Association between subjective well-being and sleep among the elderly in Japan

Yokoyama, Eise; Saito, Yasuhiko; Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Ohida, Takashi; Harano, Satoru; Tamaki, Tetsuo; Ibuka, Eiji; Kaneko, Akiyo; Nakajima, Hiromi; Takeda, Fumi

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2007.02.007

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Volume 9, Issue 2 , Pages 157-164, January 2008

Association between subjective well-being and sleep among the elderly in Japan

Eise Yokoyama
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +813 3972 8111x2272, fax:+813 3972 5878.
Yasuhiko Saito
- Advanced Research Institute for the Sciences and Humanities, Nihon University, Japan
Yoshitaka Kaneita
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Takashi Ohida
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Satoru Harano
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Tetsuo Tamaki
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Eiji Ibuka
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Akiyo Kaneko
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Hiromi Nakajima
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Nihon University, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-8610 Japan
Fumi Takeda
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba, Japan

Received 16 December 2006; received in revised form 21 February 2007; accepted 21 February 2007.

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sleep and subjective quality of life in an elderly Japanese population.

Methods

Elderly people aged 70 years or more (n=1769) were selected randomly from all areas of Japan. They were visited and interviewed in November 2003. Subjective well-being of the subjects was assessed using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale. A logistic regression analysis was performed using sleep-related factors as explanatory variables.

Results

A positive linear association was observed between subjective sleep sufficiency and the mean PGC Morale Scale score. The crude and adjusted odds ratios for sleep disorders such as difficulty initiating sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and restless legs syndrome were significantly low. The mean score was highest for a sleep duration of 7–8h and became lower at sleep durations of <6 and ⩾9h (inverted U-shaped association). However, the adjusted odds ratio for sleep duration did not show a significant reduction.

Conclusions

In order to improve the subjective well-being of the elderly, better subjective sleep sufficiency and alleviation of sleep disorders are necessary. Different mechanisms may reduce subjective well-being in individuals who sleep less than 6h or who sleep 9h or more.

Keywords: Subjective well-being, PGC Morale Scale, Subjective sleep sufficiency, Sleep disorders, Sleep duration, Elderly in Japan