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Objectives: This study investigates the associations of retrospective reports of Recession hardships with 10-year changes in subjective and objective indicators of sleep, and whether these associations differ by race and gender. Methods: Five hundred and one adults (14.57% Black; 54.49% female) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study reported on the subjective Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) across two waves (pre-Recession, collected 2004–2009; post-Recession, collected 2017–2022), as well as Recession hardships since 2008. A sub-sample of 201 adults (25.37% Black; 58.21% female) provided objective actigraphy-measured sleep data (total sleep time, sleep onset latency, and sleep efficiency) across the two waves. Results: Descriptive analyses revealed Black participants had higher average Recession hardships, poorer post-Recession PSQI scores, and poorer post-Recession actigraphy sleep quantity and quality compared to white participants. Females had higher average Recession hardships compared to males; and reported poorer post-Recession PSQI, but had better objective post-Recession sleep quantity and quality compared to males. Regression models showed Recession hardships (across overall events, and sub-domains of financial and housing hardships) were associated with poorer PSQI and actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency following the Recession, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, corresponding pre-Recession sleep variables, and pre-Recession chronic conditions. There was no evidence for significant moderation by race on sleep outcomes. However, gender moderation indicated associations between housing hardships and poorer actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency were more apparent for females than for males. Conclusions: Findings indicate that Recession hardships (particularly in financial and housing domains) may be manifested in poor sleep. Racial and gender groups may have differential exposure and sleep-related reactivity to Recession hardships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking is a mode of transport that offers many benefits. This study aims to provide insights on the emotions associated with different types of walking episodes – namely, utilitarian walking episodes that are undertaken with the purpose of fulfilling an activity at a destination and recreational walking episodes that are undertaken with no specific purpose/destination. A knowledge of the emotions associated with different types of walking episodes can help steer policies and investments in a way that would engender greater levels of walking. The paper utilizes the well-being module of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data set to model subjective ratings on five different emotions associated with walking, employing a total of 1583 walk episodes. The five emotions include happiness, meaningfulness, tiredness, stress, and painfulness. A multivariate ordered probit model is estimated to account for unobserved attributes that may simultaneously affect multiple emotions. Model estimation results show that a number of socio-demographic variables and walking episode attributes affect how people feel about recreational and utilitarian walking episodes. Overall, it is found that utilitarian walking episodes offer a lower level of positive emotions than recreational episodes – presumably because recreational episodes are undertaken in more pleasant environments under more relaxing conditions. The results suggest that investments in recreational walking infrastructure and green spaces may yield richer dividends in terms of engendering higher levels of walking. Targeting specific socio-demographic groups for awareness campaigns and having strategic parking policies based on the day of the week are some of the other important implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]