Photovoice for leveraging traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine amongst black adults to improve sleep health and overall health.

Introduction: Average adults are recommended to have 7-8 h of sleep. However insufficient sleep (IS defined as <7 h/nightly) is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM), a burgeoning area of research and practice, leverages both modern and traditional approaches to improve health.

Strategies to Engage Blacks in Sleep Medicine: Lessons Learned from Three Studies Applying Community-Based Participatory Research Principles.

Introduction: Awareness, assessment and treatment of sleep apnea are disproportionately lower among Blacks, compared to other racial/ethnic groups. To address this health disparity gap, communication strategies that connect Blacks to OSA education, detection and treatment adherence interventions are needed. Strategies that engage individuals through communication technologies, community-level social network support, and medical providers in clinical settings are also needed.

'Distant socializing,' not 'social distancing' as a public health strategy for COVID-19.

Social distancing, also referred to as physical distancing, means creating a safe distance of at least two meters (six feet) between yourself and others. This is a term popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is one of the most important measures to prevent the spread of this virus. However, the term 'social distancing' can be misleading, as it may imply that individuals should stop socializing.

Obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, resistant hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common causes of hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is also a quite common underlying factor in resistant HTN (RHTN). The main etiological factor of OSA is obesity, which is a rapidly growing global epidemic.

Energy imbalance: obesity, associated comorbidities, prevention, management and public health implications.

The prevalence of obesity has been continually increasing, as have its associated comorbidities and health care costs. Effective management of obesity and early intervention measures are necessary to overcome this global issue. The responsibility for preventing and managing this global epidemic does not lie solely on an individual, but also on the entire health care system.

Obstructive sleep apnea and longitudinal Alzheimer's disease biomarker changes.

Study Objectives: To determine the effect of self-reported clinical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on longitudinal changes in brain amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers (Aβ42, T-tau, and P-tau) in cognitively normal (NL), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) elderly.

Methods: Longitudinal study with mean follow-up time of 2.52 ± 0.

Obstructive sleep apnea and stroke.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common co-morbid condition in stroke patients. It represents a very important risk factor for stroke in addition to the other established ones such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation (AF), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), stress, smoking, and heavy drinking. Although in the United States the prevalence of OSA has somewhat decreased from the previous years, globally its prevalence remains constant, or in some cases, is on the rise.

Moderating effects of sleep duration on diabetes risk among cancer survivors: analysis of the National Health Interview Survey in the USA.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that cancer and diabetes may share common risk factors such as age, race/ethnicity, obesity, insulin resistance, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and alcohol consumption. However, little is known about how habitual sleep duration (a known cardiometabolic risk factor) may affect the relationship between cancer and diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sleep duration moderated the relationship between history of cancer and diabetes.

Culturally tailored, peer-based sleep health education and social support to increase obstructive sleep apnea assessment and treatment adherence among a community sample of blacks: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Compared to whites, blacks are at increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) yet less likely to adhere to physician-recommended sleep assessment and treatment. Poor OSA health literacy and lack of social support to navigate the current healthcare system are two potential barriers to adequate OSA care. This study is designed to address these barriers by evaluating the effectiveness of a peer-based sleep health education program on adherence to OSA assessment and treatment among blacks at risk for OSA.

Mediating effects of body mass index, physical activity, and emotional distress on the relationship between short sleep and cardiovascular disease.

The current study investigated the mediating effects of body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and emotional distress on the association between short sleep duration (<7 hours per 24-hour period) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors.We used data from the National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing nationally representative cross-sectional study of noninstitutionalized US adults (≥18 years) from 2004 to 2013 (N = 206,049). Participants provided information about anthropometric features (height and weight), sociodemographic factors, health behaviors (smoking and physical activity), emotional distress, and physician-diagnosed health conditions, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and cancer.

Obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Epidemiology and pathophysiologic insights.

Obesity is a major global health issue, and its prevalence is increasing. Obesity is associated with much comorbidity such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Obesity is also one of the major causative factors of OSA, and OSA itself can promote the onset of after T2DM because hypoxic episodes decrease insulin sensitivity, and activation of the sympathetic pathway leads to the release of inflammatory markers associated with insulin resistance.

Sleep Duration and Physical Activity Profiles Associated With Self-Reported Stroke in the United States: Application of Bayesian Belief Network Modeling Techniques.

Physical activity (PA) and sleep are associated with cerebrovascular disease and events like stroke. Though the interrelationships between PA, sleep, and other stroke risk factors have been studied, we are unclear about the associations of different types, frequency and duration of PA, sleep behavioral patterns (short, average and long sleep durations), within the context of stroke-related clinical, behavioral, and socio-demographic risk factors. The current study utilized Bayesian Belief Network analysis (BBN), a type of machine learning analysis, to develop profiles of physical activity (duration, intensity, and frequency) and sleep duration associated with or no history of stroke, given the influence of multiple stroke predictors and correlates.

