Sleep characteristics and health-related quality of life among a national sample of American young adults: assessment of possible health disparities

Purpose

The aim of the study is to examine the associations of sleep characteristics with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sleep health disparities among US young adults using national survey data.

Methods

The study sample consisted of 2,391 young adults aged 20–39 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2008. HRQOL was assessed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HRQOL-4 scale. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the sleep–HRQOL associations. Stratified analyses were conducted to examine whether the associations varied by sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

Approximately 35.6 % of young adults slept <7 h, 41.9 % had insomnia, 4.4 % had sleep disorder, and 8.5 % had sleep apnea. More females had insomnia than males (48.6 vs. 35.9 %, P < 0.001). US-born young adults had more sleep disturbances than their foreign-born counterparts. Compared with those sleeping 7–8 h, the adjusted odds ratio of poor general health was 1.60 (95 % confidence interval, 1.08–2.35) for individuals sleeping 6–7 h and 1.88 (1.23–2.86) for those sleeping <6 h. Similar results were found for low mental HRQOL and overall HRQOL. Insomnia, long sleep latency, troubling falling asleep, daytime sleepiness, and frequent sleeping pill use were significantly associated with low mental HRQOL and overall HRQOL. The associations between sleep disturbances and low HRQOL varied little by sex, race/ethnicity, and country of birth.

Conclusions

Sleep disturbances are common among US young adults and are significantly associated with low HRQOL. Objective measures of sleep are warranted to confirm our findings.     

Measures of asthma control and quality of life: longitudinal data provide practical insights into their relative usefulness in different research contexts

Purpose  To further our understanding of the relationships between asthma control and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and provide insights into the relative usefulness of various measures in different research contexts. We present a conceptual model and test it with longitudinal survey data. Methods  Participants recruited via population sampling and hospital Emergency Departments completed questionnaires every 6 months for up to 3 years. Measures included: sleep disturbance, use of short-acting beta agonists (SABA), activity limitation, urgent medical visits, hospital use, Marks’ Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-M) and the SF-36 Health Survey. Correlation analysis and multi-level models tested predictions from the conceptual model. Results  A total of 213 people with asthma aged 16–75 years provided 967 observations. Correlations between asthma control and asthma-specific HRQOL were stronger than those between asthma control and generic HRQOL. The asthma control variables explained 54–58% of the variance in asthma-specific HRQOL and 8–25% of the variance in generic HRQOL. Activity limitation was the main contributor to between-person variation, while sleep disturbance and SABA use were the main contributors to within-person variation. Conclusions  Sleep disturbance and SABA use may be most useful in evaluating treatment effectiveness, while activity limitation may be better when monitoring the impact of asthma in populations.     

Impact of nocturnal calf cramping on quality of sleep and health-related quality of life

Purpose

To evaluate the impact of nocturnal calf cramping (a condition that affects one in two people over 60 years of age) on quality of sleep and health-related quality of life.

Methods

Eighty adults who experienced nocturnal calf cramp at least once per week and eighty age- and sex-matched controls who never experienced nocturnal cramp were recruited from the Greater Newcastle and Central Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia. All participants completed the SF-36v2 and the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Survey (MOS-SS).

Results

People who experienced nocturnal muscle cramps reported more sleep disturbance (p < 0.001), less adequate sleep (p = 0.001), less quantity of sleep (p = 0.02) and more snoring (p = 0.03). Both sleep problem summary indices for the MOS-SS identified people who experienced nocturnal muscle cramp as having more sleep problems than the controls. People who experienced nocturnal muscle cramps had lower health-related quality of life for the SF-36 domains role physical (p = 0.007), bodily pain (p = 0.003) and general health (p = 0.02). SF-36 domains that primarily relate to mental health were not significantly different between groups. The impact of nocturnal calf cramps on health-related quality of life was largely explained by their negative impact on quality of sleep.

Conclusions

Nocturnal calf muscle cramps are associated with substantially reduced quality of sleep and reduced physical aspects of health-related quality of life.     

