Community/Health: Move beyond documenting health disparities to identify mechanisms that drive them. The Problem Poor sleep is a significant public health issue that affects millions of adults in the U.S. and worldwide. Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired; it is a modifiable risk factor for systemic health issues. Chronic sleep insufficiency is directly linked to Cardiovascular health – hypertension and heart disease. Metabolic health – obesity and type II diabetes. Mental health – anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Disparities in sleep health and sleep-related health outcomes are especially pronounced in non-Hispanic Black adults. Over the past two decades, while sleep duration for non-Hispanic Whites has remained stable, it has declined sharply for non-Hispanic Blacks and other racial and ethnically minoritized groups, with some studies showing the prevalence of poor sleep nearly doubled. Sleep is shaped by living conditions and stress. How psychosocial and environmental factors affect sleep in minoritized populations, and whether sleep explains cardiometabolic risk, remains unclear. The Approach To address this challenge, Dr. Thompson and her colleagues will utilize data from ongoing NIH-funded studies on sleep and cardiovascular health in Black Adults in the U.S. to investigate: psychosocial (e.g., social support, discrimination, and attitudes/beliefs) factors associated with sleep. environmental (e.g., household [density, noise, light, and temperature], socioeconomic position, social capital, and neighborhood [built environment] factors associated with sleep. associations between psychosocial and environmental factors and CMR risk. whether sleep mediates the relationship between psychosocial and environmental determinants and CMR risk. Understanding Psychosocial and Environmental Determinants of Sleep to Reduce Health and Mental Health Disparities “Quality, restorative sleep isn’t negotiable. Sleep is essential. Sleep is a fundamental human right.” Michelle Thompson, PhD, LMHC, LPC Short Term Impact Identify the psychosocial and environmental factors that give rise to sleep, health, and mental health disparities. Lead to the development of precision medicine interventions to address sleep health and related comorbidities. Improve sleep and reduce persistent sleep, health, and mental health disparities in the Black community. Longer Term Impact Isolate sleep as a modifiable mediator linking a person’s environment to their heart health. Inform sleep-sensitive interventions, including urban planning strategies (e.g. noise reduction, green space) and preventative clinical approaches in high-risk communities. Societal Impact By identifying sleep as a modifiable link between environmental conditions and cardiovascular health, this work will guide sleep-sensitive interventions, from urban planning strategies like noise reduction and green space to preventive clinical approaches that improve heart health in high-risk communities. This work offers societal benefits in the following areas: For more information visit https://health.lehigh.edu/research-partners or email INRSRCH@lehigh.edu 33 Policy: Provide a clear lever for policy change to improve community health.
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