at least some studies showing the elderly being particularly susceptible (30). Underlying mechanisms to explain the potential relationship between short sleep duration and the development of chronic diseases may be through the development of obesity (31)(32)(33)(34) or proinflammatory states (35).…”

Genetic Correlation Analysis Suggests Association between Increased Self-Reported Sleep Duration in Adults and Schizophrenia and Type 2 Diabetes

“…11,12 However, the mechanisms behind these associations remain elusive. It is unclear whether environmental changes such as increased stress lead to a change in sleep patterns and thus increased risk to disease, or whether there are shared biological mechanisms between sleep regulation and a range of diseases.…”