title: [The health status of older people with insomnia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the perceived health status of elderly patients with insomnia, whether primary, secondary to a medical illness, or associated with another mental disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 926 persons aged over 65 years. A psychiatric interview was used to verify the presence of insomnia (DSM-IV-TR, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth ed., revised text). Interviews were conducted by health professionals to assess perceived health status (EuroQol-5D), health problems, and socio-demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of primary insomnia was 8.9% (95% CI: 7.1-11.0), that of insomnia associated with another mental disorder was 9.3% (95% CI: 7.5-11.4) and that of insomnia secondary to medical illness was 7.0% (95% CI: 5.4-8.9). Patients with insomnia who used hypnotics/sedatives scored lower in self-reported health (57.6; 95% CI: 53.7-61.4), significantly lower (p<0.05) than participants with insomnia not taking these drugs (65.1; 95% CI: 53.7-61.4). The mean health status score in individuals without insomnia was 0.87 and was significantly lower (p<0.05) in persons with any type of insomnia: 0.80 in primary insomnia, 0.73 in insomnia secondary to a mental disorder and 0.76 in insomnia associated with medical illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health status was worse in older people with insomnia, whether primary, secondary to other mental illnesses or organic, and when the elderly patients consumed hypnotics/sedatives. Limitations were less severe in primary insomnia.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación de la Gerencia de Atención Primaria de Albacete, Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, España. jesusl@sescam.org
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Torres Hidalgo
authors.forename: Beatriz N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: avarro Bravo
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Párraga Martínez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andrés Pretel
authors.forename: Joseba
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rabanales Sotos
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Simarro Herráez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology