title: Sleep and frailty syndrome in elderly residents of long-stay institutions: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aging changes sleep patterns in most elderly people. Frailty shares a number of characteristics with sleep disorders and leads to similar results. However, their relationship in residents of long-stay institutions remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep and frailty syndrome in residents of long-stay institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study of 69 institutionalized elderly in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, actimetry and specific tests for frailty phenotype variables were used. Pearson's χ(2)-test, one-way anova and multiple linear regression were applied in statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample was characterized as predominantly frail (49.3%), mainly women (62.3%), with a mean age of 77.52 years (± 7.82). Frail elderly exhibited poor sleep quality, when compared with non-frail individuals (P = 0.02). In the multiple linear regression analysis, sleep latency (R(2) = 0.11, P = 0.003) and sleep quality (R(2) = 0.08, P = 0.013) had an influence on frailty, especially sleep quality. No differences were found between rest-activity pattern and frailty phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep alterations, including poor sleep quality and prolonged latency, were related to frailty in institutionalized elderly.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Vidal de Negreiros
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Nóbrega
authors.forename: Alvaro Campos Cavalcanti
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: Cristina Marques
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: de Almeida Holanda
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oliveira Guerra
authors.forename: John Fontenele
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013577:Syndrome
keywords: actigraphy; circadian rhythm; frail elderly; long-term care; sleep disorders