Short and disrupted sleep is related to perceptions of neighborhood in pregnant African American women of low socioeconomic status

Objectives Poor sleep is linked to increased pregnancy complications. African Americans disproportionately reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods with higher crime and traffic, and are more likely to experience poor sleep compared to Caucasians. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between neighborhood environment perceptions and sleep in African American pregnant women of low socioeconomic status (SES). Study design Cross-sectional. Methods Participants (N = 262) were African American women aged 18-45 with a BMI of 25.0-45.0 kg/m² and low SES. Perceptions of neighborhood environment were assessed using the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES). Sleep was evaluated both subjectively through surveys and objectively using wrist actigraphy over a 7-day period. Results Of the 262 women, 33.6% of women perceived high neighborhood traffic, 56.9% perceived high neighborhood crime at night, and 31.7% perceived high crime in the mornings. High perceived crime at night was associated with longer sleep latency (32.1 ± 37.8 vs. 24.8 ± 28.9 min, p = 0.04) and higher wake after sleep onset (WASO; 38.7 ± 48.9 vs. 21.5 ± 29.2 min, p = 0.0002). High perceived traffic was linked to shorter self-reported sleep duration. Conclusions Perceived high crime and traffic are significantly associated with poorer sleep among pregnant African American women of low SES. Future studies are needed to determine if interventions to address neighborhood environment can improve sleep health in pregnant women of low SES.