The relationship between perceived racism, sleep disturbance and quality of life

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between perceived racism, sleep disturbance and quality of life. Methods: Seventy legal immigrants, 18 to 60 years of age, with fluency in English were approached in the central department of 10 non-profit organizations. The design is a correlational survey design. Self-reported questionnaires assessed perceived racism, sleep disturbance and quality of life. Results: Increased levels of perceived racism are associated with sleep deprivation and low quality of life. More specifically, perceived racism is associated with low quality of social relationships and environment. Linear multiple regressions showed that perceived racism significantly predicted reduced quality of social relationships and environment. Similarly, sleep disturbance and low sleep quality predicted reduced quality of social relationships and environment. Conclusions: This study is the first to examine the association between perceived racism, sleep disturbance and quality of life in immigrants of Greece, and adds to the research literature by identifying a potential pathway through which racism may affect sleep and well-being.