Abstract P527: Acculturation and Family History Are Associated With Sleep Disturbances in US Americans of South Asian Origin

Introduction: Sleep disorders are an important risk for cardiovascular disease. Although the effects of sleep-disordered breathing have been widely studied in general populations, there is a gap in understanding its prevalence and determinants among South Asians in the United States of America (US), a group with high risk of cardiometabolic disease that presents unique genetic burdens and acculturation issues. We examined the association of family history of sleep disturbances and acculturation in a survey of South Asian immigrants. Methods: We surveyed 105 US South Asian participants (20-75 years, 69% male, 92% born in South Asia) recruited at a community event. Respondents provided information on age, gender, acculturation (measured by the adoption of English spoken at home), and family history of severe snoring in first degree relatives. We used a modified Berlin Sleep Questionnaire, where the obesity criterion was replaced with current diabetes to identify persons with high-risk sleep disturbances and asked about severe snoring in first degree relatives to identify family history of sleep disturbances. We examined the association of high-risk sleep disturbances with family history and acculturation metrics using Chi-squared tests, followed by logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 105 participants, 28 (26.7%) were identified as high-risk for sleep disturbances. Those at high risk had a median age of 61 years, significantly older than their low-risk counterparts (median age 53; p=0.015). Of the 55% individuals who were acculturated to now speak English at home, 34% had high risk sleep disturbances as compared to 17% with sleep disturbances among those that continued to speak their native non-English language (p=0.044). Of the 10% individuals whose siblings had severe snoring problems, 50% had high risk sleep disturbances vs. 24% in those without sibling history (p = 0.079). In logistic regression models adjusting for age and gender, both sibling history (Odds Ratio 4.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 20.3, p = 0.047) and acculturation (Odds Ratio 3.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 8.6, p = 0.037) were associated with high-risk sleep disturbances. Conclusions: Acculturation as measured by adoption of English as the home language and family history of severe snoring are both associated with sleep disturbances among US South Asians in. Healthcare providers should be especially vigilant for sleep disorders in acculturated South Asian patients and those with such family and social history. Further studies are needed to understand the relationships between genetic predispositions, acculturation, and environmental factors in this population.