Socio‐demographic predictors of sleep complaints in indigenous Siberians with a mixed economy

OBJECTIVES: Socio‐demographic indicators closely relate to sleep in industrialized populations. However we know very little about how such factors impact sleep in populations undergoing industrialization. Within populations transitioning to the global economy, the preliminary evidence has found an inconsistent relationship between socio‐demographics and sleep complaints across countries and social strata. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surveys were conducted on a sample of rural Sakha (Yakut) adults (n = 168) during the autumn of 2103 to assess variation in socio‐demographics and sleep complaints, including trouble sleeping and daytime sleepiness. Socio‐demographic variables included age, gender, socioeconomic measures, and markers of traditional/market‐based lifestyle. We tested whether the socio‐demographic variables predicted sleep complaints using bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions. RESULTS: Trouble sleeping was reported by 18.5% of the participants and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) by 17.3%. Trouble sleeping was significantly predicted by older age, female gender, and mixing traditional and market‐based lifestyles. EDS was not significantly predicted by any socio‐demographic variable. DISCUSSION: These findings support the few large‐scale studies that found inconsistent relationships between measures of socioeconomic status and sleep complaints in transitioning populations. Employing a mix of traditional and market‐based lifestyles may leave Sakha in a space of vulnerability, leading to trouble sleeping. Am J Phys Anthropol 157:641–647, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.