People of Color Get Less Sleep Which May Contribute to Racial Health Disparities

“Sleep is absolutely a determinant of health,” said Dr. Rachel Widome, an associate professor in epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota. “Sleep has an impact on a whole host of health outcomes from physical to mental.” Sleep can be seen as a resource, Widome said, one that Black and brown people have less access to, which exacerbates health inequities. People who don’t sleep as well appear to be at a higher risk for a slew of negative health outcomes, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and even death. Read more from the Sahan Journal here.