Daily and Seasonal Variation in Light Exposure among the Old Order Amish
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15514166 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ellen Lee (0000-0002-2250-765X, Institute on Aging), Ameya Amritwar (Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital), L Elliot Hong (0000-0002-1472-2659, University of Maryland, Baltimore), Iqra Mohyuddin (University of Maryland, Baltimore), Timothy M Brown (0000-0002-5625-4750, University of Manchester), Teodor T POSTOLACHE (0000-0001-6056-4244, VA Capitol Health Care Network, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 4460-4460 |
| Publication date | 2020-06-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph17124460 |
| PMID | 32575882 |
| OpenAlex | W3036582198 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
Exposure to artificial bright light in the late evening and early night, common in modern society, triggers phase delay of circadian rhythms, contributing to delayed sleep phase syndrome and seasonal affective disorder. Studying a unique population like the Old Order Amish (OOA), whose lifestyles resemble pre-industrial societies, may increase understanding of light's relationship with health. Thirty-three participants (aged 25-74, mean age 53.5; without physical or psychiatric illnesses) from an OOA community in Lancaster, PA, were assessed with wrist-worn actimeters/light loggers for at least 2 consecutive days during winter/spring (15 January-16 April) and spring/summer (14 May-10 September). Daily activity, sleep-wake cycles, and their relationship with light exposure were analyzed. Overall activity levels and light exposure increased with longer photoperiod length. While seasonal variations in the amount and spectral content of light exposure were equivalent to those reported previously for non-Amish groups, the OOA experienced a substantially (~10-fold) higher amplitude of diurnal variation in light exposure (darker nights and brighter days) throughout the year than reported for the general population. This pattern may be contributing to lower rates of SAD, short sleep, delayed sleep phase, eveningness, and metabolic dysregulation, previously reported among the OOA population
Biology · Circadian rhythm · Environmental health · Evening · photoperiodism · Population · Seasonality · Sleep (system call · Circadian rhythm and melatonin · Demography · Impact of Light on Environment and Health · Medicine · Urban Green Space and Health · Ecology · Internal Medicine · Physiology
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |