Sociodemographic inequalities in sleep duration and quality from adolescence to early adulthood: data from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort

Abstract

Inadequate sleep duration and poor sleep quality represent significant public health concerns. Understanding how these parameters vary across different socioedemographic groups may help inform more equitable public policies. This study analyzed sleep duration and quality from adolescence to early adulthood, according to sociodemographic characteristics and assessed inequality measures related to sleep duration. Data from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort (Brazil), at ages 11, 18, and 22 years, were evaluated. Sleep duration was self-reported at all ages, while sleep quality was assessed at 22 years. Analyses were stratified by sex, skin color, and asset index (quintiles), as well as by the combinations of sex with asset index and sex with skin color. Student’s t-tests and ANOVA were used for comparisons. The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Mean Absolute Difference from the Mean (MADM) were used to assess inequalities. At ages 18 and 22, women showed longer average sleep duration than (8.8 vs. 8.0 hours and 8.3 vs. 7.6 hours, respectively;  p<0.001). Individuals with lower asset index scores presented longer sleep duration at all ages, especially among women at 18 years, with a difference of 1.3 hours (SII: -1.3h; 95%CI: -1.5; -1.0). Black and brown men reported longer sleep duration compared to white men at 18 and 22 years. Sleep quality was poorer among women, Black or Brown individuals, and those in the lowest asset index. Despite reporting longer sleep duration, disadvantaged groups experienced poorer sleep quality, emphasizing the importance of addressing sociodemographic inequalities in both scientific research and health policy planning.