Why sleep apnea deserves priority in public health: a call to action
By: Tetyana Kendzerska, Elizabeth Keys, Dayna A Johnson
While perspectives have emphasized the importance of addressing sleep health across the life course and promoting healthy sleep habits in children and youth, less attention has been paid to the public health burden posed by diagnosable sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Yet, just as social and environmental determinants shape sleep health early in life, they also intersect with biological vulnerabilities and structural barriers that influence the risk, recognition, and treatment of OSA into adulthood and older age. Adequate attention to sleep disorders within public health could help reduce these disparities as they accumulate across the life course. To advance sleep health equity in a meaningful way, public health strategies must include timely identification and management of sleep disorders that disproportionately affect marginalized populations and drive downstream health inequities.
