A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RACIAL/ETHNIC SLEEP DISPARITIES AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN MAJORITY-WHITE AND MAJORITY-MINORITY INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Racial/ethnic sleep disparities have been documented for decades and may be related to discrimination faced at various levels, both in individual communities and at the sociopolitical stratosphere. The purpose of this research was to delve into a specific demographic of the national population, college/university students, and analyze whether the predominance of white students at various institutions affected the sleep quality and duration of minority students. Data used in this research was collected by the American College Health Association (ACHA) National College Health Assessment. In this survey, students identified as Non-Hispanic White, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native American, Multiracial, or Other. Schools where the majority of respondents were Non-Hispanic White were classified as “Majority-White” schools while schools where a majority of the respondents were not Non-Hispanic White were classified as “Majority-Minority” schools. The results showed an overall correlation with poorer sleep in minority students at Majority-White schools and no association between school type and sleep sufficiency in Hispanics/Latinos. Sociopolitical and socioenvironmental influences may be involved, though future directions for this study may include further analysis on the reasoning behind the results of this study.