Abstract
Abstract Introduction This study investigates the relationship between everyday discrimination and objective and subjective assessment of sleep environments in a sample of Florida and New York residents. Methods Our sample included 745 Black and African American individuals participating in NIH-funded community-based sleep studies conducted between January 2020 and November 2023 in the New York City or Tri-State area and South Florida. Data encompassed demographics, zip code-based noise levels, overall air quality (IQAir), seven-day sleep-wake activities (Sleep Image Ring, and Actigraphy), Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDDS), and responses to the 13-item Assessment of Sleep Environment (ASE), measuring subjective experiences of environmental factors. Correlation analyses explored associations among continuous variables, ASE, noise scores, air quality, sleep-wake activities, and discrimination scores. Stratified multilinear regression analysis by state (Florida vs. NY), controlling for age and sex, examined relationships between sociodemographic factors, air quality, discrimination experiences, and ASE. Results Of the 745 participants, 57% were female (424), with a mean age of 47.8 years. A total of 27% (201) resided in New York, while 72.8% (542) were from South Florida. Participants in Florida were exposed to higher levels of Noise (t = 6.097, df = 513, p < 0.001), daily discrimination (t = -2.036, df = 741, p = 0.021), and perceived negative stimuli (t = 5.512, df = 741, p < 0.001) in their physical sleep environment compared to those in New York. No significant or strong association was found between objectively measured sleep health components and ASE or discrimination. Controlling for sex, age, and noise levels, among Florida residents, air quality (Beta = -0.332, p < 0.001) and discrimination (Beta = 0.331, p < 0.001) were the strongest independent predictors of ASE. In contrast, in NY participants, age (Beta = -0.274, p < 0.001) and air quality (Beta = 0.451, p = 0.049) were the strongest independent predictors of ASE. Conclusion Our analysis unveiled distinct patterns in exposure to discrimination and sleep environment assessment between Florida and New York, underscoring the importance of addressing the impact of discrimination on sleep and environmental assessment in policy and health outcomes. Support (if any) ESSENTIALS; R01HL142066-06; MOSAIC; R01AG067523-05.