Abstract
Light is an environmental feature important for human physiology. Investigation of how light affects population health requires exposure assessment and personal biomonitoring efforts. Here, we derived measures of amount, duration, regularity, and timing from objective personal light (lux) measurement in >4000 participants across two United States (US)-based cohort studies, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), encompassing eight geographic regions. Objective light and actigraphy data were collected over a week using wrist-worn devices (Actiwatch Spectrum). Cohort-stratified light exposure metrics were analyzed in relation to sex, season, time-of-day, location, and demographic and sleep health characteristics using Spearman correlation and linear and logistic regressions (separately by cohort) adjusted for age, sex (where applicable), and exam site. Light exposure showed sex-specific patterns and had seasonal, diurnal, geographic, and demographic and sleep health-related correlates. Results between independent cohorts were strongly consistent, supporting the utility and feasibility of light biomonitoring. These findings provide a fundamental first characterization of light exposure patterns in a large US sample and will inform future work to incorporate light as a biologically relevant exposure in environmental public health and key component of the human exposome.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 178839 |
| Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
| Volume | 969 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 15 2025 |
Funding
The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) was carried out as a collaborative study supported by contracts from the NIH NHLBI to the University of North Carolina (N01-HC65233), University of Miami (N01-HC65234), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (N01-HC65235), University of Illinois at Chicago (HHSN2682013000031), Northwestern University (N01-HC65236), and San Diego State University (N01-HC65237). The following NIH Institutes/Centers/Offices contribute to the HCHS/SOL through a transfer of funds to the NHLBI: National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Dietary Supplements. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is conducted and supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in collaboration with MESA investigators. Support for MESA is provided by contracts HHSN268201500003I, N01-HC-95159, N01-HC-95160, N01-HC-95161, N01-HC-95162, N01-HC-95163, N01-HC-95164, N01-HC-95165, N01-HC-95166, N01-HC-95167, N01-HC-95168, N01-HC-95169, UL1-TR-000040, UL1-TR-001079, UL1-TR-001881, and DK06349. The MESA Sleep Exams were supported by grants from HL56984 and NIA AG070867. Supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH-NHLBI T32HL007901 [to DW], K99HL166700 [to DW], R35HL135818 [to SR], and R01HL161012 [to TS]). F.A.J.L.S. has been supported in part by NIH grants R01 HL140574 and R01 HL153969 .
Keywords
- Chronobiology
- Circadian
- Illumination
- Photoperiod
- Seasonality
- Sleep disorders
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Chemistry
- Waste Management and Disposal
- Pollution