The study reinforces the importance of sleep quality for physical and mental health
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Higher social class students may have better health due, in part, to superior sleep patterns compared to their lower social class peers. The conclusion comes from a study with Australian and Irish university students, published in the journal British Journal of Psychology.
Social class has to do with socioeconomic status and involves factors such as income, wealth, occupation, education, and social influence. In general, people from higher social classes enjoy more privileges, opportunities, and resources than those from lower classes.
Previous research has indicated that individuals from higher social classes generally have higher mental and physical health than those from lower social classes. People with lower incomes have, for example, a life expectancy that is two years shorter than people from higher social classes.
Three experiments
Researcher Romany McGuffog and her colleagues decided to analyze whether sleep characteristics could explain, at least in part, the health disparities observed between social classes. The team also wanted to evaluate the influence of social class on students’ ability to improve the quality of their sleep.
Three experiments were conducted with students from five major Australian universities, one Irish university and one Australian technical college. The authors specifically included institutions with significant numbers of low-income students to ensure diverse representation of social classes.
Of the 1,450 students who participated, more than 80% were women, with an average age of approximately 23 years. The majority identified themselves as white. College students received credit for their participation, while college students were entered into a drawing for 11 gift cards worth $150 each. They all provided details about their education, rated their parents’ status, shared their childhood socioeconomic status, and rated their subjective social status.
Sleep, physical and mental health
Participants also completed assessments of sleep characteristics and general health, including questions about sleep quality and duration, bedtime concerns, and routine variability (e.g., going to bed and waking up at different times during the week or on the weekends). Finally, their physical and mental health was assessed via questionnaires.
The results showed that young people from higher social classes have fewer health problems, less distress, better self-esteem, better sleep quality, shorter sleep duration, fewer worries before bed and a more consistent sleep routine. .
Detailed analyzes have shown that sleep-related issues can mediate the relationship between social class and health. These correlations persisted even when accounting for potential confounding factors such as gender, ethnicity, nighttime preferences, and physical activity levels. The study also found that students from lower social classes felt it would be more challenging to improve their sleeping environment.
For the authors, there is concrete evidence that sleep interventions can improve the quality of rest, as well as mental health. Given that people from lower social backgrounds tend to have more depressive symptoms, and this may be mediated by poor sleep, non-pharmacological interventions may be useful in improving sleep and, consequently, health in young people.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
