Persistent and Changing Material Hardship and Sleep: Results From the Michigan Recession and Recovery Study

Brian Xiao , University of Michigan
Lucie Kalousova, Nuffield College, University of Oxford
Sarah A. Burgard, University of Michigan

Past research has found that lower socioeconomic status is associated with worse sleep outcomes. An emerging literature suggests material hardship is a key mechanism underlying this sleep disparity. This study is the first of our knowledge to examine how material hardship, measured over time, is associated with sleep in the U.S. population context. Using two waves of panel data collected in southeast Michigan (n = 691) and implementing diagonal reference models, we investigate associations between three hardship measures (financial problems, food insecurity, and the total number of material hardships) and three sleep outcomes (sleep time, sleep problems, and nonrestorative sleep). We find persistent financial hardship, very low food security, and overall high hardship load to be associated with shorter sleep duration. Increase in the amount of financial hardship is associated with both sleep problems and non-restorative sleep.

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 Presented in Session 246. Sleep and Population Health Disparities