Association between discrimination in the workplace and insomnia symptoms

BACKGROUND: In Korea, little research has focused on the relationship between discrimination in the workplace and sleep health. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between such discriminatory experiences and insomnia, a common sleep disorder, using Korean employees’ data. METHODS: This study used data from the 6th Korea Working Conditions Survey. Discrimination experiences due to age, ethnic background, nationality, race, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, educational level, hometown, and employment status were investigated. The Minimal Insomnia Symptom Scale estimated insomnia symptoms. The association between discrimination experience and insomnia symptoms were analyzed using survey-weighted logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Based on experiences of discrimination over the past 12 months, insomnia symptoms were associated with discrimination experience due to religion (odds ratio [OR]: 3.70; 95% confidential interval [CI]: 1.58–8.69), sex (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.87–3.37), age (OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.88–2.81), hometown (OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.44–2.97), employment status (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.37–2.10), and educational level (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.31–2.14). Furthermore, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms increased with the number of discrimination experiences. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, discrimination experiences due to religion, sex, age, hometown, employment status, and educational level were significantly associated with insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, as the number of discrimination experiences increased, so did the prevalence of insomnia. Preventing workplace discrimination may improve workers’ sleep health.