An observational study in Sleep Health, sponsored by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 25 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-29.
Sponsored by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) · Observational
Background:
Sleep that does not last long and is low-quality is tied to a range of serious health issues. These range from obesity to early death. Research has shown that black people who are professionals or managers are more likely to have this kind of sleep than their white counterparts. Black people are also at higher risk than whites for health problems caused by insufficient sleep. Researchers want to learn more about why these differences exist.
Objective:
To study reasons for racial differences in the work-sleep relationship.
Eligibility:
Adults at least 25 years old who:
Design:
Participants will be screened with questions. They will give sociodemographic data like job title, annual income level, and gender. They will give their contact information.
Participants will have 1 study visit. They will be in a closed, private conference room. They will join a focus group. The focus groups will be organized by to race, gender, and occupational class.
Participants will give informed consent before the focus group begins.
During the focus group, participants will be asked about their perceptions of health in general, and their typical work day. They will be asked about sleep.
Participants will also fill out a short questionnaire about their job and sleep habits.
Focus groups will be audio recorded. The entire session will last 90 to 120 minutes.
OBJECTIVE:
Prior research has documented racial differences in sleep health by occupational class. While increasing professional responsibility has been associated with shorter sleep duration among non-Hispanic Blacks, increasing professional responsibility appears to be associated with a lower prevalence of short sleep duration among non-Hispanic Whites. The objective of the present study is to investigate reasons for these racial differences in the work-sleep relationship.
STUDY POPULATION:
The study population will range between a minimum of 238 and a maximum of 408 focus groups participants (7-12 members acceptable per focus group). All non-Hispanic black and white adults 25 years of age or older who are currently working at least 38 hours a week will be eligible for inclusion in the study. To mitigate the influence of known cultural differences in sleep behaviors, participation will be limited to English speakers born in the continental United Sates.
DESIGN:
We will conduct 34 demographically homogenous focus groups consisting of 7-12 participants each. Focus groups will be stratified based race, sex, and occupational class, and will be conducted in both North Carolina and the metropolitan DC area. Focus groups will take place in-person and be conducted by a trained facilitator according to a scripted, semi-structured focus group guide. Audio recordings of the focus groups will be transcribed verbatim by a professional transcription service. De-identified transcripts will be reviewed by the study team to identify qualitative themes in the data, which will be coded in an appropriate software program using a double-coding process. Qualitative data analysis will be conducted to identify potential reasons for racial differences in sleep health by occupational class. We will additionally assess variation by other sociodemographic determinants, including sex, education, income, and geographic region.
OUTCOMES MEASURES:
Outcome measures include the themes/patterns regarding potential system-level influences, beliefs, and behaviors that may explain racial differences in the association between occupational class and sleep health.
1,573 studies on the registry are indexed under Behavior; 313 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 263 is above the median of 235 across 341 observational studies indexed under Behavior.
Browse Behavior studies →National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is the lead sponsor of 183 studies on the registry; 18 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Community sample - residents from Durham, NC and the surrounding areas as well as residents from Silver Spring, MD and the surrounding areas.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The study population will consist of approximately 340 focus groups participants.
Outcome measures include the themes/patterns regarding potential system-level influences, beliefs, and behaviors that may explain racial differences in the association between occupational class and sleep health.
Data will be analyzed via qualitative coding software to identify themes/patterns in the narratives of participants in focus groups and interviews.
Time frame: At the time of the focus group and in more detail during data analysis (coding)
Plan to share: Undecided
This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) →