Scientific Investigations
Sleep Disordered Breathing, Insomnia Symptoms, and Sleep Quality in a Clinical Cohort of US Hispanics in South Florida
http://dx.doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.2142
Shirin Shafazand, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.S.M.1,6; Douglas M. Wallace, M.D.2,3; Silvia S. Vargas, M.D.1; Yanisa Del Toro, M.D.4; Salim Dib, M.D.3; Alexandre R. Abreu, M.D., F.A.A.S.M.1; Alberto Ramos, M.D.3; Bruce Nolan, M.D., F.A.A.S.M.3; Carol M. Baldwin, Ph.D., R.N.5; Lora Fleming, M.D., Ph.D.6,7
1University of Miami, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Miami, FL; 2Neurology Service, Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL; 3University of Miami, Department of Neurology, Miami, FL; 4University of Miami, Department of Medicine, Miami, FL; 5Arizona State University, College of Nursing – Health Innovation, Southwest Borderlands Scholar and Director, Center for World Health Promotion – Disease Prevention, Phoenix, AZ; 6University of Miami, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miami, FL; 7European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Truro, Cornwall, UK
Study Objectives:
There is a paucity of information on the epidemiology of sleep disorders among US Hispanics. This study describes the frequency of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) risk, insomnia complaints, poor sleep quality, and daytime somnolence in a clinical cohort of ethnically diverse US Hispanics living in South Florida.
Methods:
We explored the presence of sleep disorders in a cohort of Hispanics seen at primary care, pulmonary, and sleep clinics at the University of Miami and Miami Veterans Affair Medical Center. Participants completed validated questionnaires, evaluating risk of SDB, presence of insomnia symptoms, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness. Polysomnography was completed on the majority of the sleep clinic participants.
Results:
Participants (N = 282; 62% male; mean age 54 ± 15 years; mean BMI 31 ± 6 kg/m2) included Hispanics of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central/South American, and Caribbean heritage. Excessive daytime sleepiness was noted by 45% of participants. Poor sleep quality was reported by 49%; 76% screened high risk for SDB, and 68% had insomnia symptoms. Sleep disorders were more commonly reported in sleep clinic participants; however, 54% of non-sleep clinic participants were high risk for SDB, 35% had insomnia complaints, 28% had poor sleep quality, and 18% reported daytime sleepiness.
Conclusions:
Sleep disorders (including SDB) are common in clinical samples of Hispanics in South Florida. These findings highlight the urgent need for linguistically relevant and culturally responsive screening, awareness and education programs in clinical sleep medicine among US Hispanics.
Citation:
Shafazand S; Wallace DM; Vargas SS; Del Toro Y; Dib S; Abreu AR; Ramos A; Nolan B; Baldwin CM; Fleming L. Sleep disordered breathing, insomnia symptoms, and sleep quality in a clinical cohort of US Hispanics in South Florida. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(5):507-514.
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