Abstract P322: The Association Between Parity and Sleep Duration: a Study From the AHA Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN)

Abstract

Background: Prior research has shown a J shaped association between parity and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and several confounding factors have been identified. Sleep is emerging as an important, potentially modifiable risk factor for CVD, however few data have examined the relationship between parity and sleep. Methods: We studied 50 women in the AHA Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network who provided information on pregnancy history and sleep patterns [56% non-white (n=28), mean age = 41±18 y]. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep duration and quality, and the Insomnia Severity Index was used to assess level of insomnia. Parity was assessed using a standardized questionnaire as any pregnancies lasting > 6 mo. We used linear and logistic regression to examine the cross-sectional relation between sleep (duration, quality, and insomnia severity) and parity. Results: Prior pregnancy was reported in 32% (16 of 50) women and 36% (18 of 50) sleep ≤ 6 h/night. Parous women were significantly older (55 vs 34 y), more likely to have a BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 , HTN, and hyperlipidemia compared to nulliparous women. Sleep duration was significantly shorter in parous women (6 h vs 7 h), and the relationship remained significant for primiparous women (1 birth) after adjustment ( Figure ). More than half of parous women reported poor sleep quality (56%, 9 of 16) and insomnia (63%, 10 of 16) compared to 29% of nulliparous women (10 of 34) who reported each sleep disorder. After adjustment for age, there was no difference in sleep quality or insomnia between groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: In a diverse cohort of women, sleep duration was inversely related to parity. Primiparous women may be at heightened risk for the adverse cardiometabolic consequences of inadequate sleep duration, and may represent a teachable moment for CVD prevention. Ongoing studies to examine the relationship between sleep and pregnancy may provide important information on the pathways through which these risk factors modify future CVD.