The Effects of Racial Discrimination and Sleep Disturbance on Health and Academic Outcomes among Minority Youth

睡眠对健康、日常功能和发育至关重要。 然而，近80%的9年级和97%的12年级青少年长期睡眠不足。 睡眠障碍的不良影响对于那些一贯报告睡眠卫生较差的种族/民族来说尤其明显。因此，睡眠可以被添加到一长串种族/少数民族遭受不平等的领域中。睡眠障碍可能是少数民族青少年健康和学业差异的主要原因。 睡眠障碍、健康和学业成绩也与种族/民族歧视的经历相关，特别是在非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔/拉丁裔青年中。 本研究探讨了睡眠障碍是否会影响这一高危人群中种族歧视、健康和学业成绩之间的关系。 睡眠障碍更严重的年轻人是否更有可能表现出歧视对健康和成就的负面影响？ 这项为期4年的研究将跟踪青少年到高中，以了解社会和睡眠相关因素如何影响种族/民族歧视，健康和学业成绩之间的关联。 通过收集每天的歧视报告，（腕带监测器）的睡眠措施，三年一次的健康和学术成果报告，以及学校种族/民族多样性指数，该研究调查：（a）种族/民族歧视对健康和学业成绩的影响，（B）如果睡眠障碍解释了种族歧视与健康和学业成绩之间的联系，（c）拥有正面的种族/族裔认同是否会影响种族歧视与睡眠障碍的关系，以及（d）学校的族裔/种族多样性与健康和学业成绩的关系。 今天，少数族裔已经占18岁以下美国人的53%，预计这一数字还会增长。 历史上少数群体在人数上处于多数地位，这一事实有可能重新界定种族关系。 这项研究探讨了睡眠是否有助于保护少数民族青少年免受种族歧视和压力的负面影响。

Sleep is essential for health, daily functioning, and development. Yet, nearly 80% of 9th- and 97% of 12th-grade adolescents are chronically sleep-deprived. The adverse effects of sleep disturbance are especially pronounced for racial/ethnic minorities who consistently report poorer sleep hygiene. Hence, sleep can be added to a long list of areas in which racial/ethnic minorities suffer from disparities. Sleep disturbance may be a major cause of health and academic disparities among racial/ethnic minority adolescents. Sleep disturbance, health, and academic outcomes are also correlated with experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination, particularly among African American and Hispanic/Latino youth. This study explores whether sleep disturbance influences the relationships among racial discrimination, health and academic outcomes in this high-risk population. Are youth with greater sleep disturbance more likely to exhibit a negative impact of discrimination on health and achievement? This 4-year study will follow adolescents through high school to understand the ways that social and sleep-related factors influence the associations among racial/ethnic discrimination, health and academic outcomes. By collecting daily reports of discrimination, actigraphy (wristband monitor) measures of sleep, tri-annual reports of health and academic outcomes, and an index of school racial/ethnic diversity, the study investigates: (a) the effects of racial/ethnic discrimination on health and academic outcomes, (b) if sleep disturbance explains the link between racial discrimination and health and academic outcomes, (c) whether having a positive racial/ethnic identity influences how racial discrimination is related to sleep disturbance, and (d) how school ethnic/racial diversity is related to health and academic outcomes. Today, ethnic minorities already comprise 53% of Americans under age 18 and this number is projected to grow. The fact that historically minority groups are experiencing numerical majority status has the potential to redefine race relations. This study explores whether sleep may help protect minority adolescents against the negative effects of racial discrimination and stress.