Socioeconomic disparities in sleep duration among veterans of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ABSTRACT

We characterized socioeconomic disparities in short sleep duration, which is linked to multiple adverse health outcomes, in a population-based sample of veterans of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who had interacted with the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Lower reported household assets, lower food security, greater reported discrimination, and lower subjective social status were significantly (P<.05) related to less sleep, even after adjusting for demographics, health behaviors, and posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. Assisting veterans to navigate social and socioeconomic stressors could promote healthful sleep and overall health.