Prevalence of sleep problems and quality of life in an older population.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of insomnia traits in a population and the effect of these traits on health-related quality of life.


METHODS
The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study is a population-based study in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.


METHODS
Participants were interviewed as part of the 5-year follow-up examination (1998-2000) of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. Participants were interviewed at the study office in Beaver Dam, WI, by telephone, or at their residence.


METHODS
2800 adults aged 53-97 years.


METHODS
N/A.


RESULTS
Participants were asked to what extent they experienced difficulty getting to sleep, waking up at night and having a hard time getting back to sleep, and waking up repeatedly during the night for any reason. A response of "often" or "almost always" was coded as positive for an insomnia trait. The SF-36 was administered to assess mental and physical function. Twenty-six percent of the population reported one insomnia trait, 13% reported two, and 10% reported three. All eight domains and the Mental and Physical Component Summary scores of the SF-36 decreased significantly (F-test for linear trend statistically significant at p<0.0001) as the number of reported insomnia traits increased.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that symptoms of insomnia are common among older adults and are associated with a decrease in health related quality of life.
Schubert
Carla R
CR
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53 726-2397, USA.
Cruickshanks
Karen J
KJ
Dalton
Dayna S
DS
Klein
Barbara E K
BE
Klein
Ronald
R
Nondahl
David M
DM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000453:epidemiology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*