0051 The Role of Perceived Control in Buffering Against Poor Sleep in Essential Workers During COVID-19

Abstract

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted sleep, with some populations such as essential workers reporting insomnia and poor sleep health. Prior research has suggested (but not tested) that this worsening of sleep may be tied to a lack of control over one’s health or safety during the pandemic. This study tests this prediction and examines the role of perceived control as a protective factor against poor sleep in essential workers.MethodsThis study uses data from the NDSU National COVID Study, which has followed 301 nationally-representative American adults across four waves of data collection since April 2020. The current analysis includes data from wave 1 (April 2020) in 279 participants who had complete demographic, essential worker, perceived control (including domain general perceived control as well as health, COVID, work-specific control), and sleep health (RU SATED) data. Using t-tests and correlations, we hypothesized: (1) sleep health would be worse in essential workers compared with others; (2) perceived control would relate to better sleep health; and (3) perceived control would be a stronger predictor of sleep health in essential workers relative to others.ResultsThere were no significant differences in sleep health between essential workers (N=44, M=8.27, SD=2.72) and others (N=235, M=8.46, SD=2.54; t=-0.44, p=.66). In the full sample, all indices of perceived control were significantly related to better sleep health (rs=.17-.31, ps<.004). Associations were stronger in essential workers (N=44, rs=.30-.56, ps<.05) than in others (N=235, rs=.13-.31, ps<.04). In sensitivity analyses that excluded participants not working for pay (e.g., people who were unemployed, retired, or receiving disability) from the other category, moderation effects were stronger; only COVID-related perceived control was significantly related to sleep health (N=110; r=.24, p=.01) in non-essential workers.ConclusionThis is the first study to demonstrate links between perceived control and sleep. Although sleep health was not significantly different between essential and non-essential workers, we found that perceived control was especially beneficial for essential workers’ sleep. Our results suggest interventions to improve perceived control, a modifiable psychosocial resource, might improve sleep health for essential workers.Support (If Any)L30 HL143741 to KAD from NHLBI; Research and Creative Activity Award to KAD and JMH from NDSU.