Subjective sleep disturbance and its correlates in middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese women.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the factors associated with subjective sleep disturbance in middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese women.


METHODS
A total of 305 women aged 45-55 years were recruited at community-based women's clubs. Eligible subjects were of Chinese ethnicity and not taking oral contraceptives, hormone therapy or had received surgical removal of ovary. Standardized questionnaires, including sociodemographic, health and life-style variables, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS) and Perceived Stress Scale were administered.


RESULTS
About 18% of the sample complained of difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep or early morning awakening at least three times per week in the past month. About 26% of the women were poor sleepers as defined by a global PSQI score >5. Sleep difficulty was one of the five most commonly reported climacteric symptoms. Cross-sectional analysis found that significantly more peri- and postmenopausal women had subjective sleep disturbance than premenopausal women. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that women who had high levels of somatic complaints, psychological symptoms and perceived stress had a four to sixfold increased risk of reporting disturbed sleep. Menopausal status was not an independent predictor.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparison of our findings with recent literatures suggested a lower prevalence of insomnia in Hong Kong Chinese middle-aged females than Caucasian women. Somatic complaints, psychological symptoms and perceived stress were independent risk factors for sleep disturbance. Clinicians should screen for sleep problems in middle-aged Chinese women with prominent somatic and psychological symptoms and perceived stress.
Chung
Ka Fai
KF
Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. kfchung@hkucc.hku.hk
Tang
Mei Ki
MK
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic