Sleep and quality of life among rural elderly in Anhui province

Abstract

The primary purposes of this article were to examine the distributions and correlation between conditions of sleep and the quality of life, so as to explore the risk factors of abnormal sleep among elderly in the rural areas of Anhui province. Elderly who aged 60 years or more (n = 1680) were randomly selected from rural areas in Anhui province. Conditions of sleep and quality of life of the subjects were assessed independently, using the pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scale and SF-36 scale. A generalized logistic model analysis was performed, using sleep-related factors as explanatory variables. The average PSQI score was 7.43 +/- 4.13. Persons whose sleep conditions were graded as well, common or poor were accounted for 29.4%, 24.3%, 46.3%, respectively. Sex and sleep quality were different in terms of quality of life among all the factors(P < 0.05). Men had better quality than women, and poor sleepers had poorer quality of life as compared to the one with better conditions. Factors as being married/living alone/economically independent, having better social function, often eating meat or wheat were significant predictors for having good sleep conditions. However, factors as better education received, living alone, with poor vitality/general health, having chronic diseases (back pain, coronary heart or stomach disease), less meat intake, rice as major foods etc. were predictors for poorer sleeping condition. Our data showed that it was unsatisfactory on the quality of sleep among the rural elderly in Anhui province. Conditions on general, health and nutrition should be improved in order to prevent the poor sleep condition.