Who reports insomnia? Relationships with age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic deprivation.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of self-reported insomnia symptoms among Mâori (indigenous people) and non-Mâori adults in the general population of New Zealand. To explore the possible links between insomnia symptoms and ethnicity, gender, age, employment status and socio-economic deprivation.


METHODS
Mail-out survey to a stratified random sample of 4,000 people aged 20 to 59 years, selected from the electoral roll.


METHODS
Nationwide survey of New Zealand adults (72.5% response rate).


METHODS
The sample design aimed for equal numbers of Mâori and non-Mâori participants, men and women, and participants in each decade of age.


METHODS
N/A.


RESULTS
Population prevalence estimates indicated that self-reported insomnia symptoms and sleeping problems were higher among Mâori than non-Mâori. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified unemployment and socioeconomic deprivation as being strongly associated to all insomnia symptoms and to reporting a sleeping problem lasting more than 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Socioeconomic factors and ethnicity are significant independent predictors of reported insomnia symptoms. This finding has important implications for the provision of treatment services to those most in need.
Paine
Sarah-Jane
SJ
Sleep/Wake Research Centre, Research School of Public Health, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. s.j.paine@massey.ac.nz
Gander
Philippa H
PH
Harris
Ricci
R
Reid
Papaarangi
P
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires