The link between sleep disturbance and depression among Mexican Americans: a Project FRONTIER study

J Clin Sleep Med. 2014 Apr 15;10(4):427-31. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.3622.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the link between disturbed sleep and depression scores in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites.

Methods: Data were analyzed for 566 participants (45% Mexican Americans) who were part of a rural healthcare study, Project FRONTIER. Mean age was 55.5 years for Mexican Americans (70% female) and 65.6 years for non-Hispanic Whites (69% female). Self-reported sleep disturbance was entered as the predictor, GDS-30 total and factor scores as the outcome variables, and age, sex, education, BMI, and medical diagnoses (hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension) entered as covariates.

Results: Mexican Americans reported higher rates of sleep disturbances (25%) than non-Hispanic whites (17%). Sleep disturbances were significantly associated with GDS-30 total scores and the factors Dysphoria and Cognitive Impairment in both Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites.

Conclusions: In this study, Mexican Americans reported higher rates of sleep disturbances than non-Hispanic whites. Disturbed sleep was positively associated with depression and the factor scores for Dysphoria and Cognitive Impairment in both groups. Given the paucity of research on sleep disorders in Mexican Americans, identifying what sleep disorders are present and the impact treating these sleep disorders have on depression warrant further investigation.

Keywords: Mexican American; depression; sleep; sleep disturbance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / ethnology
  • Depression / etiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mexican Americans / psychology
  • Mexican Americans / statistics & numerical data*
  • Middle Aged
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / complications*
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / epidemiology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / ethnology
  • Texas / epidemiology
  • White People / psychology
  • White People / statistics & numerical data