Pathways linking racial/ethnic discrimination and sleep among U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinxs

Luz M. Garcini, Diana A. Chirinos, Kyle W. Murdock, Annina Seiler, Angie S. LeRoy, Kristen Peek, Malcom P. Cutchin, Christopher Fagundes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the association between racial/ethnic discrimination and sleep through psychological distress and body mass index (BMI), and determined whether the aforementioned associations vary between U.S. and foreign-born Latinxs. Participants were 1332 Latinx adults enrolled in the Texas City Stress and Health Study. Multistage sampling methods were used to select participants. A model linking racial/ethnic discrimination with sleep disturbances through direct and indirect (i.e., psychological distress and BMI) paths demonstrated good fit. Greater racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with greater psychological distress and higher BMI. Psychological distress and BMI were also significant predictors of sleep disturbances. The indirect path from racial/ethnic discrimination to sleep disturbances via psychological distress was significant. A model with parameters constrained to be equal between U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinxs suggested associations were comparable between these groups. Our study demonstrated the relevance of racial/ethnic discrimination to sleep disturbances, particularly its association via psychological distress among Latinxs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)364-373
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Behavioral Medicine
Volume41
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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