# Predicting Sleep, Smoking and Lung Health Disparities in at-risk Black African American Adults

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2020 · $612,677

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Black/African American's (BAAs) are more likely to report insufficient sleep duration (<7 hours)
and other sleep deficiencies (e.g., poor sleep quality), and to have advanced Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), than Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) with similar smoking
behaviors. Insufficient sleep has been related to: (1) continued cigarette smoking, and (2)
impaired lung function in healthy adults. Thus, sleep deficiencies could be an “upstream”
primary and/or secondary prevention target to address racial disparities in tobacco use and
COPD onset and progression. Not known are the multi-level (i.e., individual, social and
environmental) factors that predict insufficient sleep duration and other sleep deficiencies in
BAA's across time, and the extent to which sleep deficiencies predict poorer health outcomes
such as continued tobacco use and worsening lung function in BAA smokers. To address these
knowledge gaps, we will conduct a multi-disciplinary 5-year prospective observational study that
will enroll and follow a representative sample of 480 BAAs who are current smokers, are aged
>39 years, and who have prodromal (GOLD stage 0) or early stage COPD (GOLD stage 1-2).
We will prospectively examine key individual, social, and environmental variables in concert with
objectively measured sleep metrics, tobacco use, inflammatory markers, and lung function in
this health disparate sample. Longitudinal mixed, classification and regression, and structural
equation modeling will define key predictors (and future intervention targets) of sleep
deficiencies in BAA's as well as delineate the extent to which insufficient sleep (and other sleep
deficiencies) interact with tobacco use and inflammation markers to predict worsening lung
function. The expected outcome from this work is to define multi-level phenotypes of risk for
sleep deficiencies, continued tobacco use, and worsening lung function in this health disparate
population of mid-life BAA smokers. This work directly aligns with, and advances the NIMHD
mission to conduct and support research in minority health and health disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9824474
- **Project number:** 5R01MD012734-03
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Freda Patterson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $612,677
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9824474

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9824474, Predicting Sleep, Smoking and Lung Health Disparities in at-risk Black African American Adults (5R01MD012734-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9824474. Licensed CC0.

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