Association between sleep problems and functional disability in community-dwelling older adults

• Published in: BMC geriatrics 2024-03, Vol.24 (1), p.253-253, Article 253
• Main Authors: Idalino, Stefany Cristina Claudino, Cândido, Letícia Martins, Wagner, Katia Jakovljevic Pudla, de Souza Moreira, Bruno, de Carvalho Bastone, Alessandra, Danielewicz, Ana Lúcia, de Avelar, Núbia Carelli Pereira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Activities of Daily Living - psychology; Adults; Aged; Aged patients; Care and treatment; Censuses; Chronic illnesses; Cognitive ability; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Diagnosis; Disabled Persons; Fruits; Functional disability; Health aspects; Households; Humans; Independent Living; Informed consent; Intellectual disabilities; Military bases; Older adults; Older people; Questionnaires; Risk factors; Self report; Sleep; Sleep disorders; Sleep problems; Sleep Wake Disorders - diagnosis; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Variables
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04822-8

Sleep problems are frequently observed in older adults. They can lead to changes in the individual's physical, occupational, cognitive, and social functioning, compromising the performance of activities of daily living and contributing to the occurrence of functional disability. This study evaluated the association between sleep problems and functional disability in community-dwelling older adults. This was a cross-sectional study with data from 10,507 Brazilian community-dwelling older adults participating in the 2013 National Health Survey. The exposure variable was self-reported sleep problems in the last two weeks. The outcome measure was functional disability assessed from self-reported questionnaires, categorized into basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and defined as not being able to perform or having little or a lot of difficulty in at least one of the activities investigated in the domain of interest. Older adults who reported sleep problems had 1.53 (95%CI: 1.34; 1.75) and 1.42 (95%CI: 1.26; 1.59) greater odds of having a disability in BADL and IADL when compared to individuals who reported having no sleep problems. Older adults with sleep problems were more likely to have a functional disability, both in BADL and IADL. Thus, it is important to implement strategies to screen for sleep problems in older adults in primary health care as a preventive strategy for functional disability.