Abstract
Objectives
Short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are more prevalent among African Americans
(AAs) and may be a modifiable risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders. However,
research is limited about sleep-related attitudes, beliefs, and practices among AAs.
Our objective was to evaluate these practices and beliefs surrounding sleep among
urban-dwelling AAs.
Design
Qualitative study comprised of five 90-minute focus groups using a semistructured
interview guide.
Setting
Five churches located on the west side of Chicago.
Participants
Adults (N = 43) ages 25-75 years.
Measurements
Transcripts were voice recorded, transcribed, and then coded for content analysis
using NVivo 12 Pro to capture themes in the discussions.
Results
Most participants (86%) reported sleeping less than the recommended 7 or more hours.
The discrepancy between actual and desired sleep duration was nearly 3 hours per night.
Participants reported that sleep is essential for mental and physical health. Napping
and consuming caffeine were frequently reported techniques for coping with lack of
sleep. Noise, physical discomfort, and stress were reported as barriers to sleep,
and participants reported using TV and other electronics to cope with racing thoughts
or worry. Many participants were diagnosed with or knew someone with obstructive sleep
apnea, but few participants had been diagnosed with insomnia or were aware of nonpharmacologic
insomnia treatments.
Conclusion
A cycle of stress/disruptive environment, stress, rumination at night, and coping
by use of electronics and daytime napping may perpetuate sleep disparities in this
community. Results suggest that sleep-related interventions should include stress
reduction and environmental improvements in addition to the typical sleep hygiene–related
behavioral recommendations.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 11, 2019
Accepted:
June 4,
2019
Received in revised form:
May 28,
2019
Received:
November 6,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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