Association of sleep health, acculturation, and acculturative stress in South Asian Indians and Nepalese adults living in the United States.

Abstract

Objective: South Asians have poor sleep health and a high global prevalence of sleep disorders, but little is known about the sleep health of South Asian Americans. Sleep health in immigrants is affected by various factors, including acculturation and acculturative stress, compounding the impact that poor sleep has on health. This study examined associations of acculturation and acculturative stress with sleep health in South Asian Indians and Nepalese in the U.S.

Methods: One hundred fifty South Asian Indian and Nepalese adults aged 18 to 65 years living in the U.S. were enrolled in a descriptive correlational study. Validated self-reported measures were administered. Acculturation, acculturative stress, six sleep characteristics (regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, duration), and a sleep health composite score were calculated.

Results: Higher acculturation was associated with shorter sleep duration (B = -0.72, p = 0.025), later midpoint sleep (B = 0.47, p = 0.030), and poorer sleep satisfaction (B = 0.24, p = 0.043). Greater acculturative stress was associated with lower sleep efficiency (B = -0.10, p = 0.017) and greater daytime sleepiness (B = 0.07, p = 0.029).

Conclusions: Acculturation and acculturative stress may contribute to poorer sleep health in this population. Attention to the influence of acculturation and associated stress and interventions to improve sleep may help to promote overall health among South Asian Indian and Nepalese Americans.