Self-reported neighborhood stressors and sleep quality among Puerto Rican young adults

Objective

To examine the association between changes in self-reported neighborhood stressors and sleep quality and determine whether this varied by sociocultural context among Puerto Rican young adults.

Methods

Data come from the Boricua Youth Study Health Assessment, a sample of Puerto Rican young adults from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and South Bronx, New York (n = 818; mean age = 22.9 years). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Neighborhood social stressors (disorder, social cohesion, and safety) were parent-reported in childhood and self-reported in young adulthood and categorized into: low in childhood/young adulthood (reference group), high in childhood/low in young adulthood, low in childhood/high in young adulthood, and high in childhood/young adulthood. Sociocultural context was based on participant residence during childhood (San Juan vs. South Bronx).

Results

Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, living with high neighborhood stressors in both childhood and young adulthood (prevalence ratios = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.66) was associated with overall poor sleep (PSQI score >5). Among PSQI components, living with high neighborhood stressors in young adulthood only or in both time periods was associated with worse subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction. Additionally, there were various associations between the neighborhood stressor measures and PSQI components. Results did not differ by sociocultural context.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that living with high levels of neighborhood stressors during childhood and young adulthood may have a cumulative adverse impact on sleep quality in young adulthood.