Nearly two-thirds of adults in Latin America report insufficient sleep, which is strongly associated with social determinants of health such as economic strain and housing insecurity.
Abstract Introduction Sleep insufficiency is a major public health concern linked to cardiometabolic disease, mental health disorders, and impaired daytime functioning. Data from Latin America remain limited. This study characterizes sleep duration patterns and quantifies the influence of social determinants of health (SDOH) on insufficient sleep in a large Central and Latin American cohort. Methods A social media REDCap-based survey collected demographic, sleep, and SDOH data from adults across multiple Latin American countries. Sleep duration was categorized as 5 hours, 5–6 hours, 7–8 hours, or ≥9 hours. Insufficient sleep was defined as 7 hours per night. Prevalence estimates were stratified by age and sex. Logistic regression examined associations between individual SDOH variables and insufficient sleep. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported. Results A total of 1,091 adults had complete sleep and SDOH data. Sleep insufficiency was highly prevalent: 65.5% (714/1,091) slept 7 hours per night. Among respondents, 14.0% slept 5 hours, 51.5% slept 5–6 hours, 31.3% achieved 7–8 hours, and 3.2% slept ≥9 hours. Insufficient sleep affected 60–70% of men and 50–80% of women, with the highest burden in adults aged 40–59 years. Multiple social determinants were significantly associated with insufficient sleep. The strongest predictors were: Money problems: OR 1.80 (1.34–2.43, p = 0.0001), transportation problems: OR 1.96 (1.05–3.68, p = 0.035) and Housing/neighborhood insecurity: OR 2.16 (1.03–4.54, p = 0.042) Other social barriers: OR 2.66 (95% CI: 2.02–3.51, p 0.0001) Food insecurity showed elevated risk (OR 2.81, CI 0.96–8.26, p = 0.060), and lack of heating/AC trended toward significance (OR 1.66, CI 0.99–2.80, p = 0.057). Individuals reporting no social barriers had dramatically lower odds of insufficient sleep: OR 0.39 (0.30–0.50, p 0.0001). Conclusion In this large regional survey, sleep insufficiency affects nearly two-thirds of adults in Latin America. Economic strain, transportation difficulties, neighborhood insecurity, and other social barriers significantly elevate the risk of short sleep. Support (if any)
Ceballos-Fuentes et al. (2026) studied this question.