Sleep health disparity: the putative role of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Sleep plays a pivotal role in both physical and mental health. Sleep quality can be affected by many socio demographic factors, such as race and/or ethnicity, as well as socio economic status (SES). Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol abuse and also places individuals at risk for chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovasculardisease (CVD), depression, and/or anxiety.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Cardiovascular Disease Risks among Haitian Medical Students.

Sleep apnea is a prevalent sleep disorder that disproportionately affects blacks and has been previously studied among Caribbean-born blacks in Brooklyn, New York, but there has been negligible research in the Caribbean, specifically Haiti, and developing countries on this pressing health issue. A total of 373 medical students (mean age=20.6 years ± 2.

Sleep, Melatonin, and the Menopausal Transition: What Are the Links?

The pineal hormone Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of the circadian sleep/wake cycle, mood, and perhaps immune functions, carcinogensis and reproduction. The human circadian rhythm of melatonin release from the pineal gland is tightly synchronized with the habitual hours of sleep. Peri- and postmenopausal women often complain of difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep, with frequent nocturnal and early morning awakenings.

Differential and Combined Effects of Physical Activity Profiles and Prohealth Behaviors on Diabetes Prevalence among Blacks and Whites in the US Population: A Novel Bayesian Belief Network Machine Learning Analysis.

The current study assessed the prevalence of diabetes across four different physical activity lifestyles and infer through machine learning which combinations of physical activity, sleep, stress, and body mass index yield the lowest prevalence of diabetes in Blacks and Whites. Data were extracted from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) dataset from 2004-2013 containing demographics, chronic diseases, and sleep duration ( = 288,888). Of the total sample, 9.

Place of Birth and Sleep Duration: Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

While sleep disturbance has been related to a number of negative health outcomes, few studies have examined the relationship between place of birth and sleep duration among individuals living in the US. Data for 416,152 adult participants in the 2000-2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), who provided self-reported hours of sleep and place of birth were examined. Associations were explored between healthy sleep (7-8 h), referenced to unhealthy sleep (<7 or >8 h), and place of birth using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Tailored Behavioral Intervention Among Blacks With Metabolic Syndrome and Sleep Apnea: Results of the MetSO Trial.

Study Objectives: To assess effectiveness of a culturally and linguistically tailored telephone-delivered intervention to increase adherence to physician-recommended evaluation and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among blacks.

Methods: In a two-arm randomized controlled trial, we evaluated effectiveness of the tailored intervention among blacks with metabolic syndrome, relative to those in an attention control arm (n = 380; mean age = 58 ± 13; female = 71%). The intervention was designed to enhance adherence using culturally and linguistically tailored OSA health messages delivered by a trained health educator based on patients' readiness to change and unique barriers preventing desired behavior changes.

Differences in short and long sleep durations between blacks and whites attributed to emotional distress: analysis of the National Health Interview Survey in the United States.

Objectives: The current study examined the role of emotional distress in explaining racial/ethnic differences in unhealthy sleep duration.

Design: Data from the 2004-2013 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed using SPSS 20.

Setting: Data were collected through personal household interviews in the United States.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Women's Perspective.

The main characteristics of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are airflow limitation, chronic intermittent hypoxia, or apnea; which may lead to tissue hypoperfusion and recurrent arousal from sleep. These episodes of hypoxia or apnea can lead to tissue inflammation, and are causal factors of disturbed sleep in both men and women. Several lines of evidence suggest that sleep patterns differ along the lifespan in both male and female subjects, and this may result from the influence of female gonadotropic hormones on sleep.

Exploring stakeholders' perceptions of a task-shifting strategy for hypertension control in Ghana: a qualitative study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore stakeholders' perception of an on-going evidence-based task-shifting strategy for hypertension (TASSH) in 32 community health centers and district hospitals in Ghana.

Methods: Using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, qualitative data were obtained from 81 key stakeholders including patients, nurses, and site directors of participating community health centers involved in the TASSH trial. Qualitative data were analyzed using open and axial coding techniques.

Depression, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Psychosocial Health.

Depression and Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the major associated comorbidities. OSA is a rapidly growing problem in the society that is connected to the rising rates of obesity; at the same time, the depression rate is also increasing day by day. Patients with OSA present with sleep problems, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, depressive patients can also present with the same symptoms.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity: Implications for Public Health.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a global disease with a rising incidence along with its comorbidities, especially with metabolic syndrome. One of the main components contributing to sleep apnea is obesity; as well as diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM), hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension. OSA is a condition that requires management and the disease can be treated by using CPAP therapy.

Shift Work and Sleep: Medical Implications and Management.

The primary occupation of a worker can play an important role in achieving good sleep, as well as good physical and mental health. Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) is a condition that results from working atypical shifts (i.e.

Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse in Caribbean Young Adults and Its Association with Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress, and Skin Bleaching.

Background: The global prevalence of skin depigmentation/skin bleaching among blacks, estimated at 35%, is on the rise and is associated with a host of negative health and medical consequences. Current etiological approaches do not fully capture the emotional and psychological underpinnings of skin bleaching. The current study investigated the potential mediating role of depression, or post-traumatic stress symptoms (avoidance and hyperarousal) on the relationship between childhood physical and sexual abuse (CPSA) and skin bleaching.