Cross-sectional Analysis of Association between Sleep and Mental Health among Cancer Survivors Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Poor sleep has been demonstrated to increase the risk of negative mental and physical health outcomes. Sleep factors such as quality and duration, are significantly associated with a person’s mental health. Poor sleep and mental health have shown to be associated with adverse health outcomes in people with cancer. Potential confounders such as smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and BMI have been shown to influence this relationship. Although several studies have observed associations between sleep quality and mental health, few studies have recognized the potential influence of confounders that could potentially inflate the strength of their association. The study aims to (i) evaluate the simple association between sleep quality and mental health among in cancer survivors from the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study 3 (CPS-3), and (ii) if a significant association is obtained, assess the extent to which health-related behaviors or factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol use, history of anxiety or depression, physical activity, and BMI, are confounders of the association.

The sleep factors of quality and misalignment, which is related to maintaining a circadian rhythm, were significantly associated with mental health while sleep duration was not. Several potential confounders like BMI, physical activity, and history of depression or anxiety, were significantly associated with sleep quality and misalignment and mental health. They did not however, confound the relationship between sleep factors and mental health. These results imply that when examining the relationship between sleep factors and mental health, different lifestyle and health behavioral factors do not significantly influence said relationship.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction and Statement of the Problem and Purpose                                  1

Chapter 2: Review of the Literature                                                                                    6

Chapter 3: Methodology                                                                                                        13

Chapter 4: Results                                                                                                                 20

Chapter 5: Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations                                             35

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health Psychology, Behavioral Sciences
Keyword	mental health health behavioral factors cancer sleep lifestyle factors
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dr. Elizabeth Walker, Emory University
Committee Members	Dr. J. Lee Westmaas, American Cancer Society
Partnering Agencies	National or regional non-profit organization (e.g., American Cancer Society)

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