Abstract
This is the first meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of insomnia in the general population of China. A systematic literature search was conducted via the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Interne (CNKI), WanFang Data and SinoMed). Statistical analyses were performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program. A total of 17 studies with 115,988 participants met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The pooled prevalence of insomnia in China was 15.0% (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 12.1%-18.5%). No significant difference was found in the prevalence between genders or across time period. The pooled prevalence of insomnia in population with a mean age of 43.7 years and older (11.6%; 95% CI: 7.5%-17.6%) was significantly lower than in those with a mean age younger than 43.7 years (20.4%; 95% CI: 14.2%-28.2%). The prevalence of insomnia was significantly affected by the type of assessment tools (Q = 14.1, P = 0.001). The general population prevalence of insomnia in China is lower than those reported in Western countries but similar to those in Asian countries. Younger Chinese adults appear to suffer from more insomnia than older adults.Trial Registration: CRD 42016043620
Highlights
Insomnia, which is characterized by difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep and/or waking up too early, appears to be one of the most frequent sleep complaints in the general populationPLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0170772 February 24, 2017Prevalence of insomnia in China [1]
The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was the most commonly used tool to assess insomnia, followed by standardized questions designed by researchers, e.g., “Do you have insomnia during the last month” and Athens insomnia scale (ASI)
Most studies assessed the prevalence of insomnia symptoms using the PSQI or Subgroups Male Female Mean age of study samples 43.7 yrs Mean age of study samples >43.7 yrs Survey year 2006 Survey year>2006 Assessment tool
Summary
Insomnia, which is characterized by difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep and/or waking up too early, appears to be one of the most frequent sleep complaints in the general populationPLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0170772 February 24, 2017Prevalence of insomnia in China [1]. Insomnia is frequently associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, especially depression and anxiety [1,5,6]. Examining the prevalence of insomnia is essential for health professionals and policymakers to understand its influence on the general population and enact appropriate preventive strategies as well as to make reasonable health resource allocations and funding decisions based on the cost-burden to society. The prevalence of insomnia in the general population varies greatly across studies, ranging from 6% to 50% [7,8]. Such wide variation could be due to several factors, such as differences in the definition of insomnia, assessment tools and geographical locations. Age and gender were the most commonly identified risk factors, with an increased prevalence in women and older adults [1]
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