The Moderating Effect of Physical Activity on the Relationship between Sleep and Emotional Distress and the Difference between Blacks and Whites: A Secondary Data Analysis Using the National Health Interview Survey from 2005–2015

Jesse Moore, Shannique Richards, Collin Popp, Laronda Hollimon, Marvin Reid, Girardin Jean-Louis and Azizi A. Seixas
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Jesse Moore: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
Shannique Richards: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
Collin Popp: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
Laronda Hollimon: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
Marvin Reid: Department of Community Medicine & Psychiatry, University of the West Indies, Kingston JMCJS2, Jamaica
Girardin Jean-Louis: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
Azizi A. Seixas: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: (1) Background: Unhealthy sleep durations (short and long sleep) are associated with emotional distress (ED). Minority populations, specifically Blacks, are more burdened with unhealthy sleep durations and ED. The ameliorative effect of physical activity (PA) on ED and sleep duration may provide insight into how to reduce the burden among Blacks and other minorities. However, it is unclear whether PA attenuates the relationship between sleep and ED, and whether this relationship differs by race. (2) Methods: We analyzed data from the nationally representative 2005–2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) dataset. ED, physical activity, and sleep duration were collected through self-reports. Regression analyses investigated the moderating effect of PA on the relationship between sleep and ED (adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and employment status) and stratified by race. (3) Results: We found that sleep duration was independently associated with ED. Physical activity moderated the relationship between sleep and ED, the full population, and Whites, but not Blacks. (4) Conclusion: PA moderated the relationship between short, average, or long sleep and ED, but in stratified analyses, this was only evident for Whites, suggesting Blacks received differing protective effects from physical activity. Further research should be performed to understand the connection of physical activity to sleep and mental health.

Keywords: emotional distress; mental health; physical activity; sleep; minority health; race (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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