182 Neighborhood Safety, Stress, and Sleep: Ethnic Differences

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Feelings of safety in an individual’s neighborhood have an influence on mental health, specifically, feelings of unsafety can result in emotional distress. Given the role of stress on sleep, ethnic differences in stress levels are of particular importance. The current study investigated the influence of feelings of neighborhood safety on stress and sleep, and whether this influence differs by ethnicity. The mediating role of feelings of neighborhood safety on the relation between stress and sleep was also explored. Methods 947 participants were recruited to participate in a questionnaire through Amazon Mechanical Turk, university SONA system, and social media. Components of this survey included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Neighborhood Questionnaire Neighborhood Safety Subscale. In addition, information was collected about participants’ living surroundings. Results Feelings of unsafety in one’s neighborhood result in higher stress levels and poorer sleep. These differences were greater for Black Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans, compared to White Americans. Feelings of lower neighborhood safety result in higher stress, leading to poorer sleep. Conclusion The effects of neighborhood safety on stress and sleep are of particular interest due to the ethnic differences present. Given the health disparities present for minority ethnic groups in the United States, the factors involved in feelings of neighborhood safety should be further investigated. Support (if any):