The Impact of Social and Environmental Determinants, Race on Sleep: Dayna Johnson, PhD, MPH, MSW, MS
The sleep epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, insight on the associations between race, socioeconomic backgrounds, and poor sleep and insufficient sleep. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]
WATCH TIME: 2 minutes
"At the household level, we have work that has shown that temperature and opportune light exposure, which are all factors that are more common in disadvantaged neighborhoods as a result of historical laws that were racist in design, have contributed to these environments, and people be nested within them."
Social determinants of health play a critical role in sleep. Studies have shown that social characteristics associated with good health, such as high level of education, being married, and being employed, are associated with healthier sleep health.
At the 2023 SLEEP Annual Meeting, held June 3-7, in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dayna A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, MSW, MS, was named this year’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award from the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). In addition, she led a session on the contribution of sleep health disparities to chronic disease. Johnson, currently an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, has years of research interest in addressing the social and environmental determinants of sleep disorders and insufficient sleep.
In an interview with NeurologyLive®, Johnson provided thoughts on the associations seen between certain races, socioeconomic factors, and poor sleep quality. In addition, she discussed variables inside the house that may play a role in insufficient sleep, as well as the impact of neighborhood violence.
