Relationships among types of activity engagement and insomnia symptoms among older adults

Abstract

Background An increasing awareness exists that lack of activity engagement is associated with insomnia symptoms. However, the majority of studies have focused on the association between a single type of activity engagement and insomnia symptoms. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study examining the relationships among different types of activity engagement and insomnia symptoms among older adults. The sample for this study included 3321 older adults who responded to survey modules on activity engagement and insomnia symptoms in 2016. Activity engagement was measured using items for three types of activities (i.e., social, cognitive, and physical) validated in this study. Insomnia symptoms were measured using four items (i.e., difficulty of falling asleep, waking up during the night, waking up too early, and feeling rested). Independent t-tests were conducted to identify the differences in insomnia symptoms according to activity engagement level. Regressions were conducted to examine the associations among three types of activity engagement and insomnia symptoms after adjusting for covariates such as demographics, chronic disease, activities of daily living difficulty, cognitive function, sleep disorder, loneliness, and caregiving. Results The respondents in the high-level social, cognitive, and physical activity engagement groups were found to show fewer insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, higher social (β = − 0.04, p = 0.040) and cognitive (β = − 0.06, p = 0.007) activity engagements were associated with fewer insomnia symptoms even after adjusting for other types of activity engagement and all covariates. Conclusions This study suggests that older adults with higher social and cognitive activity engagements may be likely to have fewer insomnia symptoms. Based on these results, future research is needed to develop multi-component intervention programs that can encourage older adults to engage in these activities.

Types of social activities associated with fewer insomnia symptoms and the mediating role of loneliness in older adults

“…8 Although there are empirical rationales for a significant association between social activity and sleep complaints, most studies have examined the relationship without classifying types of social activities. 1,12 The present study contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating that the association with insomnia symptoms varies depending on the type of social activity. Future research should adopt an experimental approach to examine the causal relationships between each social activity type and insomnia symptoms.…”

“…The activities included volunteer work with children or young people, charity work, educational or training courses, sports or social clubs, nonreligious organisations (e.g., political, community, or other interest groups), and community arts groups (e.g., choirs, dance classes, photography, theatre, or music groups). 12 Each item was rated on a seven-point Likerttype scale: (1) daily, (2) several times a week, (3) once a week, (4) several times a month, (5) at least once a month, (6) not in the last month, and (7) never. These responses were reverse-coded for the ease of interpretation, ranging from 1 (never) to 7 (daily), with a higher score indicating higher engagement in social activities.…”

“…Each item was scored on a Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (most of the time) to 3 (rarely or never). Based on previous studies, 12,21 we reversed the first three items and then summed the total score, which ranged 4-12. A higher score indicated more insomnia symptoms.…”

“…Daytime stimuli via social activities (e.g., social interaction) have a positive effect on the circadian rhythms that regulate the sleep–wake cycle 11 . The association between social activity and insomnia symptoms persists even after adjusting for other types of activities (e.g., physical and cognitive activities) 12 . As previously discussed, research has been conducted on the relationship between social activity and insomnia symptoms; 1,12 however, little research has attempted to identify the mechanisms that link social activity engagement with insomnia symptoms.…”

Physical, Cognitive and Social Rehabilitation in Relation to Sleep Quality and Cognitive Functions in the Elderly

“…Properly selected rehabilitation can prolong the independent functioning of elderly people and improve their daily functioning, maintaining an appropriate balance. Numerous multicentre studies of the population of elderly people from different cultural circles confirmed the fact that active, healthy lifestyle, associated with physical effort and appropriate degree of nutrition, is a condition of good mental and intellectual health, being the most important factor for successful aging [30,31]. Most studies confirm the relationship between the level of physical activity and the occurrence of mild cognitive disorders [32].…”