Häufigkeit und Verteilung von Schlafproblemen und Insomnie in der deutschen Erwachsenenbevölkerung

Sleep disturbances are associated with a variety of physical and mental health disorders and cause high direct and indirect economic costs. The aim of this study was to report the frequency and distribution of problems of sleep onset and maintaining sleep, sleep quality, effective sleep time, and the consumption of sleeping pills in the adult population in Germany. During the 4 weeks prior to the interview, about one third of the respondents reported potentially clinically relevant problems initiating or maintaining sleep; about one-fifth reported poor quality of sleep. When additionally considering impairments during the daytime such as daytime fatigue or exhaustion, a prevalence of 5.7?% for an insomnia syndrome was found. Women were twice as likely to be affected by insomnia-syndrome as men. Significant age differences were not seen. Persons with low socioeconomic status had an increased risk of insomnia (OR: 3.44) as did people residing in West Germany (OR: 1.53). Women with low socioeconomic status (OR: 4.12) and West German men (OR: 1.79) were more affected. The results illustrate the considerable public health relevance of insomnia-related sleep disturbances. An English full-text version of this article is available at SpringerLink as supplemental.     

Insomnia: prevalence and its impact on excessive daytime sleepiness and psychological well-being in the adult Taiwanese population

Objectives  This study examined the national age- and sex-specific prevalence rates of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), the associations of insomnia symptoms with daytime consequences, and the impact of insomnia on EDS and psychological well-being. Methods  Data of 36,743 men and women aged 18 years and above from the 2005 Survey of Social Development Trends—Health Security in Taiwan were analyzed. Results  Over 25% of the Taiwanese adults experienced insomnia. Difficulty initiating sleep (14.6%) was the most common type of insomnia, followed by early morning awakening (13.9%) and difficulty maintaining sleep (13.4%). The risk of EDS was three times as high for individuals with insomnia as for those without (95% confidence interval of odds ratio: 2.77–3.71). Insomnia status predicted poor psychological well-being even after controlling for sociodemographic factors and health status. Conclusions  Taiwanese adults had a high prevalence of insomnia. Insomnia contributed at least partially to an individual’s psychological well-being.     

Sleep disorders and their relationship to psychological disturbance in children with epilepsy

By means of parental questionnaires, sleep disturbances were assessed in 79 schoolchildren with epilepsy (mean age 10.12, range 5–16 years) for comparisons with 73 healthy control children matched for gender and to within a maximum of 6 months of age. The daytime behaviour of the children with epilepsy was also assessed by questionnaire. The children with epilepsy were considered representative of such children under general paediatric care. Sleep disturbance was classified into five basic types (poor quality sleep, anxieties about sleep, disturbances during sleep, symptoms of disordered breathing during sleep and short duration sleep) and the behaviour questionnaire provided scores on five factors (conduct problems, hyperactivity, attention problems, anxiety and physical complaints). Compared with normal controls children with epilepsy showed much higher rates of sleep disorders, particularly poor quality sleep and anxieties about sleep. In children aged 5–11 years associations were found between disturbed daytime behaviour and sleep problems, particularly poor quality sleep. There was also a significant association between seizure frequency and anxieties about sleeping. This study highlights the potentially serious psychological and other developmental implications of persistent sleep disturbance to children with epilepsy, and the need for further research on specific types of epilepsy with careful identification of the nature of both sleep disturbance and related psychological dysfunction.     

Self-rated health in persons with spinal cord injury: relationship of secondary conditions, function and health status

Objective  Self-rated health is used frequently as a measure of health in the general population, and increasingly with persons with disabilities. However, its meaning and its relationship with other measures of self-reported health (health status and secondary conditions) are not well understood for this group. The purpose of the present study was to use a conceptual model to examine the structure of self-rated health with persons with spinal cord injuries. Methods  A US sample of 270 adults with mobility impairment stemming from spinal cord injury (SCI) provided data on three measures of self-reported health that differ in degree of subjectivity: physical problems common to SCI, four domains of health status from the SF-36, and a single item on self-rated health. Data were compared with the norm sample of the SF-36. The conceptual model was tested using path analyses. Results  SF-36 scores were lower on three of four domains compared with the norm sample. The conceptual model analyses indicated that 35% of variance in self-rated health is accounted for through direct relationship with physical secondary conditions common to persons with SCI and as mediated through SF-36 domains of Role Physical and Vitality. The SF-36 domain of Physical Function was statistically unrelated to self-rated health. Conclusion  The conceptual model of self-rated health was verified in a sample of persons with SCI. Importantly, the SF-36 domain of Physical Function does not relate to self-rated health for this group. Its inclusion in measures of self-reported for disability populations creates difficulty without apparent benefit.     

