Social Engagement and Sleep Quality among Older Adults in Rural China: Is There a Sex Difference?

Abstract

ObjectivesSleep quality plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of older people and has become a major public health concern throughout the world. Social engagement, as a core component of “Active Ageing”, is one of the key determinants of health outcomes of older adults. This study estimated the relationship between social engagement and sleep quality among older adults living in rural China, and to determine whether there is a sex difference in these associations. DesignA cross-sectional design. Multilevel, multiple linear regression models were used to examine the independent associations between each type of social engagement and sleep quality. All standard errors were clustered at the community level. Setting and ParticipantsData were from 3243 adults age 60 years or older from rural areas in China. MethodsSleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Social engagement was measured by 3 types of social groups’ activity in this study, including participation in hobby groups, community-related organization, and sports groups. ResultsParticipating in hobby groups, community-related organization, and sports groups with high frequency are all associated with better sleep quality. In addition, the positive relation between participating in community-related organization and sleep quality is stronger for older male than female adults, and the positive association between participating in hobby groups/sports groups is stronger for older female than male adults. Conclusions and ImplicationsOlder adults with high-frequency of social engagement may have better sleep quality. This study offers new insight for the sleep quality from the perspective of social engagement among older people, implies that encouraging targeted social engagement in older people with different sex may be effective in promoting sleep quality in rural China.