SES-sleep gradients differ markedly across racial/ethnic groups among US cancer survivors: higher education and income were consistently linked to better sleep among NH White survivors, but these gradients were muted or reversed among NH Black and Hispanic survivors.
Among NH White cancer survivors, higher education and income were consistently associated with lower prevalence of short sleep and troubled sleep.
SES gradients in sleep were muted or reversed among NH Black and Hispanic cancer survivors.
A bachelor's degree was associated with substantially lower odds of short sleep among NH White survivors but not among NH Black or Hispanic survivors.
When education and income were considered together, income showed more consistent associations with sleep across all racial/ethnic groups, whereas additional benefits of higher education appeared only among NH White survivors.
The study examined two sleep outcomes, sleep duration and troubled sleep, using self-report in a large national sample of cancer survivors.
The authors conclude that tailored interventions addressing structural and socioeconomic inequities may be needed to improve sleep health and reduce disparities in cancer survivorship.
This study looked at sleep among more than 25,000 US adults who had survived cancer, using national survey data. It asked whether having more education or higher income goes along with better sleep (less short sleep and less trouble falling or staying asleep), and whether that link is the same across racial and ethnic groups. Among non-Hispanic White survivors, higher education and income were consistently tied to less short sleep and less troubled sleep. Among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic survivors, these links were weaker or even went in the opposite direction. For instance, White survivors with a bachelor's degree had much lower odds of short sleep than those with a high school education or less, but this was not seen for Black or Hispanic survivors. Income, however, was more consistently related to sleep across all groups than education was. This research suggests that the sleep benefits of higher education and income are not shared equally among cancer survivors of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The authors suggest that approaches to improve sleep and reduce disparities may need to be tailored and address broader structural and economic inequities. Because the data are from surveys with self-reported sleep, the findings show associations rather than causes.
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Upload Your LabsCheng H, Hong S, Rolle L, Winn R, Palesh O. (2026). Racial and Ethnic Differences in Sleep and Socioeconomic Status Among Cancer Survivors in the United States.. Cancer medicine. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.72426