Association of insomnia with quality of life, work productivity, and activity impairment

Purpose  To assess the association of insomnia with health-related quality of life (HRQOL), work productivity, and activity impairment. Methods  Data were obtained from the 2005 US National Health and Wellness Survey. Subjects were assigned to the insomnia group (diagnosed insomnia experienced at least a few times a month) or the noninsomnia group (no insomnia or sleep symptoms). HRQOL was assessed using the short form 8 (SF-8) (mental and physical scores). The work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire (WPAI) assessed absenteeism (work time missed), presenteeism (impairment at work), work productivity loss (overall work impairment), and activity impairment. Linear regression models were used to control for potential confounders. Results  A total of 19,711 adults were evaluated (5,161 insomnia, 14,550 noninsomnia). Subjects in the insomnia group had significantly lower SF-8 physical (−5.40) and mental (−4.39) scores and greater activity impairment scores (+18.04) than subjects in the noninsomnia group (P < 0.01 for all). Employed subjects in the insomnia group had greater absenteeism (+6.27), presenteeism (+13.20), and work productivity loss (+10.33) scores than those in the noninsomnia group (P < 0.01 for all). Conclusions  Insomnia is significantly associated with poorer physical and mental quality of life and work productivity loss and activity impairment.     

Sleep problems, health-related quality of life, work functioning and health care utilization among the chronically ill

Objectives: To provide a comprehensive assessment of whether sleep problems among the chronically ill are associated with decrements in functional health and well-being, decreases in work functioning and increases in the use of health care services. Design: Cross-sectional survey of patients from the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), an observational study of functional health and well-being. Chronically ill patients (n = 3484) were sampled from health maintenance organizations, large multi-specialty groups, and solo or single-specialty group practices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Chronic illness subgroups include: clinical depression (n = 527), congestive heart failure (229), diabetes (n = 577), recent myocardial infarction (n = 170), hypertension (n = 2206), asthma (n = 84), back problems (n = 771), and arthritis (n = 672). ANCOVA analyses of the relationship between sleep problems and SF-36 scales and summaries were performed. In addition, a ‘relative impact’ analysis determined what scales or summaries were most associated with sleep problems. Main outcome measures: Eight scales and two summary measures from the SF-36 Health Survey, work productivity and work quality measures and self-reports of health care utilization. Results: Comparing chronically ill patients with no sleep problems to those with mild, moderate, or severe sleep problems revealed a direct association between sleep problems and decrements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as measured by SF-36 scales and summaries (MANOVA F 24.1; d.f. 24; p ≤ 0.0001). In addition, significant differences in HRQOL were found when comparing patients with and without sleep problems within most of the disease groups studied. The relative impact analysis revealed that measures of mental health and the mental health summary were most associated with sleep problem severity in the total sample and chronic disease subsets, in comparison with measures of physical health. In addition, monotonic relationships were found between severity of sleep problems and decreases in work productivity and increases in health care utilization, as expected. Conclusions: The analyses revealed that sleep problems go hand in hand with poorer mental health, diminished work productivity and work quality and greater use of health care services. Sleep problems, therefore, may be a significant confounding factor in the interpretation of health outcomes among patients with chronic diseases. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The relationship between insomnia and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic illness

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between insomnia and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic illness after accounting for the effects of depression, anxiety, and medical comorbidities. STUDY DESIGN: We used a cross-sectional analysis of Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) data. POPULATION: The sample consisted of 3445 patients who completed a self-administered questionnaire and who were given a diagnosis of 1 or more of 5 chronic medical and psychiatric conditions by an MOS clinician. Patients were recruited from the offices of clinicians practicing family medicine, internal medicine, endocrinology, cardiology, and psychiatry in 3 US cities. OUTCOMES MEASURED: Outcomes were sleep items, health-related quality of life as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), chronic medical comorbidity, depression, and anxiety. Insomnia was defined as the complaint of difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. RESULTS: Insomnia was severe in 16% and mild in 34% of study patients. Patients with insomnia demonstrated significant global decrements in HRQOL. Differences between patients with mild insomnia versus no insomnia showed small to medium decrements across SF-36 subscales ranging from 4.1 to 9.3 points (on a scale of 0 to 100); the corresponding decrements for severe insomnia (versus no insomnia) ranged from 12.0 to 23.9 points. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia is independently associated with worsened HRQOL to almost the same extent as chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure and clinical depression.     

SF-36 includes less Parkinson Disease (PD)-targeted content but is more responsive to change than two PD-targeted health-related quality of life measures

Objective  

To compare validity including responsiveness, and internal consistency reliability and scaling assumptions of a generic (SF-36) and Parkinson Disease (PD)-targeted (PDQ-39; PDQUALIF) health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures.     

