Abstract

TERESA ROMERO, G. de et al. Influence of age in the quality of sleep partial components in the community . Medifam [online]. 2001, vol.11, n.1, pp.23-27. ISSN 1131-5768.

Objectives: to assess how age determines global sleep quality and its partial components. Design: transversal descriptive study based on personal interview and the application of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in 1,053 persons selected among those over 18 years old who visited our Health Care Centers during the study period (01/09/97 to 31/08/98). χ ² test to compare qualitative variables, ANOVA for quantitative ones and Scheffé test for multiple comparisons. A p<0,05 statistical significance threshold was set. Results: 33,5% of the patients referred sleep problems (17,4% mild, 9,8% moderate and 6,3% severe). Women obtained significantly worse scores than men (p<0,01). Over the age of 54, sleep quality progressively worsened, without obtaining significant differences after this age. Except for daytime dysfunction, all the other sleep partial components showed significant differences over 54 years old, showing the highest scores for the external perturbations component and the lowest for the usual efficiency and hypnotic drug use components. Interpretation: there is a high prevalence of sleep quality perturbations in our community. People over 54 are not happy with their sleep quality, especially women. There seems to be an association between age and sleep quality worsening, being external perturbations the component that influences the most. Some other type of studies are needed to establish the etiology of these alterations. 

Keywords : Sleep quality; Age; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

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