Prevalence of insomnia and its associated factors in elderly long-term care residents.

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Voyer, Philippe; Verreault, René; Mengue, Pamphile Nkogho; Charles M Morin

Source:

Arch Gerontol Geriatr, Volume 42, Issue 1, p.1-20 (2006)

Keywords:

Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Long-Term Care, Male, Nursing Homes, Prevalence, Quebec, Risk Factors, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Abstract:

<p>Insomnia is a significant problem that may jeopardize elderly residents' quality of life in long-term care settings. However, there are only a few studies dealing with sleeping disturbances among nursing home residents. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of insomnia and its associated factors in nursing home residents. A cross-sectional study (n=2332) was conducted among seniors living in long-term care facilities. The findings indicate that 144 (6.2%) participants had an insomnia disorder according to DSM-IV criteria, 17% displayed at least one symptom of insomnia, and more that half of the subjects were benzodiazepine users. According to multivariate analysis, psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio=1.51) and disruptive behaviors (adjusted odds ratio=2.10) were the only factors associated with an insomnia disorder among this population. In conclusion, insomnia is a fairly important problem, as a symptom or a syndrome, among elderly people and deserves attention from caregivers. Alternative interventions to benzodiazepine drugs, which are suited to long-term care residents while tailored to these specific care settings, should be developed.</p>