成都市社区老年人睡眠障碍与抑郁症状的相关性研究

目的 探讨成都市社区老年人睡眠障碍与抑郁症状发生之间的关联。方法 以成都市锦江区60岁及以上的老年人为研究对象,采用中文版匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表（Pittsburgh sleep quality index,PSQI）评估社区老年人的睡眠障碍,包括主观睡眠质量、入睡时间、睡眠时长、睡眠效率、睡眠紊乱、日间功能障碍、催眠药物使用共7个睡眠维度。采用老年抑郁问卷自评版（the self-reported version of geriatric depression inventory,GDI-SR）评估老年人抑郁症状发生情况。采用二分类logistic回归分析社区老年人不同睡眠维度问题与抑郁症状之间的关系。结果 本研究共纳入587名社区老年人,抑郁症状检出率为16.0%,总体睡眠障碍率为39.5%。社区老年人主观睡眠质量（OR=2.738,95%CI:1.394～5.378）、睡眠紊乱（OR=2.351,95%CI:1.060～5.211）、日间功能障碍（OR=5.063,95%CI:2.911～8.805）、使用催眠药物（OR=2.521,95%CI:1.164～5.461）与抑郁症状...     

Poor Sleep Quality Is Associated with Altered Taste Perception in Chinese Adults

BackgroundSmall clinical studies have suggested that individuals with insufficient sleep could experience taste dysfunction. However, this notion has not been examined in a large-scale, population-based study.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine whether overall sleep quality, as assessed by insomnia, daytime sleepiness, snoring, and sleep duration, was associated with the odds of having altered taste perception in a large population-based study.DesignThis was a cross-sectional study that used data from a subcohort of the Kailuan study, an ongoing multicenter cohort study that began in 2006 in Tangshan City, China.Participants/settingThe participants were 11,030 adults aged 25 years or older (mean age 53.7 ± 10.7 years), who were free of neurodegenerative diseases. All the participants had undergone questionnaire assessments and medical examinations at Kailuan General Hospital from June 2012 to October 2013.Main outcome measuresAltered taste and olfactory perception were assessed via a questionnaire with two questions regarding whether participants had any problems with sense of taste or smell for ≥3 months.Statistical analyses performedThe association between sleep quality and altered taste/olfactory perception was examined using a logistic regression model, adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle factors (eg, obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, and physical activity) and health status (eg, lipid profiles, blood pressure, modification use, and presence of chronic diseases).ResultsPoor overall sleep quality was associated with a higher risk of having altered taste perception (adjusted odds ratio for low vs high sleep quality 2.03, 95% CI 1.42 to 2.91; P < 0.001). Specifically, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and short sleep duration, but not prolonged sleep duration and snoring, were significantly associated with altered taste perception. A significant association between overall sleep quality and the risk of having altered olfactory perception was also observed (adjusted odds ratio for low vs high sleep quality 2.17, 95% CI 1.68 to 2.80; P < 0.001).ConclusionsIn this population-based study, poor sleep quality was associated with a high likelihood of altered taste perception.     

Association between duration of daily visual display terminal work and insomnia among local government clerks in Japan

BACKGROUND: Visual display terminal (VDT) work has become very common among office workers in developed countries; however, studies investigating the association between the duration of daily VDT work and insomnia are limited. METHODS: The aim of this study was to clarify the association between the duration of daily VDT work and sleep disturbances. We investigated 2,417 clerks (men, 2,030; women, 387) at local government offices. Sleep disturbances were evaluated using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). RESULTS: VDT work of 6 hr or more per day was significantly associated with insomnia (odds ratio = 1.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.27) and, in particular, caused problems with "total sleep duration" and "sleepiness during the day" among sleep-related symptoms, even after adjusting for possible confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that VDT work of 6 hr or longer per day was related to insomnia.     

Sleep disturbance in menopause

Sleep problems (i.e., insomnia) affect midlife women as they approach and pass through menopause at rates higher than at most other stages of life. The purpose of this article is to critically review what is known about insomnia (perceived poor sleep) and physiologically assessed sleep, as well as sleep-related disordered breathing (SDB), in women according to menopausal status and the role of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) hormones. Self-report evidence that sleep difficulties are related to the hormonal changes of menopause is mixed. Data from studies in which sleep was physiologically measured reveal that sleep problems appear corequisite with hot flashes and sweats. Results are difficult to compare across studies because of varying methodologies in how sleep quality and patterns were assessed and how age cohorts and menopausal status were defined. The risk of SDB increases with age, although women are less susceptible at any age than men. As with men, snoring, obesity, and high blood pressure are clear risk factors. Some women may be underdiagnosed for SDB, as they have somewhat different symptom manifestations than men. Usually, frank apnea is not as evident. Primary care clinicians should be mindful of the potential for SDB in women who are obese, have high blood pressure, are cognizant of snoring, and report morning headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness. Improved care will result from consistently incorporating sleep insomnia assessments into practice as a basis for referring to sleep centers as necessary or prescribing sleep-enhancing behavioral and pharmacological treatments.     

