Effects of Neighborhood Fear on Sleep in a Community Based Sample

Abstract

Poor sleep and insufficient sleep, although often unreported, are documented to have a high prevalence in the United States and many other nations as well, and may be associated with various and multiple causes. Many questions remain regarding poor and insufficient sleep and the associations that exist with multiple other health maladies. Questions remain as to etiology, and whether poor sleep is secondary to other diseases, or if other diseases are secondary to poor sleep. Different national sleep study organizations and reporting agencies report that as many as 70 million Americans, or about one out of every four people, experience insufficient and/or non refreshing sleep on a regular basis. Additionally, poor quality and insufficient sleep are known to be associated with many negative health outcomes such as arthritis, cardiopulmonary diseases, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, depression and other psychological disorders. This study was completed to assess a cross sectional population based community survey to evaluate if the social capital issue of fear of crime/fear of personal harm in one's neighborhood is associated with poor quality and insufficient sleep. Using data from the 2009 Prevention Research Council of Michigan's (PRC/MI) "Speak to your Health! Community Survey", a population based random sample telephone survey, this study examined the relationship between (self-reported) perceived fear within one's neighborhood, and poor quality or insufficient sleep, as reported to trained interviewers using a scripted questionnaire developed by the PRC/MI staff and PRC's community stakeholders. Respondents from the City of Flint, and the surrounding Genesee County, Michigan, U.S.A. were surveyed in January through April 2009, by way of a random sample of residents from all Census Tracts in the county, utilizing a telephone interview methodology and employing a scripted/developed questionnaire to gather self-reported data regarding health and health related issues of the respondents.