Sleep health disparities research can be improved, experts say

A report coauthored by NIEHS epidemiologist Chandra Jackson could lead to better sleep health for disadvantaged groups.

A report published Mar. 10 in the journal Sleep gathered recommendations from a 2018 workshop titled “The Role of Sleep in Health Disparities: Causes and Health Consequences.” Chandra Jackson, Ph.D., co-chaired the meeting and is the report’s first author. She studies sleep health disparities (SHDs) in the NIEHS Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Equity Group.

The two-day event was organized by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institutes of Health Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. Experts in health disparities and sleep met to share insights from their respective fields and identify research gaps. They made recommendations for future studies and interventions related to sleep health disparities. Read more about JPB Fellow Chandra Jackson’s research.