Development and validation of a French patient-based health-related quality of life instrument in kidney transplant: the ReTransQoL

Background

Sleep is an important element of functioning and well-being. The Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-Sleep) includes 12 items assessing sleep disturbance, sleep adequacy, somnolence, quantity of sleep, snoring, and awakening short of breath or with a headache. A sleep problems index, grouping items from each of the former domains, is also available. This study evaluates the psychometric properties of MOS-Sleep Scale in a painful diabetic peripheral neuropathic population based on a clinical trial conducted in six countries.

Methods

Clinical data and health-related quality of life data were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks of follow-up. Overall, 396 patients were included in the analysis. Psychometric properties of the MOS-Sleep were assessed in the overall population and per country when the sample size was sufficient. Internal consistency reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha; the structure of the instrument was assessed by verifying item convergent and discriminant criteria; construct validity was evaluated by examining the relationships between MOS-Sleep scores and sleep interference and pain scores, and SF-36 scores; effect-sizes were used to assess the MOS-Sleep responsiveness. The study was conducted in compliance with United States Food and Drug Administration regulations for informed consent and protection of patient rights.

Results

Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.71 to 0.81 for the multi-item dimensions and the sleep problems index. Item convergent and discriminant criteria were satisfied with item-scale correlations for hypothesized dimensions higher than 0.40 and tending to exceed the correlations of items with other dimensions, respectively. Taken individually, German, Polish and English language versions had good internal consistency reliability and dimension structure. Construct validity was supported with lower sleep adequacy score and greater sleep problems index scores associated with measures of sleep interference and pain scores. In addition, correlations between the SF-36 scores and the MOS-Sleep scores were low to moderate, ranging from -0.28 to -0.53. Responsiveness was supported by effect sizes > 0.80 for patients who improved according to the mean sleep interference and pain scores and clinician and patient global impression of change (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The MOS-Sleep had good psychometric properties in this painful diabetic peripheral neuropathic population.

Trial registration

As this study was conducted from 2000 to 2002 (i.e., before the filing requirement came out), no trial registration number is available.     

The health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis: a comparison with a selected sample of healthy people

Background  

The health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important indicator of the burden of musculoskeletal disease. The Medical Outcome Study Short-Term 36 (SF-36) is the most used tool that evaluates HRQL as a subjective perception about psychological and physical limitations due to an underlying illness. The purpose of this study was to compare the HRQL scores among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and a selected sample of health people and determine their relationship with measures of clinical condition.     

Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia for Women Veterans with and without Probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

ObjectiveThis study compared the benefits of cognitive–behavioral therapy for insomnia for sleep, mental health symptoms, and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of women veterans with and without probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comorbid with insomnia disorder.MethodsSeventy-three women veterans (30 with probable PTSD) received a manual-based 5-week cognitive–behavioral therapy for insomnia treatment as part of a behavioral sleep intervention study. Measures were completed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Sleep measures included the Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sleep efficiency measured by actigraphy, and sleep efficiency and total sleep time measured by sleep diary. Mental health measures included the PTSD Checklist-5, nightmares per week, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. QoL was measured with the Short Form-12. Linear mixed models compared changes over time across groups. Independent t tests examined PTSD symptom changes in women veterans with probable PTSD.ResultsBoth groups demonstrated improvements across sleep (ps < .001–.040), mental health symptoms (ps < .001), and QoL measures (ps < .001). The probable PTSD group reported greater improvements in diary sleep efficiency (p = .046) and nightmares per week (p = .001) at post-treatment and in total sleep time (p = .029) and nightmares per week (p = .006) at follow-up. Most participants with probable PTSD experienced clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms at post-treatment (66.7%) and follow-up (60.0%). Significant reductions in intrusive and arousal/reactivity symptoms were maintained at follow-up.ConclusionsCognitive–behavioral therapy for insomnia improves insomnia, mental health symptoms, and QoL among women veterans, with greater improvement in those with probable PTSD.