Gender-specific Correlations of Insomnia and Attitudes toward Treatment among Community-dwelling Elderly in Northern Taiwan

Abstract

Summary Background This is the first study to examine gender-specific correlations and attitudes toward treatment among community-dwelling elderly individuals with insomnia in northern Taiwan. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1358 adults aged ≥65 years who underwent a senior citizen health examination between March and November 2009 at a medical center. Results The overall prevalence of insomnia was 41.4%, with a higher rate in women (63.3%) than in men (36.7%). Difficulty falling asleep was the most commonly reported symptom (61.7%). About 60% of the elderly individuals had insomnia for longer than 1 year. In women, gender was an independent correlation. Higher scores on the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale were associated with insomnia in both genders (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41–1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31–1.57). The use of medication for a chronic illness increased the correlation of insomnia in women (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.39–2.59), and living with family decreased the correlation of insomnia in men (OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.21–0.82). Further, 47.9% of individuals reported using insomnia medication. Of those, 49.3% and 82.3% with untreated insomnia desired complementary/alternative medicine and sleep hygiene as treatments, respectively. Conclusion Early intervention to halt the progress of sleep disturbance and avoid unnecessary medication use are important. We identified a need for improved attitudes toward sleep hygiene and treatment among elderly Taiwanese individuals.